No products in the cart.
Deep within the labyrinthine depths of the New York subway system lie forgotten relics of the past, silent witnesses to the passage of time. Abandoned for over a century, these underground enclaves now harbor a spectral ambiance, where empty platforms echo with the whispers of bygone commuters, and graffiti adorns walls untouched by human hands.
Venture aboard the Number 6 train, and you’ll encounter three such ghostly waypoints. The desolate remnants of Worth Street station, nestled between Brooklyn Bridge and Canal Street, stand as little more than a forlorn platform, a mere shadow of its former self. Further along the line lies the eerie silhouette of 18th Street station, its stalactite-like pillars looming ominously amidst the darkness, a solitary staircase leading into obscurity.
Yet, the pièce de résistance of this subterranean odyssey awaits at Town Hall. City Hall station, birthplace of New York’s Interborough Rapid Transit, once dazzled with opulent splendor. Adorned with vibrant tiles, intricate Guastavino vaults, and gleaming chandeliers, it stood as a testament to architectural grandeur. Frequented by the city’s elite, who descended in evening attire to dine amidst its grandeur, City Hall station embodied both function and form.
Alas, progress deemed it obsolete, and in 1945, the station met its demise, its curved confines unable to accommodate modern trains. Today, it exists as a phantom, glimpsed only by intrepid passengers aboard the southbound No. 6 train, where a brief halt at Brooklyn Bridge signals its presence. Through the conductor’s announcement, travelers are beckoned to the right side, where faces press against glass in silent reverence.
For those seeking a closer encounter with history, the New York Transit Museum offers bi-monthly excursions to City Hall station, a journey reserved for members only. And as for the retired trains, their fate lies beneath the waves, where they form an artificial reef off the South Atlantic coast, attracting life anew in a cycle of transformation and renewal.
If you are looking for similar places in Europe we highly recommend our unique publication titled: Secret places in Europe
