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.

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.

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.

B/D/F/V Trains - 47-50 St.-Rockefeller Ctr. (Day 9, stop #389)

Out:  The buildings here are mostly office towers and other skyscrapers, and the people on the street are primarily office workers leaving to go home a bit early on Friday (~ 4 p.m.).  

There are also a good number of tourists here.  On the corner here there are ice cream trucks and small food stands, as well as some restaurants and shops at street level of the tall buildings, especially on the side streets off 6^th Ave.  

Near the stop is Radio City Music Hall and plenty of people relaxing by the fountain across 6^th Ave.  

Inside the shops at Rockefeller Center I manage to finally use the bathroom after basically walking underground all the way over the 5^th Ave.

In:  This station has lots of entrances, many built into the sides of the nearby buildings.  Also there are many retail outlets and food places on the upper level of the station, called “The Concourse”.  There are white-tiled dodecahedrons near the platform, and there are grey and white floors.  The long mezzanine level has red metal columns and Lufthansa ads. The layout here is two platform, four track with local and express access.  The platforms here are not at equal height, so it’s kind of strange to look at the wrong level onto the neighboring track.  The walls have small white tiling with a reddish tile stripe.  The station name “47-50” is painted on small black wall tiles.

B/D/E Trains - 7 Ave. (Day 9, stop #362)

Out:  This stop is again back into the thick of midtown Manhattan, as the surrounding buildings are almost all skyscrapers (some office, some residential, some hotel).  Most of the people are in office attire and on their way to work.  

There are some eateries around, “Lindy’s” diner, and the Sheraton.  This stop no longer has any character of Times Square, even though it’s only a few blocks north.  There is a mix of older and newer towers here.  The people who live here are doubtless mostly white with plenty of cash.  There are some very upscale restaurants which are likely geared toward the local businessmen or tourists, and there are already some tourists scoping out the area at this early hour.

In:  The station has a strange layout as well, with multiple levels for the trains.  There are two levels with trains, and each has a single platform and two tracks.  The E train and B/D trains arrive on opposite tracks and travel in opposite directions, strangely.  The lighting is dim, there are grey tiles on the floor, and blue metal columns on the platform.  The walls have a narrow, blue tile stripe.  The paint is peeling and the station is generally in bad condition.  There are many stairs to exit here; the station is quite far underground.  There is only a very small booth area and no real mezzanine level.  The booth itself is covered in white tiles and stainless steel, which is out of the ordinary.

B/D/F/V Trains - 42 St.-Bryant Park (Day 8, stop #359)

Out:  The exit here is right at the corner of Bryant Park.  Despite the late hour, there are still plenty of people lounging around in the park.  They seem to be mostly office workers who have gotten out of work recently.  

The streets are no longer too crowded, though, as it’s close to 8 p.m. and mostly past rush hour.  The nearby sandwich shops have closed by now.  The park is surrounded by the enormous modern skyscrapers of midtown; definitely in the thick of Manhattan here.  

Besides the office workers, there are some tourists around as well as people of all types (but most of them well-dressed).  Not too many obviously residential places here; definitely seems to be mostly office space.

In:  This station has better lighting inside, also with a two platform, four track layout.  There are grey floor tiles, white wall stiles, and red metal columns by the edge of the platform.  There is a red tile strips along the wall, following the grade of the platform.  There is a small “42” repeated frequently on black tiles.  There’s a long mezzanine in the station, with some included retails space (even though it’s currently unoccupied).  There’s a large mosaic wall mural containing sizeable brown tiles.  There is a quote as part of the mural: “Nature must not win the game but they cannot lose.  Jung”.  Not really clear what this environmental statement has to do with the subway, but whatever.

B/D/F/V Trains - 34 St.-Herald Sq. (Day 8, stop #358)

Out:  See 34 St. stop on N/R/Q/W Trains.

In:  Two platform, four track layout with B/D on express and F/V on local.  There are red metal columns by the platform edge, and the platforms are quite wide.  The station is pretty dirty and dingy, with low flat ceilings and grey floor tiles.  The walls have dirty white tiles.  There is harsh lighting hanging from the ceiling.  There is a transfer to the N/Q/R/W and access to the exits via  long system of ramps and stairs.

A/C/E/B/D/F/V Trains - W. 4 St. (Day 8, stop #355)

Out: The streets here are crowded with tons of people. It’s a mixed between office workers, well-dressed young people, and some people dressed a little more aggressively. There’s the IFC Center right here, as well as some handball/basketball courts on the corner of W. 3 St. and 6^th Ave.

There is also the famous Village mix of tattoo shops, comedy clubs, and Blue Note jazz club right near by. The housing is primarily small row houses in brick as well as some mid-size apartment buildings. Definitely lots of activity around here.

In: This station has a strange three-level design, From the booth area at W. 3^rd St., there is a long tunnel with white tiling that leads down to the 8^th Ave. line platform. This level has a two platform, four track layout for local and express access. There are multiple staircases to access the middle level, which doesn’t have any trains on it, just a big concrete open space. The lower level again has a two platform, four track layout with B/D on the express track and F/V on the local. There are green metal columns by the platform edge, white tiles on the walls, a green tile stripe down the wall, and “W. 4” in small black tiles. The station here is dimly lit and looks dirty.

B/D/F/V Trains - Broadway-Lafayette St. (Day 8, stop #354)

Out:  Here on the border of SoHo, there are many fancy stores and well-dressed people (both shoppers and office workers).  There are huge ads around and well-maintained but older buildings; some look like former factories.

A pretty fancy corner, in general.  It’s surprising that there is actually a gas station at the corner of Houston and Lafayette…that’s some valuable real estate!

In:  There is two platform, four track setup, with the D/B trains on the inner tracks and the F/V on the outer.  There are blue metal columns on the platform, grety tile floors, and white tile walls.  The station is in decent condition and the lighting is ok.  I need to walk up a long flight of stairs to get to the exit.  There is also a long hallway which allows for transfer to the downtown 6.

B/D Trains - Grand St. (Day 8, stop #353)

Out:  Right in the thick of Chinatown here.  There are tons of people out and the sidewalks are packed.  

Most of the people are Chinese or other Asian, but there are a few other races as well as some tourists mixed in.   There are a number of restaurants, bakeries, random food markets, and park across Chrystie St.  

The food markets have all different types of food, some of it still alive.  There are also a bunch of guys fixing shoes on the sidewalk near the station. 

The buildings are mostly small apartments and some tenements.  If I didn’t mention it before: the streets are crowded!  Also the sidewalks and streets are pretty narrow as well, which doesn’t necessarily help.  

In:  The train entrance here smells like old fish.  The booth area is a decent size but it’s very crowded and almost difficult to exit the turnstiles here because so many people are streaming in.  There is also a waiting area beyond the turnstiles but above the tracks.  The layout is two opposing platforms with two tracks, and both the platform and mezzanine areas are dimly lit.  There are large, off-white rectangular tiles interspersed with blue squares with “Grand” painted in white.  The platform is also on a strange grade, with the front and back of the platform at a pretty different elevation.

D/N/R Trains - Pacific St. (Day 5, stop #231)

Out: This exit at Pacific and 4^th Ave. has a pretty church on the corner, a nearby Modell’s, and some well maintained brownstones.  

The people around seem pretty mixed between black, white, and Hispanic.  It’s clear that this is a “nice” neighborhood, even if 4^th Ave. is not the most scenic part of it.

In: The layout here is one platform, two tracks for local and express access towards Manhattan.  The outbound tracks are again separated by a partition wall.  There are square white tiles on the walls with a tile trim in light blue and green.  There is a tile mosaic for “Pacific Street” station sign and top border of the walls.  The mezzanine is big and brightly lit, with new white tiles on the wall, and there are extensive connections to the other trains at the Atlantic stop.  One of the staircases also has some cool fake stone built in.

D/N Trains - 36 St. (Day 5, stop #226)

Out:  This part of Sunset Park is definitely very Hispanic, with comida criolla, a deli, and check cashing spot (I didn’t see that in Borough Park).  There are still a couple of Asians around, though.  

The buildings nearby are mostly row houses, with some variety in styles.  There is an open lot filled with plants next to the stop, so it gives the immediate surroundings a more open feel.

In:  This station is now back underground.  The layout is one platform, with two tracks with local and express access (there is also a downtown track with the same layout, separated by a wall).  The walls are covered with white tiles, the floor is grey tiled, and there is mosaic tiling at the top border of the wall in brown and green.  It’s hard to read the tiling as the lighting is pretty dim.  There are yellow metal columns by the platform edge.  Some of the white tiles look pretty new, but many others are old and stained.  The back of the platform, however, has a higher ceiling and is better lit.  On the mezzanine there are some interesting murals of subway riders and workers.

D Train - 9 Ave. (Day 5, stop #225)

Out:  This intersection of 9 Av. and New Utrecht Ave. is pretty minor, and the main feature is that it overlooks some type of train yards right here.  The neighborhood here is pretty much all Hispanic with some black, and I don’t see any Orthodox any more.  Greenwood Cemetery is ~1 block away, as well as a more commercial strip.  

The housing in the area seems to be mostly row houses with some small apartment buildings. There is a sweet food cart here but unfortunately I'm not hungry at the moment.

In:  The station house itself is well-maintained on the exterior.

The track here is at slightly below street level, and I need to walk up to exit.  The station house is small and it smells bad; but it probably was pretty nice at some point in the past.  The layout is two platform, three track with express track access.  There are green metal columns on the platform supporting a peaked roof.

D Train - Ft. Hamilton Parkway (Day 5, stop #224)

Out:  There is also lots of graffiti outside the station as well, and the streets look dirtier.  The neighborhood still has some Orthodox around, but definitely more black people here than previous stops, and still a few Asians as well as some Hispanic.  There is a martial arts place and a Curves work out spot near the stop, along with a deli.  

The houses/apartments are not in as good shape as in the other neighborhoods.  

This high school was pretty impressive, though.  

In:  Station looks pretty bad, with paint peeling severely in many places.  The exit to Ft. Hamilton Pkwy is closed, so I exit at 45 St. & New Utrecht Ave.  There’s lots of graffiti near the exit.  The mezzanine is concrete-floored, and the station house has ugly yellow tiles with lots of stains.

D Train - 50 St. (Day 5, stop #223)

Out:  Still lots of Orthodox out on the streets here in Borough Park.  There are also some more blacks and Hispanics around as well, and only a few Asians.  Many stores have signs in Yiddish here.  I see a number of people running in for some last-minute Shabbat goods at an upscale-looking, new Kosher market on the corner here.  

There's also a maternity store nearby (you know there’s a lot of babies being produced around here).  Besides that there are other typical services for a middle-class neighborhood, such as a deli, law office, architects office, a car service, etc.

In:  The layout here is two platform, three track with express bypass.  The green metal columns and roof over the platform are in OK condition, and I can see over the side where the awning ends. The mezzanine is concrete floored.

D Train - 55 St. (Day 5, stop #222)

Out:  There are lots of Orthodox Jews out and about getting ready for Shabbat (it’s Friday afternoon now).  There are also some South Asians and some Hispanics, but it’s mostly Orthodox.  There are Polish and Hungarian stores around, as well as a Kosher deli right by the train stop.  

The housing here is mostly small houses and some small apartment buildings.

In:  The station has a curved platform and a long railing giving a good view over the side.  The mezzanine is made of concrete.