57 Street
57 Street-6 Avenue opened in 1968 as part of the Chrystie Street connection project to provide the IND with a northern terminal station in the heart of Midtown similarly to how 57 Street-7 Avenue functioned for the BMT Broadway Line until the Second Avenue subway extension opened.
A sad fact about the station in terms of subway expansion is that (before 2015 when the 7 Line Extension opened) the over 40-year-old station out of all 468 subway stations, was the 7th or 8th newest (depending upon if the new South Ferry Station is considered new or not). An even more ridiculous way to remember this is a plaque in the mezzanine area dedicated in 1979 to the Memory of Col. John T. O'Neill, Chief Engineer, and executive officer of the NYCTA from 1970 to 1978 "An inspirational leader with extraordinary technical competence was responsible for design and construction during a period of unparalleled expansion and modernization of the world's largest rapid transit system." No projects were completed during his tenure and two didn't open for 10 or 11 years after his death.
The stop has tons of street stairs and a full length mostly outside of fare control mezzanine that still looks straight out of the 1960s with little 57th St written on the tiles of the grey walls of the single island platform that service the two-track line. On the platforms there are two lines of maroon painted tiles but on the mezzanine level these become silvery metallic columns. The mezzanine has faux marble walls that are unique to this station.
To reach the mostly outside of fare control mezzanine in the middle there is a single token booth that serves two separate banks of turnstiles into small glass enclosed area where each as two staircases down to the platform.
At either end of the platform there are additional entrances that were originally only exit staircases: A single staircase leads up to a High Exit Turnstile and two High Entrance/Exit Turnstiles. Some TVMs are available to avoid the walk down to the token booth.
To access this mezzanine there are a total of 8 street stairs, each of a rather unusual type with simple boxy sides of medal and a narrow (maybe three inches along each side) post that says Subway on it to indicate the entrance. All are situated directly on the sidewalk of 6 Avenue. Beginning from the south there is a single street stair on each side of 6 Avenue just south of 56 Street. Continuing north there is one right at the NW corner of 56 Street, two midblock on the east side of the street, and one on the SW corner of 57 Street. The final two street stairs are on each side of 6 Avenue about a third of the way up the block from 57 Street towards 58 Street.
The station was closed for a Cuomo's Sexy Station renovation (Enhanced Station Initiative) from July 9, 2018, through December 19, 2018. These renovations involved adding a tactile warning strip along the platform edges, repainting the platform columns a very dark blue, adding new electronic signage along the platforms. The streetstairs recieved new black roofs with lights, glass walls and illuminated railings for all entrances. The fare control areas were rebuilt to have only low turnstiles and glass walls. A new black roof with lights set into it were added at some locations on the mezzanine. The former metallic finishes that surrounded the mezzanine columns were all removed, the support columns now look the same as the ones on the platform. Finally, the marble finishes of the mezzanine walls were kept intact.
Photos 1-4: August 15, 2008; 5-27: May 20, 2010; 28-32: September 10, 2011; 33-40: November 1, 2012; 41-84: September 5, 2023;
