Grant Avenue (A,S-Late Night Shuttle to Lefferts Blvd)

Grant Avenue for subway station design definitely stands in a league of its own. From a train stopping in the station it looks like it could get a most ugly award with its constant columns and pale green tiling all around. The station does have a purple trim line that isn't all that noticeable in contrast to the speckled green tiles that make up the platform walls and the two sets of tiled columns along the not all that wide island platform that makes it seem a lot narrower. The reason the station has such a unique design is that it was the only new subway station opened in the 1950s, built as a connection from the IND Fulton Street Subway to the BMT Liberty Avenue elevated.

The station is located just before the boarder with Queens, and daylight can be viewed from the island platform on the east side, as the tracks enter Queens and rise up onto the much older elevated structure. An unusual feature of the station is that there are three staircases that lead up to what appears the standard mezzanine level, but it is not, the staircases lead up to a very 1950s (particularly the building entrance) looking street-level mezzanine station building that has some windows. Inside the mezzanine there is also evidence that florescent lighting has been used ever since the station opened. The lights are directly inset into the ceiling instead of hanging from it like at most other stations that have been retrofitted for florescent lights.

The station has a single entrance through doors into the station house along the east side of Grant Avenue, just north of Pitkin Avenue. This is one of the few NYC Subway Stations with anything close to a Park & Ride Lot, with the Grant Avenue Muncipal Parking Field with 203 spaces in two parking lots, both between the station and Pitkin Avenue, and another larger lot across the street. As of 2023 the station has relatively cheep (by NYC standards for a parking ) daily parking, costing $1.25 per hour, $10.00 daily max and free on Sundays.
Photos 1-16: December 29, 2008;

Looking down the center of the slightly narrow island platform at Grant Avenue towards one end of the station.

Another view down the island platform at Grant Avenue as a train blurs its way into the station.

Close up of the painted GRANT text (or tile) on one of the numerous tiled station columns.

Looking down one of the tracks at Grant Avenue.

The quite unnoticeable Purple tile wall band and GRANT text beneath it on a track's wall at Grant Avenue.

A platform bench at Grant Avenue, near a staircase up to the street level mezzanine. The platform is so narrow that the standard (for an island platform) double-bench doesn't fit so this bench only faces one of the tracks.

Another view of the GRANT next on a platform column there.

The long A service information sign on the Lefferts Blvd & The Rockaways side of the platform at Grant Avenue, it explains to transfer to the blue S shuttle to get to Rockaway Park.

A staircase up to the street-level mezzanine from the island platform at Grant Avenue.

The street level mezzanine building at Grant Avenue, some sunlight screams in from the streetside entrance. Two of the three staircases down to the platform are visible as well as an open newsstand

The top of the farthest from fare control staircase down to the platform at Grant Avenue with the beeper saying a Lefferts/Rkwys A train is approaching the station.

Another street-level mezzanine view of Grant Avenue. It has a window (in the 1950s style) within fare control as well. Two staircases down to the island platform are visible, including the service direction sign once the platform is reached.

The station house at Grant Avenue is roomy enough to have a real entrance area with the token booth in the middle of it and not along one wall. The florescent lights that were definitely original are also visible in this picture.

A streetside view of the two sets of doors (and window) at the entrance to the station house to Grant Avenue, it also has a metal awning.

Fairly large letters forming the word Subway hang off of the three sides of the awning at Grant Avenue.

Another view of the decently sized Grant Avenue brick subway station entrance. One of the parking lots near the station is visible in the background.

Looking out a R46 A train stopped at Grant Avenue, notice the unusual font Grant Av sign under the Grant tiling