New York's abandoned subway station beneath City Hall

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Leave it to New York to build an architectural masterpiece and then immediately let it rot in the dark.

From the Stacky collection1 min read

New York's abandoned subway station beneath City Hall — STACKY / Transport

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Leave it to New York to build an architectural masterpiece and then immediately let it rot in the dark. The original City Hall subway station opened in 1904, boasting elegant skylights, brass chandeliers, and stunning vaulted tile ceilings. Naturally, because it was on a sharply curved track that newer, longer trains couldn't fit into, the MTA completely abandoned it in 1945. Now it just sits beneath the bustling streets, serving as an opulent, forgotten tomb for radioactive city rats.

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New York's abandoned subway station beneath City Hall

A closer look

A bigger world.One discoveryat a time.

Keep exploring

Brooklyn features a fake townhouse located at 58 Joralemon Street that actually hides a massive subterranean ventilation shaft for the New York City subway system.

Elevators fundamentally shifted the hierarchy of urban real estate by entirely reversing the social desirability of upper and lower floors in multi-story residential buildings.

How railway dining cars became American diners

Building managers introduced mirrors inside passenger elevators during the mid-twentieth century as a psychological trick to distract riders from the agonizingly slow mechanical ascent of early skyscraper designs.

Most 'close door' buttons in modern elevators are completely fake and do absolutely nothing to speed up your escape from forced small talk with your coworkers.

New York City spent over four billion dollars constructing the World Trade Center Oculus, making it the most expensive train station ever built, and its roof immediately began leaking.

A bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.