Station: 42nd Street-Bryant Park (6th Avenue Line)
From nycsubway.org
| IND 6th Avenue Line |
Overview
Opened: 12/15/1940
Transfer here to: IRT Flushing Line
Four tracks, two island platforms. The full mezzanine has green tile at the stairs on the west wall and red on the east wall. The tile is white with an orange tile band with black border. The I-beams are painted a reddish-orange.
The long passageway to Fifth Avenue (and the #7 train) features brown glazed brick with various color sections. There are porcelain laminated photos of the old Crystal Palace which stood at this corner. The passageway was added later in the life of the station. Originally, a transferring passenger picked up a paper transfer when leaving the one station, then walked across the street, entered the other station, and dropped the ticket into a collection box. This system, similar to the one at the BMT Franklin Avenue and IND Fulton Street transfer, was routinely abused. One could easily leave the one station, spend the day in midtown Manhattan, and reenter by the other station on the same one fare.
South of 42nd St., the mezzanine extends all the way to 34th St. (outside fare control) but has been closed off for many years. The long mezzanine had no real transit purpose and it is unclear why it was built. Plans were afoot to extend the PATH/Hudson & Manhattan Railroad to Grand Central; the mezzanine could have been built anticipating this extension either as a right of way or as a means to block the extension. There was an exit to street level at 37th St., but no traces exist at street level of this exit. While it was open it was dimly lit, poorly maintained, and risky to walk through. The closure came in the mid 1980s after a passenger was murdered in the passageway. With the tunnel so lightly trafficked and with no transit crew nearby, there was no expectation of help. It is now used for storage. From time to time, access doors are open at the 40th St. fare control from which one can see down the length of the passageway.
Artwork
Under Bryant Park, Samm Kunce
42nd Street Nocturne, Lynn Saville (2006)
Early Color, Saul Leiter (2007)
The Sixth Avenue Elevated, 1878, W. P. Snyder
Photo Gallery
 Image 599 (114k, 1044x788) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 2972 (141k, 1024x667) Photo by: Doug Grotjahn Collection of: Joe Testagrose Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 69672 (88k, 820x620) Photo by: Gary Chatterton Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 70263 (194k, 1044x791) Photo by: Aliandro Brathwaite Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 78680 (122k, 820x620) Photo by: Gary Chatterton Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 85118 (267k, 1044x758) Photo by: David-Paul Gerber Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 89757 (210k, 1044x701) Photo by: David Pirmann Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 94402 (219k, 1044x788) Photo by: John Barnes Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 103128 (159k, 700x1044) Photo by: John Barnes Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 104099 (165k, 1024x768) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 106540 (245k, 1044x788) Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 106542 (242k, 1044x788) Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 110511 (60k, 1024x693) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 131305 (277k, 1024x687) Photo by: Wilfredo Castillo Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |
 Image 138790 (303k, 1044x707) Photo by: Wilfredo Castillo Location: 42nd Street/Bryant Park |