Freeport
Merrick is a modern elevated station on the Babylon Branch on a concrete elevated structure held up by modern large concrete triangular pillars. The current station was opened on June 28, 1975 (the same day as Bellmore) after the 1902 street-level depot was raised in 1969 for the grade-separation project. Platform artwork is dated to 1993 and a plaque in the station house says Merrick Station renovations dedicated on October 11, 2002. The entirety of the station's 12 car island platform for the two track line except for one car at the eastern end of the platform has a concrete canopy held up by central concrete pillars. The station is just north of the Sunrise Highway (with a parking lot between it and the station) and runs between Merrick Avenue (eastern end, this has a green Merrick sign on it) and Hewlett Avenue. A staircase leads up to the platform (four in total) from each side of these streets.
Stuck beneath the platform and tracks at street level (just beyond Merrick Avenue) is the station's brick station house. It has modern seating and pink and grey walls. There is a small ticket window (with a panel of purple lighting above it) open for one shift during weekday mornings (6:10am to 1:45) with the waiting room open weekdays from 6:00am to 10:00pm and weekends 6:00am to 2:00pm. Just east of the stationhouse is the main up escalator/staircase up to the platform. Next is the elevator (near where Kees Place ends from the north). This elevator has a simple silver shaft. Glass blocks surround each landing of the elevator. Continuing east beneath the tracks is are more modern looking buildings (with red walls like the rest of the station). On the platform level is a small enclosed waiting area with windows. At street level tucked directly beneath the elevated (but clearly built later because there is a gap between its roof and the platform, not directly holding it up like the main station house) is a similar small building that is an MTA police substation.
Photos 1-31 taken on 28 May, 2013, 32-60: 8 November, 2013
The Narrative History of Merrick, 1993
Hand Painted porcelain tile
By Alan Sonfist
