A/C/E Trains - 34 St.-Penn Station (Extra Days, stop #461)

Out:  Outside the station there is a strange mix of buildings.  At 33rd St., Penn Station, MSG, a large office building as well as an older one are all directly outside.  

Across 8th Ave. is the majestic main Post Office in Manhattan (which will supposedly one day become the new Penn Station).  

People of all ethnicities and socioeconomic classes are out here on the streets by the station.  There are plenty of office workers, tourists, and other folks around.  It's plenty busy on the sidewalk.  There are smallish restaurants, a parking garage, and Duane Reade on 33rd.  34th still has more midscale places like Riese, Friday's, a diner, Payless, and the "Cinderella Club".  All in all it looks a little skeezy, but definitely not hoody.

In:  The station here has the same strange layout as the 1/2/3 stop on the 7^th Ave. side.  The layout is three platform, four track, with the middle platform  offering express access in both directions, and the outer platforms for local access.  There is a burgundy color scheme with mosaic station signs and small lettered numbers on black tiles.  The mezzanine here is below the tracks, with a connection directly into Penn Station; the crossunder here connects the express and local tracks.  The exit into Penn Station is under the south end of the platform.  In general the station is well-lit and in pretty good shape.  There are exits from the local platform out to 33rd St., 34th St., and 35th St.  Smaller mosaic signs at the exits direct you up to MSG or Penn Station.

A/B/C/D Trains - 59 St.-Columbus Circle (Extra Days, stop #460)

Out:  See description of 1 Train - 59 St.-Columbus Circle.

In: Three platform, four track layout.  The center platform is unused by passengers but is currently undergoing major renovation.  It's not clear what use it could be for except for alternate boarding for the express trains in either direction.  The walls are white tiled with "59" in subtle tilework outlines. The color scheme is generally blue tile stripe down a white wall with burgundy columns.  There is transfer up two different staircases to the uptown and downtown 1 trains as this train cuts diagonally over the 8th Ave. line.

B/C Trains - 81 St.-Museum of Natural History (Extra Days, stop #458)

Out:  The exit here is at the south side of 81^st St., close to CPW.  The intersection is, not surprisingly, dominated by the museum here, even if the view is a bit blocked by trees.  

There are large high-rise apartment complexes along 81^st St. in all of their pre-war splendor.  There is a particularly grand building on the corner of CPW undergoing renovations.  

At the crosstown route across the park here there is the “Hunter’s Gate”.  

The people outside are similar to 86^th, with perhaps more tourists and kids, still definitely mostly white, but a few black and Hispanic here.  Also there are still no commercial spots here.

In:  The layout of the station is similar to previous stops, but there are a number of interesting features here.  The station entrance itself is unusually wide (essential the width of two typical staircases), as is the tree-lined sidewalk into which it emerges on 81^st St.  On the staircases and on the mezzanine there are elaborate mosaic tile murals of birds, insects, and other scientific specimens.  The floor is decorated with other tiles and the station is clean and in good shape.  The walls of the upper platform are still covered in tile pictures of animals, and there are no advertisements on the walls.  The staircase to the lower level is decorated with a large tile picture simulating the layers of the earth; the core is located at the bottom of the stairs.  

The walls downstairs have relief metal inlays of fossils.  There are also some mosaic tile station signs with “81^st St.-Museum of Natural History” on a blue tile background.  Definitely a great station! 

B/C Train - 86 St. (Extra Days, stop #457)

Out:  The area around the station here is similar to 96^th, but everything looks even fancier.  The station is still right next to the park, and there is plenty of traffic at the crossover here.  

The buildings are even more ornate here, and almost everyone is now white except for nannies of various ethnicities carting around white babies.  There are no commercial establishments except for a large office full of doctors in private practice.  

There are a couple of smaller buildings with interesting architecture undergoing renovations (see photo), but again most of the buildings are large residential towers.  I walk from here down to 81^st St.

In:  Similar to 96^th, but here there are exits at 87^th and 86^th, and there is some visible graffiti on the wall of the express track.

B/C Trains - 96 St. (Extra Days, stop #456)

Out:  Again the exit here is on the west side of CPW, right next to the park.  Now on the border of the Upper West Side, there are a number of towering residential high rises.  

The only obvious commercial activity is a guy selling hot dogs from a cart.  There is plenty of traffic looking to enter and exit one of the park crossovers here.  96^th itself here is a large street, with two lanes of traffic in each direction.  It is also lined by large high rises to the west, with a fewer smaller buildings interspersed.  

Some of the buildings look to be classic and pre-war, but others are clearly more modern.   There is also a large church on the corner here and a Tudor-style apartment building on 97^th.  

The people on the street are pretty mixed between white, black, and Hispanic, plus there are a number of tourists now.  There is a playground at the corner here with many moms, nannies, and kids.  There are not too many people in work attire, and more in workout clothes.  Definitely getting into the wealth of the UWS here.

In:  Similar to 103 St.

B/C Trains - 103 St. (Extra Days, stop #455)

Out:  The station here is next to Central Park, as the next many stations will also be.  It’s very residential here.  On 103^rd there are a number of brick tenements and some Puerto Rican flags flying.  On the block there are some older black and Puerto Rican men hanging out.  103^rd itself is quite small here, with just one lane of traffic.  

On CPW there are more people out and some tourists speaking a Scandanavian language, along with many other white people/gentrifiers.  There are also many people who look like they are just leaving the park after a run or other exercise.  There is also some type of protest going on about a block away (see photo).  

In the park here there are some large boulders across from the stop, indicating the rockier terrain in this northern section. On CPW there are basically only fancy residential buildings with many arches, bay windows, and other accents on the façade.

In:  The station is a bit dirtier than 110 St.  The color scheme is similar to the previous stops, with blue metal columns and a blue mosaic tile name, but the layout has changed.  Now the station is bi-level, with the uptown tracks on the top level, just one flight below street level, along with the booth and turnstiles.  On each level there is one platform and two tracks, with the outer track being the express bypass.  The platform wall has white tiling while the far wall is just black backing with no tiling.

B/C Trains - 110 St.-Cathedral Pkwy. (Extra Days, stop #454)

Out:  The exit here is at the NW corner of Central Park.  

There is a lot of construction going on in the not-yet-completed traffic circle here.  

There are now many gentrifiers around, and their presence is gaining when compared to the number of black people on the streets.  I can see the trees of Central Park along with two big apartment towers here, the “Towers on the Park”.  

There are also a number of other brick-fronted tenements around.  There is a cleaners, a grocery, a café, and a gas station here, but in general it’s much more residential than commercial.

In:  The mezzanine here is small with a dimly lit platform.  There’s a mosaic tile mural with the title “Migrations”, that is tasteful if a bit abstract.  The platform color scheme and layout is similar to 116 St., but here the express tracks are running below grade.  There is also a mosaic tile mural on the platform depicting Frederick Douglass.

B/C Trains - 116 St. (Extra Days, stop #453)

Out:  The area near this stop features some good Harlem architecture, with a mix of brownstones and well-maintained brick apartment buildings with art deco accents.  

The area around the stop is mostly black, with a strong Senegalese presence, as well as a good number of gentrifiers.  

There is a Halal deli, some Senegalese stores, and women in headscarves.  The local mosque, the “Masjid Aqsa”, is near the 99¢ store.  I walked down to 110 St. from here.

In:  The station walls here are covered in dirty white tiles, and the stop is dimly lit.  There are blue metal columns by the platform edge.  The layout here is two opposing platforms with four tracks and express bypass.  There is a blue mosaic station name in the IND style.  The paint here is peeling pretty badly at certain places.  There is only one exit.

A/B/C/D Trains - 125 St. (Extra Days, stop #452)

Out:  The exit here is on a busy stretch of 125 St., at the corner of St. Nicholas Ave.  There are plenty of people out and about as well as traffic, even on a Sunday afternoon.  There are many small businesses and fast food places, as well as larger chains.  

While 125 is almost all commercial with many stores and large billboards, there are many large apartment buildings on St. Nicholas.  The people around are mostly black, not surprising here on the main street of Harlem.

In:  The layout here is two platform, four track with both express and local access.  There are brick tile floors on the platform and green metal columns in the middle of the platform.  There is green tile stripe down the side wall and no mosaic station name.  The station in general is dimly lit and the tiles on the walls are dirty.  The mezzanine is also floored in brick tiling and extends for the length of the platform and there are multiple exits.

B/C Trains - 135 St. (Extra Days, stop #451)

Out:  This area is again very residential, with no obvious commercial activity nearby.  The main buildings here are large apartment blocks and tenements.  The interesting feature here is that one entrance to the train is built into a hillside (see photo) leading up to City College, whose buildings are visible over the top of the hill.

In:  The station here has a two platform, six (!) track layout.  There are two sets of express tracks that bypass the station, one for the A train and one for the D train, which reflect their positioning on different levels at 145 St.  Thus, the opposing platforms are very far apart here.  There are green metal columns by the platform edge and a green mosaic station name in the IND style.  There is no mezzanine here, just a booth at platform level and the exit one flight up.

A/B/C/D Trains - 145 St. (Extra Days, stop #450)

Out: The neighborhood here is very residential, with only a few small business nearby. The housing is almost all large tenements, but there are a few more architecturally interesting row houses/brownstones nearby. The area is mostly black with some kids near the stop looking like they are searching for something to do.

In: The station here is three levels. The bottom level has the B/D, the middle the A/C, and the top level is a long mezzanine with exits at 145 St. and 147 St. The levels with train access have a two platform, four track layout with local and express access. There are white tiles on the wall with a yellow tile stripe and yellow metal columns. There is no mosaic station name, just “145” lettering on small black tiles.

C/E Trains - 23 St. (Day 10, stop #449)

Out:  Outside the stop here there are many well-maintained large apartment buildings, and a bunch of trees about a block away.  The area is pretty much all gentrified and white/Asian, but there are some black/Hispanic people too.  There are a good number of gay guys here in Chelsea, and the stores are a mix of bars, restaurants, and mom & pop places, some of which have rainbow flags flying outside.  There is the Dallas BBQ right at this corner, which always has a significant place in my heart.  This neighborhood is a good mix of residential and commercial.  I manage to catch the last remnants of sunlight for a couple photos.  I also saw here a long ling of cop cars speeding by, but I can’t see the immediate cause.

In:  Dirty white tiles on the walls here, and a two platform, four track layout with express bypass.  There are yellow columns by the platform edge, and yellow mosaic tile on the wall with the station name in the IND style.  There are also lots of “23” in small black tiles.  There’s an underpass to the other side here, but no mezzanine; the booth is right below the street level.

A/C/E Trains - 14 St. (Day 10, stop #443)

Out:  The intersection here at 8^th Ave. is crowded with lots of people out and about.  There are some office workers, some hipster, some gay folk.  The people are mostly white, but some black and Asian as well.  There is a wide variety of small delis and restaurants, and the stores are a mix of mid- to upscale.  The housing is a mix between low and high-rise apartments.  

There is an old bank building on the corner (see photo).  The general feeling here is residential, but with a lot of activity.

In:  The layout here is two platform, four track with local and express access.  Each platform is wide and well-lit, with tile floors.  There are yellow metal columns in the middle of the platform.  On the platform itself there are a number of small, rotund figures made of bronze, assuming various poses and placed on many surfaces.  There is a yellow tile stripe on the wall, otherwise white square tiles with a black “14^th” painted intermittently.  There is a very long and wide mezzanine with multiple exits and yellow metal columns.  There is also a transfer to the L down a short passageway.

C Train - Franklin Ave. (Day 10, stop #409)

Out: The intersection here is definitely dominated by the station house for the Franklin Park Shuttle (S train; see photo) as well as the tracks running overhead. The houses are short and squat, mostly with brick but some with brownstone-type material. Some are in better shape than others. I see a few more gentrifiers over here, but the stores are still of the typical lower-income neighborhood variety: Crown Fried Chicken, delis, Popeye’s, etc. There are also some West Indian stores (the “Odessey African Market” looks particularly interesting) around as well as “Rasta Craft”. The intersection is not particularly busy, and the neighborhood still has a bit of a rougher feel to it.

In: The station looks a bit older here, with sea green color scheme like Lafayette. However, there are no columns by the platform. The layout again is back to the two platform, four track layout with express bypass. There is no mezzanine here, just a short tunnel to the S station house and the exit.