Station: 50th Street (8th Avenue)
From nycsubway.org
| IND 8th Avenue/Fulton Street/Rockaway Line Court Street |
Overview
Opened: 9/10/1932
Two levels, with two side platforms on each level. The trains to/from the Central Park West stop on the upper level, Queens Boulevard/53rd Street trains on the lower level.
The two levels seem like typical IND overbuilding. The Queens trains could have easily run through the station without stopping to speed up the journey from Queens. But the station was built when Madison Square Garden stood upstairs, where Worldwide Plaza is now. It is plausible that the extra platforms were needed for the Garden crowds.
The two platforms on each side are out of phase: the upper level runs from 50th to 52nd, the lower from 49th to 51st. On the southbound side, the fare control is at the upper platform level, and there is elevator access to both platforms and street level. The northbound side has fare control three steps up from the upper platform.
There is a closed exit at 52nd Street; closed stairways connecting the uptown platforms at 51st Street; an exit at 51st Street from the uptown platform but not from the downtown platform; a former entrance to the lower level platforms at 49th Street, which has been completely removed on the uptown side, with access from the street to the mezzanine on the soutbound side (the stairs to the platform have been closed, apparently as a crime prevention measure); no crossovers between direction provided at any entrance. During the construction of the Worldwide Plaza complex in the 1980s, a closed fare control area was opened up and an original wooden token booth found inside. This was fixed up and is now in service on the downtown lower level platform.
There might have also been a passageway, just north of the uptown token booth, that linked this station to the 50th Street/Broadway station. No free transfer was ever provided.
The name tablet is dark purple with black border and there is no color tile band.
Artwork
Untitled, Matt Mullican (1989)
Photo Gallery
 Image 31343 (77k, 682x909) Photo by: Brian Weinberg Location: 50th Street |
 Image 31345 (99k, 909x682) Photo by: Brian Weinberg Location: 50th Street |
 Image 38387 (156k, 1044x788) Photo by: Richard Panse Location: 50th Street |
 Image 58327 (113k, 820x623) Photo by: Bill E. Location: 50th Street |
 Image 70082 (123k, 1044x701) Photo by: Bob Wright Location: 50th Street |
 Image 79615 (236k, 1024x768) Photo by: Michael Romero Location: 50th Street |
 Image 81109 (177k, 819x619) Photo by: Bill E. Location: 50th Street |
 Image 95889 (202k, 1044x791) Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar Location: 50th Street |
 Image 97377 (135k, 820x620) Photo by: Gary Chatterton Location: 50th Street |
 Image 106543 (248k, 1044x788) Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar Location: 50th Street |
 Image 118674 (78k, 800x600) Photo by: Steven Cruz Location: 50th Street |
 Image 119054 (280k, 1044x788) Photo by: Roberto C. Tobar Location: 50th Street |
 Image 136162 (60k, 768x1024) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: 50th Street |
 Image 136186 (68k, 1024x768) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: 50th Street |
 Image 136188 (77k, 1024x768) Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld Location: 50th Street |
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