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10 Dirty Subway Stations
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 3, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 3, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Proving that some subway stations are in a sad, vicious circle of getting worse and worse every year, the NY Daily News selected ten subway stations, with the help of readers, the NYC Transit Riders Council and the Straphangers, that are awful. Bad stations seem to be ones less frequented (five stations in the Bronx, two on the G, and the lone Manhattan station being the J, M, Z station on Bowery) and in poor neighborhoods; other hallmarks are terrible smells and a depressing state of disrepair. Here's the list, with a notable quality or quote:
205th St./Norwood, the Bronx, D line
: "A solidified orange ooze hangs from pipes above like chemical icicles."
182nd/183rd Sts., Fordham area, the Bronx, B and D lines: "The smell of urine is overpowering."
Third Ave./138th St., South Bronx, No. 6 line: "A cluster of burned-out, uncovered light bulbs hangs from the ceiling."
Bowery, Chinatown, Manhattan, J, M, Z lines: "This station is a throwback to the 1970s. Graffiti marks nearly every pillar, as well as stairwells and walls. There are even scrawls on the tunnel wall inches from the electrified third rail."
Brook Ave., Mott Haven section, the Bronx, No. 6 line: "A revolting odor descends from vents between sidewalk grates and the underground platforms. It comes from catch basins below the sidewalk, where muck and rotting garbage sits."
Fulton St.-Broadway/Nassau, Financial District, Manhattan, J, M, Z, 2, 3, 4, 5, A and C lines [Slated to be included in the new Fulton Street complex]: "A helmet could come in handy. The signs of decay include a 10-foot stretch along the platform edge where the concrete has fallen in chunks"
21st St., Long Island City, Queens, G line: "The only good news is that a relatively small amount of people must use this squalid pit as they go to and from work in this industrial area."
Mosholu Parkway, Norwood section, the Bronx, No. 4 line: "Several [beams along the platform edges] are loose and uneven, setting the stage for someone to fall onto the tracks.
Bay Parkway, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, N line: "Pigeon droppings are everywhere....'I frequently catch the N train in Brooklyn and this is the worst for pigeon poop,' said Brooklyn artist James Williams."
Smith/Ninth Sts., Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, F and G lines: "The protective overhangs have large holes, paint peels everywhere and concrete crumbles."
These selections sort of match up with the report from the Transit Riders Council last year; the City Council also found the Bronx typically had the worst stations. The NY Daily News blames these struggling station with a lack of MTA funding. Vote Yes on Proposition 2 for the Transportation Bond Act!
What do you think are the worst subway stations? And the worst among very frequented line? The News also points to four stations that are glittering: 81st Street/Central Park West in Manhattan (the American Museum fo Natural History donated half a million to the station's $11 million makeover), Stillwell Ave. terminal in Coney Island, Yankee Stadium station in the Bronx, and 74th St./Roosevelt Ave. station in Queens. So what do you think the best stations are? And you can find out more about all the subway stations at NYC Subway.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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