One of the largest subway networks in the world extends under the streets of New York. Some ghost stations only get to see a few.
New York (AP) – Graffiti-smeared walls flew past the subway window, then suddenly a deserted room opens. A staircase under an arch that leads into what was once a magnificent hall.
White and green tiles of a bygone era cover the vaulted ceiling of underground New York. A sign says “City Hall” (Rathaus). Tens of thousands drive past abandoned stations in the US metropolis every day. Few notice the somber witnesses to history.
Ten closed stops
A story that, in the case of the New York Subway, begins in 1904. There were forerunners in the 19th century – a railway was not even 100 meters long – but in October 1904 a line almost 15 kilometers long opens from the southern tip of Manhattan to the north of the district. In the following years and decades the neighboring boroughs (districts) were connected. Today, the New York subway, together with its buses, transports more than 2.3 billion passengers annually on over 1,000 kilometers and 27 lines – starting from 1, 2, 3 to N, Q, R, W.
Today there are 472 stations that New Yorkers and tourists can board. But there are also a few ghost stations. An older listing on the Columbia University website shows ten closed stops in New York. Some of them are on tracks that have been closed, others have been replaced by new stations. Above all, you can still see these today if you look out the window into the darkness in the right subway at the right time. These include, for example, the stations “Worth Street” and “18 Street” in downtown Manhattan. The abandoned Court Street station houses the Transit Museum.
The old “City Hall”
The most spectacular abandoned station is the old “City Hall” near the Brooklyn Bridge. With the neat arches by architect Rafael Guastavino, it was the showpiece when Mayor George McClellan opened the metropolis’ subway in 1904. “The elegant chandeliers, ceiling windows and the graceful curves delighted the visitors,” describes the Transit Museum.
In spite of everything, “City Hall” was never an important stop. It was poorly located and the nearby Brooklyn Bridge station quickly overtook it. Today the transit museum organizes tours through the former subway showpiece. However, you first have to become a member to be able to pay 50 dollars for the 90-minute walk through the underworld – that’s 18 single trips on the subway.
Others choose a different route to the almost forgotten places of New York: They go on nightly forays into the underground. Above all, sprayers have made it their hobby to walk the gloomy subway network along abandoned stations and then upload their videos to the Internet. A cheap option – but illegal and above all life-threatening.
Visit the old City Hall station
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