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Bowling Green (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)
Encyclopedia
Bowling Green is a station
on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line
of the New York City Subway
, located at Broadway and Battery Place (at the Bowling Green
), in the Financial District
of Manhattan
. It is served by the 4
and 5
trains, the latter of which terminates here on evenings and weekends and does not stop here on late nights.
Bowling Green is the southernmost Manhattan station on the Lexington Avenue Line, and it is the southern terminal station
for 5 trains on evenings and weekends. During weekdays, 5 trains continue to Flatbush Avenue – Brooklyn College in Brooklyn
. When 5 trains terminate here, they continue around either the inner or outer loop at the former South Ferry loop station and return on the uptown track.
that serves Brooklyn
-bound trains, and a side platform
that serves uptown trains. An abandoned island platform and track on the west side of the station were formerly used by the Bowling Green – South Ferry Shuttle to the inner platform at South Ferry.
service to Brooklyn, and all Lexington Avenue trains terminated at South Ferry, using the outer-loop platform. After the Joralemon Street Tunnel
opened in 1908, some Lexington Avenue trains continued to terminate at South Ferry, even during rush hour
s, while others went to Brooklyn. This service pattern was soon found to be inadequate for the high volume of Brooklyn riders.
Just three months after the Joralemon Tunnel opened, construction began on the third track and the western island platform at Bowling Green. Once they were completed in 1909, all rush-hour trains were sent to Brooklyn, with a two or three-car Bowling Green – South Ferry Shuttle train providing service to South Ferry during those times. Even after the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line local service ( train) began to South Ferry in 1918, the shuttle remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1977 due to budget cuts. The shuttle platform was renovated in 1978 along with the rest of the station. The 1978 renovation covered over the original Heins & LaFarge
mosaic "tapestries" that were along the walls.
The 1970s renovation also led to the construction of the eastern side platform, again due to high passenger volume on the island platform. Additional exits were requested and an underpass was built, funneling some of the traffic away from the headhouse exit at the south end. This led to the station's current configuration, with uptown trains using the side platform, and Brooklyn-bound trains using the island platform. A fence is located along the edge of the island platform, preventing northbound trains from releasing passengers onto the island platform (similar to the configuration at Broadway Junction on the BMT Canarsie Line
). The fare control now consists of the restored headhouse entrance at the south end, which serves only the island platform, and various other entrances that lead to the eastern side platform and down to a large fare control area in the underpass.
In 2007, the passenger count for Bowling Green was 7,373,350.
Two elevators have been constructed to make the station ADA-accessible
.
, known as the Bowling Green IRT Control House or Battery Park Control House, is located near the southern end of Broadway
. This subway entrance was designed by Heins & LaFarge
and built in 1905 on the west side of State Street, across from the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House
.
Along with its twin, the old control house for the 72nd Street station, this building is a reminder of the glory of New York's first subway, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company
, predecessor to the current numbered routes. Although most of the original subway's entry points had steel and glass kiosks (for example, Astor Place
), important stations like this one were marked with brick and stone control house, called such as they helped control the passenger flow. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line
IRT Lexington Avenue Line
The Lexington Avenue Line is one of the lines of the IRT division of the New York City Subway, stretching from Downtown Brooklyn or Lower Manhattan north to 125th Street in East Harlem. The portion in Lower and Midtown Manhattan was part of the first subway line in New York...
of the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
, located at Broadway and Battery Place (at the Bowling Green
Bowling Green (New York City)
Bowling Green is a small public park in Lower Manhattan at the foot of Broadway next to the site of the original Dutch fort of New Amsterdam. Built in 1733, originally including a bowling green, it is the oldest public park in New York City and is surrounded by its original 18th century fence. At...
), in the Financial District
Financial District, Manhattan
The Financial District of New York City is a neighborhood on the southernmost section of the borough of Manhattan which comprises the offices and headquarters of many of the city's major financial institutions, including the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. It is served by the 4
4 (New York City Subway service)
The 4 Lexington Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored green on station signs, route signs, and the official subway map, since it uses the IRT Lexington Avenue Line in Manhattan....
and 5
5 (New York City Subway service)
The 5 Lexington Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored green on station signs, route signs, and the official subway map, since it uses IRT Lexington Avenue Line in Manhattan....
trains, the latter of which terminates here on evenings and weekends and does not stop here on late nights.
Bowling Green is the southernmost Manhattan station on the Lexington Avenue Line, and it is the southern terminal station
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
for 5 trains on evenings and weekends. During weekdays, 5 trains continue to Flatbush Avenue – Brooklyn College in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. When 5 trains terminate here, they continue around either the inner or outer loop at the former South Ferry loop station and return on the uptown track.
Layout
The station has two tracks and two platforms in service: a center island platformIsland platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
that serves Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
-bound trains, and a side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
that serves uptown trains. An abandoned island platform and track on the west side of the station were formerly used by the Bowling Green – South Ferry Shuttle to the inner platform at South Ferry.
History
When the station opened in 1905, there was as yet no IRTInterborough Rapid Transit Company
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the private operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the City in June 1940...
service to Brooklyn, and all Lexington Avenue trains terminated at South Ferry, using the outer-loop platform. After the Joralemon Street Tunnel
Joralemon Street Tunnel
The Joralemon Street Tunnel carries the trains of the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway under the East River from the Bowling Green neighborhood in Manhattan to Joralemon Street and Willow Place in Brooklyn...
opened in 1908, some Lexington Avenue trains continued to terminate at South Ferry, even during rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
s, while others went to Brooklyn. This service pattern was soon found to be inadequate for the high volume of Brooklyn riders.
Just three months after the Joralemon Tunnel opened, construction began on the third track and the western island platform at Bowling Green. Once they were completed in 1909, all rush-hour trains were sent to Brooklyn, with a two or three-car Bowling Green – South Ferry Shuttle train providing service to South Ferry during those times. Even after the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line local service ( train) began to South Ferry in 1918, the shuttle remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1977 due to budget cuts. The shuttle platform was renovated in 1978 along with the rest of the station. The 1978 renovation covered over the original Heins & LaFarge
Heins & LaFarge
The New York-based architectural firm of Heins & LaFarge, composed of Philadelphia-born architect George Lewis Heins and Christopher Grant LaFarge - the eldest son of the artist John LaFarge, famous especially for his stained glass panels - were responsible most notably for the original...
mosaic "tapestries" that were along the walls.
The 1970s renovation also led to the construction of the eastern side platform, again due to high passenger volume on the island platform. Additional exits were requested and an underpass was built, funneling some of the traffic away from the headhouse exit at the south end. This led to the station's current configuration, with uptown trains using the side platform, and Brooklyn-bound trains using the island platform. A fence is located along the edge of the island platform, preventing northbound trains from releasing passengers onto the island platform (similar to the configuration at Broadway Junction on the BMT Canarsie Line
BMT Canarsie Line
The Canarsie Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT Division of the New York City Subway system, named after its terminus in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn...
). The fare control now consists of the restored headhouse entrance at the south end, which serves only the island platform, and various other entrances that lead to the eastern side platform and down to a large fare control area in the underpass.
In 2007, the passenger count for Bowling Green was 7,373,350.
Two elevators have been constructed to make the station ADA-accessible
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
.
Control House
The Control houseControl house
A control house, within the context of the New York City Subway, refers to the buildings that serve as station entrances. They were built and are still used in locations where a simple staircase or kiosk was not desired...
, known as the Bowling Green IRT Control House or Battery Park Control House, is located near the southern end of Broadway
Broadway (New York City)
Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...
. This subway entrance was designed by Heins & LaFarge
Heins & LaFarge
The New York-based architectural firm of Heins & LaFarge, composed of Philadelphia-born architect George Lewis Heins and Christopher Grant LaFarge - the eldest son of the artist John LaFarge, famous especially for his stained glass panels - were responsible most notably for the original...
and built in 1905 on the west side of State Street, across from the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House
Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House
The Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House is a building in New York City, built 1902–1907 by the federal government to house the duty collection operations for the port of New York. It is located near the southern tip of Manhattan, next to Battery Park, at 1 Bowling Green...
.
Along with its twin, the old control house for the 72nd Street station, this building is a reminder of the glory of New York's first subway, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company
Interborough Rapid Transit Company
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the private operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the City in June 1940...
, predecessor to the current numbered routes. Although most of the original subway's entry points had steel and glass kiosks (for example, Astor Place
Astor Place (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)
Astor Place, also called Astor Place – Cooper Union on signs, is a local station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Completed in 1904, it is one of the original twenty-eight stations in the system...
), important stations like this one were marked with brick and stone control house, called such as they helped control the passenger flow. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Further reading
- Lee Stokey. Subway Ceramics : A History and Iconography. 1994. ISBN 978-0-9635486-1-0
External links
- nycsubway.org — The Essence of Time Artwork by Nicole Bengiveno (2007)
- nycsubway.org — A Way To Go Artwork by Zach DeSart (2009)
- Station Reporter — 4 Train
- Station Reporter — 5 Train
- Abandoned Stations — Bowling Green & South Ferry platforms
- Battery Place and Broadway / State Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
- Bowling Green entrance from Google Maps Street View
- control house from Google Maps Street View