IRT City Hall Station

I always look up when I am walking in the city. There are different angles, perspectives and amazing architecture to be seen.
This time, we had to go underground to look up.
Descending through the heavy metal gate and down old stairs… Touching dust of the past on handrails… And stopping on my tracks as I enter the round rotunda. The Jewel in the Crown!
Is this how TimeRiders felt when they stepped back in time?
There is no darkness in this underground — golden sunshine passes through the intricate patterns of rosette skylight, dancing in the reflections of ceramic tiles and soaking into my skin.
I cannot move, mesmerized by the beauty of lights. It is truly a jewel.
Train enters the station, it’s a 6, turning around. Station is small, and wheels screech as it makes full turn. Present passing through the past.
I look around at those arches, and remains of skylights, listen to the echo of my own voice reflecting back to me — and I see the crowds of the past in this same station in my mind eye, walking this same stairs, sometimes not really noticing the beauty that surrounds.
Stop, look up. And remember those moments. Mine are all here, on camera, ready to be rewound.

So… my high school was kind of weird and awesome. We had this one class that seniors could take — History of New York City. And one of the trips involved going to the «hidden City Hall station» — and I’m pretty sure this was before the Transit Museum started giving official tours… since this was back in 2008.
But even back then, when it was dirty and we had to hop off the 6 train and have a conductor help you off, the station was absolutely gorgeous. We weren’t allowed to use flash back then because it would’ve confused the trains’ conductors that were passing through (although I’m pretty sure they were confused about the kids on the platform anyway). I still have a bunch of really blurry pictures from my visit (it’s kind of impossible for me to take a decent picture without flash and the auto-​focus that comes with that flash), but I’ve been dying to go back.
And while you can totally take the 6 train and take a quick look while the train makes the turn — find some way to actually make it on to the platform, because that quick glance really doesn’t do this station justice.

Um amazing! I have to hope my photos do it justice. I’m writing about the actual historical station and tour, not the stay on the 6 train as it turns around glance.
Step 1. Join the NYC Transit Museum (~$ 50)
Step 2. Get on their email alert list
Step 3. The **minute** they post a tour, get those digits clicking over to the sign up page. They don’t do them often and they sell out lightening fast. (~$ 45, members only, so anyone you want to take w you has to join)
Step 4. Prepare for a transit nerdfest, and if the tour guide is as great as the guy we had, you will not be disappointed.
A gorgeous bit of history right under our feet!

One of my random personal aspirations is to ride every subway in the city for a round trip. Why? I have no clue. But when I heard about this station, I decided it was time to take the 6 train round trip. Here are the pointers:
1) Go with friends– It is really weird to be on a deserted subway train all by yourself. When I’m riding the train home at night, I never think about being alone in a train car. But the cars screeching through this station is a little eery. Plus, if there is a delay in train traffic, you can sit for a while.
2) Go on a BRIGHT and SUNNY day– At night, you can only see the signs. On a party cloudy or overcast day, you can see the entrances but not much else. The pictures you see posted mostly aren’t what you see from the train. It’s still beautiful, but it’s a lot of squinting and trying to see everything fairly quickly.

As a native New Yorker, the subways are a part of your life. Easy and efficient — most of the time…
This station has probably been the one I’ve used the most. Much of my high school life was spent sleepily waiting on this platform for my train into the Bronx. I don’t use it on a day-​to-​day basis anymore, but it still holds a special place in my heart.
Although it’s no longer a secret, there is the «hidden» old City Hall station from 1904, known as the Jewel in the Crown. And, although the old City Hall station was abandoned in 1945 because the new trains left an unsafe gap between the train and the platform, the Guastavino ceiling, chandeliers, skylights, and decorative tile work that adorn this station have all been preserved. Too bad it’s not open to the public, because the pictures I’ve seen show this curvy station in all it’s glory.
But, there’s still a way to see it! These days, they don’t kick you off the downtown 6 train when it reaches the Brooklyn Bridge-​City Hall station, which is its last stop. Just stay on the train and you’ll pass through the old City Hall station when the train makes the turn-​around loop to go back uptown. It really is a magnificent sight!
I’ve done it before and I like to take out of town visitors through it as well. You’ll want to stay on the right side of the train to see the old station. And, I suggest going in the daytime when it is blindingly bright outside so that the sun streams into the skylights and you can see more. Also, bring earplugs. Because the old train was shorter, the turn is quite sharp and the wheels make so much noise. It really is quite loud!
I’m always a little sad when I get back into the «normal» station though. Why can’t we have such majestic stations like that now? And, why hide such a beautiful station — it should be seen!
Tours are given — although not very frequently — but are only open to members of the Transit Museum.

This is indeed a gorgeous station, and often if you ask nicely, the train conductor will let you stay on the train while it’s looping through the fancy part of the tunnel.
This is one of those stations that you’d picture being in a great film noir classic, where a romantic interlude keeps you occupied while the killer prepares to do execute their crime!

The IRT City Hall station is the showpiece of the subway. It’s the most beautiful station of all 468 stations. It is a loop station. Short platform (Only 5 cars fit). It was opened in 1904 along with the rest of the original subway. Closed in 1945 because it is too close to the express station, Brooklyn Bridge. (6) trains use the loop to turn around and head uptown. The New York Transit Museum gives tours every once in a while, but you have to be a member of the museum.