First announced in 1962, the 57th Street station was opened on July 1, 1968, at the cost of $13.2 million. The station was a terminal station until 1989, after which all service was extended to
21st Street–Queensbridge. The station was temporarily served by
shuttle trains in the 1990s during the
63rd Street Line's reconstruction. From July to December 2018, the station was closed for an extensive five-month renovation.
History
Construction and 20th century
The station was built as part of the
Chrystie Street Connection, which expanded train capacity on the Sixth Avenue Line. The Sixth Avenue extension to the new terminal at 57th Street was announced in 1962.[4] The next year, the contract to construct the IND Sixth Avenue Line between 52nd and 58th Streets, including the 57th Street station, was awarded to Slattery Construction Company for $7.5 million (equivalent to $75,500,000 in 2023).[5] Construction of the spur ultimately cost $13.2 million.[6]
The 57th Street station opened on July 1, 1968,[4][6] as one of two stations added during construction of the Chrystie Street Connection, the other being
Grand Street.[7] The opening of the station was celebrated by a 300-guest lunch on the platform on June 27, which was attended by Deputy Mayor
Robert W. Sweet; MTA Chairman
William J. Ronan; and Avenue of the Americas Association president Eyssell. The new station was intended to serve the new residential and commercial developments being built in the immediate area.[6] Upon its opening, the 57th Street station acted as the
terminus of two services, the
B during rush hours and
KK during off-peak hours.[7][8][4][6] The KK was renamed the K in 1974 and eliminated in 1976.[9][10] From 1978[11][12] to 1990, this station was also served by the
JFK Express service to the
eponymous airport.[13]
When the north side of the Manhattan Bridge was closed for construction from 1986 to 1998 and again from July to December 2001, this station was only served by a
shuttle train along Sixth Avenue, which traveled to
Grand Street.[14] Starting in 1988, this station was served by
Q trains on weekdays, B trains on weekday evenings and weekends, and
F trains during late nights. This was the terminal for all services until the IND 63rd Street Line to
21st Street–Queensbridge opened on October 29, 1989.[15][16] Late night F-train service was replaced by a
shuttle in 1997. Since December 2001, when the 63rd Street Tunnel Connector opened in Queens, the F route has served this station at all times,[17][18][19][20] simultaneous with the withdrawal of all other services from the 63rd Street Line.[17][19][20]
Renovation and service changes
Under the 2015–2019
MTA Capital Plan, the station underwent a complete overhaul as part of the
Enhanced Station Initiative and was entirely closed for several months. Updates included cellular service, Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, interactive service advisories and maps.[21][22] In January 2018, the NYCT and Bus Committee recommended that Judlau Contracting receive the $125 million contract for the renovations of 57th and
23rd Streets on the IND Sixth Avenue Line;
28th Street on the
IRT Lexington Avenue Line, and 34th Street–Penn Station on the
IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and
IND Eighth Avenue Line.[23] However, the MTA Board temporarily deferred the vote for these packages after city representatives refused to vote to award the contracts.[24][25] The contract was put back for a vote in February, where Judlau's contract was ultimately approved.[26] The station was closed for renovations on July 9, 2018,[27] and reopened on December 19, 2018.[28]
In June 2021, Turkish developer
Sedesco released plans for a 1,100-foot-tall (340 m)
supertall skyscraper at 41-47 West 57th Street, within the nearby
Billionaires' Row.[29][30] The developer plans to construct two elevators—one between the street and the mezzanine, and one between the mezzanine and the platform—at the 57th Street station to make it compliant with the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.[31] In exchange, Sedesco would receive additional floor area for its skyscraper as part of the MTA's Zoning for Accessibility program.[29][32] The plans were confirmed in December 2021,[33][34] and construction began shortly afterward. The elevator between the street and the mezzanine will be constructed on the southwestern corner of 56th Street and Sixth Avenue.[35] The project is funded by Sedesco.[33][34]
From August 28, 2023, through April 1, 2024, F trains were rerouted via the
53rd Street Tunnel between Queens and Manhattan due to track replacement and other repairs in the 63rd Street Tunnel. The
M train was rerouted from the 53rd Street Tunnel, running to a temporary northern terminus at 57th Street.[36][37] In 2023, a short barrier was installed at the center of the platforms to reduce the probability of passengers being pushed into the tracks.[38]
Station layout
Ground
Street level
Exit/entrance
Mezzanine
Mezzanine
Fare control, station agent, MetroCard vending machines
Street entrances before renovation (left) and afterward (right)
The 57th Street station contains two tracks and a single
island platform serving both tracks.[39] The
F train serves the station at all times, while the
<F> train serves the station northbound during AM rush hours and southbound during PM rush hours.[40] The next station to the north is
Lexington Avenue–63rd Street, while the next station to the south is
47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center.[41]
The platform is 615 feet (187 m) long and 24 feet (7.3 m) wide. The station stretches from 55th Street to 58th Street. From the full-length mezzanine, which is 48 feet (15 m) wide,[42] there are six staircases to the platform. The station walls are plain white, with "57th St" stenciled on long, narrow tiles along the wall.[43] The platform is approximately 35 feet (11 m) below ground.[6] Prior to the 2018 renovation of the station, the "Next Train" indicator lights still hung from the platform ceiling, dating from the period when the station was a
terminal two decades prior.[44] There is an unused tower and crew area at the southern end of the platform.[45]
There are eight street staircases spread on both sides of Sixth Avenue from 56th to 57th Streets.[47] Before the station's renovation, these entrances had an unusual design compared to older stations, with lit posts reading "SUBWAY" on their side rather than the
lighted red-or-green globes typical to other station entrances.[48] The station's exits are distributed as follows:
One stair, NW corner of 6th Avenue and 57th Street[47]
One stair, NE corner of 6th Avenue and 57th Street[47]
One stair, SW corner of 6th Avenue and 57th Street[47]
Two stairs, east side of 6th Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets[47]
One stair, NW corner of 6th Avenue and 56th Street[47]
One stair, SW corner of 6th Avenue and 56th Street[47]
One stair, SE corner of 6th Avenue and 56th Street[47]
During the 57th Street station's renovation, glass barrier fences, next-train arrival "countdown clocks", and digital neighborhood wayfinding maps were installed around all of the exit stairs at street level, similar to at other stations renovated as part of the
Enhanced Station Initiative. The two exits at the southern corner of 56th Street also received canopies similar to other Enhanced Station Initiative stations.[49]
Notable places nearby
The 57th Street station is within one block of numerous notable locations. Attractions to the west include:[50][51]
Note: Service variations, station closures, and reroutes are not reflected here. Stations with asterisks have no regular peak, reverse peak, or midday service on that route. See linked articles for more information.
Stations and line segments in italics are closed, demolished, or planned (temporary closures are marked with asterisks). Track connections to other lines' terminals are displayed in brackets. Struck through passenger track connections are closed or unused in regular service.