135th Street (IRT Lenox Avenue Line)
Encyclopedia
135th Street is a station
on the IRT Lenox Avenue Line
of the New York City Subway
. Located at the intersection of 135th Street and Lenox Avenue
in Harlem
, it is served by the 2
and 3
trains at all times.
This underground station, opened on November 23, 1904, has three tracks and two side platform
s. The northbound local track merges with the center track just north of the station and the center track merges with the southbound track just south of the station. The center track was last used by late night 3 shuttle trains from Harlem – 148th Street when they terminated here until 1995, when service was replaced by shuttle buses. Overnight 3 service was restored on July 27, 2008, but now terminate at Times Square – 42nd Street.
Both platform mosaics have three different kinds of trim line and name tablets. Each platform has one same-level entrance at the center containing a turnstile
bank, token booth, and two stairs to the streets, the northbound side to the east side of Lenox Avenue and the southbound side to the west. Each fare control area also has one elevator from the street installed in mid 2008 that make this station fully ADA-accessible
.
North of the station, a diamond crossover allows trains to switch between the two tracks. At the 142nd Street Junction
, the 2 train provides service to the Bronx
via the IRT White Plains Road Line
while the 3 continues on the IRT Lenox Avenue Line to 145th Street
and Harlem – 148th Street.
The 1995 artwork here is called Harlem Timeline by Willie Birch. It features mosaics of notable Harlem residents on the station platforms. The one on the southbound side includes Adam Clayton Powell, Joe Louis
, the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture, Charlie Parker
, Clara Ward
, and Louis Armstrong
while one on the northbound side includes the Harlem Globetrotters
, the NAACP, Abyssian Baptist Church, Cotton Club
, and Randall's Island
football team.
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
on the IRT Lenox Avenue Line
IRT Lenox Avenue Line
The Lenox Avenue Line is one of the IRT lines in the New York City Subway, mostly built as part of the first subway system. It is a rather short line, only serving upper Manhattan.-Extent and service:...
of the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
. Located at the intersection of 135th Street and Lenox Avenue
Lenox Avenue (Manhattan)
Lenox Avenue / Malcolm X Boulevard is the primary north-south route through Harlem in the upper portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan. This two-way street runs from Farmers' Gate at Central Park North to 147th Street. It is also considered the heartbeat of Harlem by Langston Hughes in...
in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, it is served by the 2
2 (New York City Subway service)
The 2 Seventh Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored red on station signs, route signs, and the official subway map, since it uses the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line through most of Manhattan....
and 3
3 (New York City Subway service)
The 3 Seventh Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored red on station signs, route signs and the official subway map, since it uses the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line through most of Manhattan....
trains at all times.
This underground station, opened on November 23, 1904, has three tracks and two side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s. The northbound local track merges with the center track just north of the station and the center track merges with the southbound track just south of the station. The center track was last used by late night 3 shuttle trains from Harlem – 148th Street when they terminated here until 1995, when service was replaced by shuttle buses. Overnight 3 service was restored on July 27, 2008, but now terminate at Times Square – 42nd Street.
Both platform mosaics have three different kinds of trim line and name tablets. Each platform has one same-level entrance at the center containing a turnstile
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
bank, token booth, and two stairs to the streets, the northbound side to the east side of Lenox Avenue and the southbound side to the west. Each fare control area also has one elevator from the street installed in mid 2008 that make this station fully ADA-accessible
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
.
North of the station, a diamond crossover allows trains to switch between the two tracks. At the 142nd Street Junction
142nd Street Junction
The 142nd Street Junction is an intersection on the New York City Subway where the IRT White Plains Road Line and IRT Lenox Avenue Line join at grade . South of the junction, there is a double crossover. Then, two tracks turnoff , and that is where the 2 train connects to the White Plains Road...
, the 2 train provides service to the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
via the IRT White Plains Road Line
IRT White Plains Road Line
The White Plains Road Line is a rapid transit line of the IRT division of the New York City Subway, serving the central Bronx. It is mostly elevated, and served both subway and elevated trains until 1952...
while the 3 continues on the IRT Lenox Avenue Line to 145th Street
145th Street (IRT Lenox Avenue Line)
145th Street is a station on the IRT Lenox Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 145th Street and Lenox Avenue in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, it is served by the 3 train at all times....
and Harlem – 148th Street.
The 1995 artwork here is called Harlem Timeline by Willie Birch. It features mosaics of notable Harlem residents on the station platforms. The one on the southbound side includes Adam Clayton Powell, Joe Louis
Joe Louis
Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...
, the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture, Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
, Clara Ward
Clara Ward
Clara Ward was an American gospel artist who achieved great success, both artistic and commercial, in the 1940s and 1950s as leader of The Famous Ward Singers....
, and Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
while one on the northbound side includes the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
, the NAACP, Abyssian Baptist Church, Cotton Club
Cotton Club
The Cotton Club was a famous night club in Harlem, New York City that operated during Prohibition that included jazz music. While the club featured many of the greatest African American entertainers of the era, such as Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Adelaide Hall, Count Basie, Bessie Smith,...
, and Randall's Island
Randall's Island
Randall's Island is situated in the East River in New York City, part of the borough of Manhattan. It is separated from Manhattan island on the west by the river's main channel, from Queens on the east by the Hell Gate, and from the Bronx on the north by the Bronx Kill. It is joined to Wards...
football team.
External links
- nycsubway.org — Harlem Timeline Artwork by Willie Birch (1995)
- Station Reporter — 2 Train
- Station Reporter — 3 Train
- The Subway Nut — 135th Street Pictures
- MTA's Arts For Transit — 135th Street (IRT Lenox Avenue Line)
- 135th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View