By my measure, nothing about a Duane Reade should be cool. But, I'm sorry, this dedicated subway entrance on the lower level of the triple-decker Duane Reade at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue is kinda neat.
I love exclusive subway entrances. They remind me a time when is was common for certain businesses, office buildings, restaurants and hotels that were near subway stops to enjoy the privilege of a special mass transit entry. There are a number of such portals still in use, including the one that connects Bloomingdale's to the Lexington Line. This Duane Reader passage, however, would seem to be a rare modern example.
do you have a list of such entrances? that would be interesting . .
ReplyDeleteThere's an entire underground mall at the 47-50th Sts Rock Center BDFM stop, and several of the buildings along that stretch of 6th Ave have their own entrances. There's also a 24/7 Dunkin Donuts at that stop!
ReplyDeleteCool! Will have to scope that out next time I am in the hood. So modern and clean looking, almost like it's fake. lol
ReplyDeleteThe Met Life building at Madison Park and the Chrystler Building entrance to the subways are neat. There are a few downtown financial district entrances, I think on the 4/5 line. My favorite new modern connection (not an entrance) is the glass view of the 23rd St stop on the 6 train inside the pingpong palor "Spin" on 23rd St. Pretty cool to watch all the action of the station from the place.
ReplyDeleteThe Manhattan Mall at 6th and 33rd has an entrance straight from JCPenney into the 6th Avenue line.
ReplyDeleteThe Manhattan Mall at 6th Ave and 33rd has a basement-level entrance straight from JCPenney to the 6th Avenue line.
ReplyDeleteAnon 6:20 -- That window into Spin once was an entrance to the lower level of an Automat. Quite a while ago, I suppose. Can't date it past the late 1960's.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check out Spin.
ReplyDeleteIt's been boarded up for decades, but my favorite is the entrance from the Times Square shuttle station to the former Knickerbocker Hotel. It still bears the "Knickerbocker" sign.
ReplyDeletePeter
There is an entrance to the downtown 6 at Astor Place from K-Mart.
ReplyDeleteThe Astor Place Kmart has a basement entrance to the downtown 6 train, dating from its origins as Wannamaker's Dept. Store.
ReplyDeleteSeveral of the office buildings around Grand Central Terminal, such as the Chanin Building and the Lincoln Building (both on 42nd St), have subway entrances in their lobbies.