Grand Avenue–Newtown station: Difference between revisions

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In Elmhurst, almost all of the century-old buildings in the heart of the village were destroyed for the construction of the subway. Land was taken on the west side of the Broadway to avoid the demolition of [[St. James Episcopal Church (Queens)|St. James Episcopal Church]] and the [[Reformed Church of Newtown]].<ref name="Seyfried 1995"/>{{rp|145}}<ref name="Seyfried 1991"/>{{rp|23}} An [[easement]] was granted so the line could pass under the old [[St. James Church (Queens)|St. James Church]] building at the southwest corner of Broadway and 51st Avenue.<ref>{{cite web|date=September 19, 2017|title=Old St. James Episcopal Church|url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2593.pdf|publisher=[[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]]|page=10|access-date=2020-06-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=November 12, 1999|title=St. James Church|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/14000938.pdf|publisher=[[National Register of Historic Places]], [[National Park Service]]|page=15|access-date=2020-06-21}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Many nineteenth century residences and the Wandowenock Fire Company buildings had to be torn down. To allow the subway line to curve into Queens Boulevard from Broadway, the northeast corner of the two streets was removed, in addition to some stores. New buildings were built behind a new curb line once the subway was completed, bringing a new face to Elmhurst. The introduction of the subway stimulated local growth in Elmhurst. Commercial buildings and apartment houses replaced existing structures.<ref name="Seyfried 1995">{{Cite book|url=http://digitalarchives.queenslibrary.org/vital/access/services/Download/aql:12691/SOURCE1?view=true|title=Elmhurst : from town seat to mega-suburb|last=Seyfried|first=Vincent F.|publisher=Vincent F. Seyfried|year=1995}}</ref>{{Rp|145}}<ref name="Seyfried 1991">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5myFv069DGMC&q=ELMHURST|title=Old Queens, N.Y., in Early Photographs|last1=Seyfried|first1=Vincent F.|last2=Asadorian|first2=William|date=1991|publisher=Courier Corporation|isbn=978-0-486-26358-8|language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|23}} The [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]] announced in April 2024 that it would make esthetic improvements to the station during mid-2024 as part of its Re-New-Vation program.<ref name="Pozarycki 2024 u856">{{cite web | last=Pozarycki | first=Robert | title=These 13 NYC subway stations will receive ‘Re-NEW-vation’ upgrades and cleaning this spring and summer | website=amNewYork | date=April 23, 2024 | url=https://www.amny.com/news/subway-station-mta-renewvation-repairs-spring-2024/ | access-date=April 24, 2024}}</ref>

Both platforms have a medium [[Cerulean|Cerulean blue]] tile band with a black border and mosaic name tablets reading "GRAND AVE. – NEWTOWN" broken onto two lines in white [[Sans-serif|sans serif]] lettering on a black background and Cerulean blue border.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cox|first=Jeremiah|date=June 5, 2008|title=Another name tablet at Grand Ave-Newtown this one has a direction pointer for 54th Avenue underneath it.|url=http://www.subwaynut.com/ind/grandr/grandr16.jpg|access-date=December 13, 2016|website=subwaynut.com}}</ref> The tile band was part of a color-coded [[New York City Subway tiles|tile system]] used throughout the IND.<ref name="nyt-1932-08-22">{{Cite news |date=August 22, 1932 |title=Tile Colors a Guide in the New Subway; Decoration Scheme Changes at Each Express Stop to Tell Riders Where They Are |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1932/08/22/archives/tile-colors-a-guide-in-the-new-subway-decoration-scheme-changes-at.html |url-status=live |access-date=July 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701184626/https://www.nytimes.com/1932/08/22/archives/tile-colors-a-guide-in-the-new-subway-decoration-scheme-changes-at.html |archive-date=July 1, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The tile colors were designed to facilitate navigation for travelers going away from [[Lower Manhattan]]. As such, the blue tiles used at the Grand Avenue station are also used at {{stn|Jackson Heights&ndash;Roosevelt Avenue}}, the next express station to the west, while a different tile color is used at {{stn|Forest Hills–71st Avenue}}, the next express station to the east. Blue tiles are similarly used at the other local stations between Roosevelt Avenue and 71st Avenue.<ref name="Carlson 2016">{{cite web | last=Carlson | first=Jen | title=Map: These Color Tiles In The Subway System Used To Mean Something | website=Gothamist | date=February 18, 2016 | url=https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/map-these-color-tiles-in-the-subway-system-used-to-mean-something | access-date=May 10, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Gleason 2016">{{cite web | last=Gleason | first=Will | title=The hidden meaning behind the New York subway’ssubway's colored tiles | website=Time Out New York | date=February 18, 2016 | url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/blog/the-hidden-meaning-behind-the-new-york-subways-colored-tiles-021816 | access-date=May 10, 2023}}</ref> Small tile captions reading "GRAND" in white lettering on black run below the trim line, and directional signs in the same style are present below some of the name tablets.<ref name=grandr17/><ref name=":1" />