Back at it again...

Well it has been a few weeks since I have gone out to take photos in the subway. I have been busy with my normal jobs and then also some additional photography jobs too. So I am back at it again this time covering stops from Houston Street and finishing off the downtown portion of the 1 train which is the South Ferry. I think I may have stated this before but the 1 line has some really great stops. Each station has mosaic walls and the artwork which is really beautiful. This line also seems to be cleaner than the other lines I have traveled on. The Houston Street stop was first off and there was some artwork to be seen as well. Platform Diving by Deborah Brown done in 1994. Seven mosaics depict an underwater subway, with flooded stations, trains, and tunnels, and sea creature passengers floating on the platform and in the trains. I loved the colors of these mosaics as well, deep blues and greens. Canal street was was next with some interesting construction within the station. The outside of the Franklin street station took my eye more so than the inside. This area of Manhattan I am not very familiar with but I really liked explore this side of town especially on a beautiful fall day with some overcast. Perfect day to take photos. Chambers street was much of the same and then I got out at the Rector station which is downtown in the financial district. The outside of this station was really amazing. It is situation in the middle of roadways going in and out of the city and very tall buildings which make up most of that area. The park area that surrounds the station is geometrically beautiful as you can see from the photos. Inside the station on the downtown side the construction depicts where to board the train in order to get off at the next stop which is the South Ferry. Pillars indicate where to stand. Only the first 5 subway cars leave you off at the South Ferry. Right before I get off at the South Ferry the platform moves forward to close the gap and have people exit safely. There is a lot of tourist going in and out of this station because it is underneath the Staten Island Ferry and also is the stop at Battery Park which is where you can get the Circle Line to the Statute of Liberty. I took photos of the underground as well as the surrounding areas. There is also artwork in this station by Sandra Bloodworth done in 1990 called South Sails which is made of ceramic tile. Sandra Bloodworth is also the director of MTA Arts for Transit. My next stops will include the uptown stations past 110th Street. I am not familiar with that part of town either so it will be interesting to see what lies in store.

Uptown and onto the West Village...

50th Street to Christopher is the stops I cover today. First stop is 50th Street and instantly I am in a scene from Alice in Wonderland. The artwork on the walls of the station is called Alice: The Way Out by Liliana Porter installed in 1994. These mosaics are located near the station exits, and features the characters of "Alice in Wonderland" such as the Queen of Hearts, Alice, the Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter. I traveled through 42nd street and not capturing many pictures there and then I got off at 34th Street where there was more art to admire. A Bird's Life by Elizabeth Grajales installed in 1997. It is a number of small panels located along the walls of the local platform and depict birds nurturing their young. I stopped to think as I was taking pictures of this artwork how many times I have been at this station and never really noticed what was on the walls. It just goes to show how we get wrapped up in our lives and never realize what is right in front of us. That is a big reason why I am doing this project to appreciate my surroundings. 28th Street was more interesting outside of the station because that is where FIT resides. I found some artwork right outside of the station entrance constructed by FIT students. Not sure if I liked this collage or not. I might have to look at it some more but I didn't hesitate to get a photo of it. 23rd Street was quite typical and didn't have any artwork inside the station. The next stop that had some great artwork in it was the Christopher Street stop. The Greenwich Village Murals by Lee Brozgol done in 1994.

Ceramic mosaic tile murals. The 12 framed mosaic panels, by the children of Public School 41 in conjunction with artist Lee Brozgol ,depict the history of Greenwich Village. Plaques near the panels provide a "key" to who's-who in the 12 mosaic panels The names of the panels are: "Bohemians", "Rebels", "Founders", and "Providers". I really love this area outside the station as well. It is right in the heart of the west village. One of my favorite areas of NYC. This is also the last stop I will cover today. The next part of the 1 train I will be covering will lead me to the last stop downtown, The South Street Ferry. I am looking forward to it.

One on One

Today I venture out and start another subway line. The 1 line runs from Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street in the Bronx to the South Ferry in Lower Manhattan. Today I will cover the 66th Street, 72nd Street, 79th Street, 86th Street, 96th Street, 103rd Street and 110th Street stops. I am very familiar with these stops because they are all in my neighborhood. The 66th Street stop offered some beautiful artwork it is called Artemis, Acrobats, Divas and Dancers, by Nancy Spero in 2004. Her artwork is of glass mosaic murals depicting scenes of theater, dance, and orchestra-related subjects scattered throughout this station. 72nd Street is one of my favorite stations not necessarily inside but outside of the station. Both entrances are beautifully constructed buildings. 86th Street also possesses some amazing artwork as well. Westside Views by Nitza Tufino in 1989. Artist Nitza Tufino in collaboration with Grosvenor House students glazed ceramic tiles depicting neighborhood scenes, located along the platform walls. The following stops 96th, 103rd and 110th street were somewhat similar so I caught some photos of the straphangers waiting on the platforms.

The last few stops on the D

This trip I finish the last stops on the D. However, I had to take the R train to get to these stops because the D only makes these stops late nights. I went to Union Street, 9th Street, Prospect Avenue and 25th Street in Brooklyn. Then after those stops I had to trek all the way to the last stop uptown which was 205th Street. I didn't have to go uptown too much this time on the D because I covered most of the stops on the B except for that one so this was totally out of my way. There was some artwork along the way at Union Street it is called CommUnion by Emmett Wigglesworth they were installed in 1994. The rest of the stations were pretty typical and hence I don't have much to write about on this blog. My next excursion will be the 1 train which is the local Broadway train. Until next time...