53 Street (R) - The SubwayNut

53 Street is a typical two side platform local station on the BMT 4th Avenue Subway Line with its four tracks. The station got the awful 1960s cinderblock renovation that covered all of the original trim line and mosaics along the station's platforms. These are the standard grey bocks with yellow indentation areas where the station's name signs are and text painted onto the walls that mostly say exit and an arrow pointing towards the station's main exit, a small mezzanine area near the southern end of the platform. Here two staircases lead up to a small mezzanine area that once had some evidence of the original mosaic directional arrow signs for the station. One says Ft. Hamilton & Coney Island (for the Bay Ridge-bound platform) and the other Down Town Trains (for the Manhattan-bound) platform. This mezzanine has two staircases each up to either side of 4 Avenue, one set of staircases up to SE and SW corners of 53 Street and the other staircases just south of these.

There is a secondary High Exit only turnstile exit towards the northern end of the uptown, Bay Ridge-bound platform. In the little area before the long, double floor staircase up to the street, the original 1915 trim band is visible (the only place it is, along the platforms), with a single 53 tiled within it. This leads to a streetstair (with a long intermediate landing) up to 4th Avenue near the NW corner of 52 Street. Both platforms also have columns along their platform lengths, all are painted yellow and are round for most of the platform's length except towards the end where the platform was extended to accommodate ten-car trains and those are the standard I-bean ones. These columns all have 53 Street signs on them.

2017 Sexy Station Cosmetic Renovation: The station was closed from June 5 through November 2, 2017 under the Cuomo's Sexy (Enhanced) Station Initiative. This installed new black tiling over the orange indentation areas but kept the overall cinderblock wall look. The platform columns were painted a midnight blue color. New lighting was installed throughout the station along with Backlit subway maps (that include USB ports for phone changing) and strip maps above some platform signs. One of these on the Bay Ridge-bound platform between the two exits just says Exit and Exit with arrows in both directions but not specifying which direction for 53 or 52 Street.

In the fare control areas, all remnants of the 1917's mosaic trimline and Down Town and Ft. Hamilton & Coney Island mosaic signs have been covered over. There is now a mixture of black walls, covering the new LCD screen areas for service change notices and around the MVMs and token booth, and blue tiling around the staircases up to the street. The former Exit Only turnstile up to 52 Street has been replaced by two regular turnstiles with the streetstair at street level now labeled as an entrance (R To 95 Street). At street level all 5 entrance staircases are now black with new black pylons with a green light on top with an LCD screen for a Walk New York neighborhood map. The two entrance staircases at the SE and SW corners have received illuminated canopies covering the staircases, while the other 3 staircases still have their steps left exposed to the elements.
Photos 1-24: June 9, 2009; 25-34: October 8, 2018

Page 2

Looking down the platform at 53 Street, towards the High Exit Turnstile that leads out to 52 Street & 4 Avenue.

A 53 Street platform sign, text and a arrow for 52 St is painted beneath this one.

A sign for Lutheran Medical Center. 53 St with an arrow is tiled beneath it.

The High Exit Turnstile on the Bay Ridge-bound platform for the exit to 76 Street.

Another view approaching the High Exit Gate that leads to 52 St.

The only 53 tiling in the single band of trim that is still visible after passing through the High Exit gate that leads out to 52 St.

Approaching the single long staircase up to street level form the platform level exit to 52 Street.

A single narrow area of 1910s original tiling, next to some ugly dark yellow tiled walls in the exit area that leads up to 52 Street.

The No Entry sign on the back of a High Exit Gate at 52 Street.

A graffiti covered modern wall between an original 1910s wall with its mosaic trim band, and the No entry sign on the High Exit Gate exit at 52 Street.

A M subway entrance column with red on it on 4th Avenue, and the No Entry staircase down to the exit from 52 Street.

Two staircases along 4 Avenue down to the 53 Street Station.

One staircase down to the 53 Street R Station

Approaching the MVMs and token booth in the small mezzanine fare control area at 53 Street.

A mosaic sign in the mezzanine for Down Town Trains, and a modern Manhattan & Queens sign affixed to the wall at 53 Street.

The passageway that leads to the two staircases down to the Down Town Trains platform at 53 Street.

A bench in the small mezzanine area after passing through the turnstiles at 53 Street.

A unique mosaic says Ft. Hamilton & Coney Island and points towards the platform To 85 Street at 53 Street.

Looking back towards the entrance turnstiles on the mezzanine level at 53 Street.

Looking down one of the two staircases down form the mezzanine level to the Bay Ridge-bound platform at 53 Street.

Page 2