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Grand Army Plaza (IRT Eastern Parkway Line)
Encyclopedia
Grand Army Plaza is a local station
on the IRT Eastern Parkway Line
of the New York City Subway
. It is located in Park Slope, Brooklyn
, underneath Flatbush Avenue
at its northwest intersection with Grand Army Plaza. The station is close to Prospect Park
, and is thus identified as Grand Army Plaza – Prospect Park in 2
and 3
service timetables. It is served by the 2
and 3
trains, the latter of which is replaced by the 4
train during late nights.
, an extension of the Brooklyn IRT from Atlantic Avenue to Crown Heights – Utica Avenue. This extension was part of an expansion of the subway system known as the Dual Contracts which built not only IRT lines in Brooklyn but also those for the BMT. The BMT Brighton Line
was already in use at the time but used trackage that is now part of the Franklin Avenue Shuttle; the opening of the subway line beneath Flatbush Avenue provided a more direct route to Downtown Brooklyn and, eventually, Manhattan.
The construction of the station and tunnels resulted in the removal of Frederic W. Darlington's 1897 Electric Fountain from the center of Grand Army Plaza, which was dug up for the cut-and-cover construction and replaced with a grass oval. Construction began on a new fountain, known as the Bailey Fountain, in 1928, and it was completed in 1932.
layout with two tracks. Southbound (eastern Brooklyn-bound) trains use track E1 while northbound (Manhattan
-bound) trains use track E4. Underneath the platform are four tracks, the center two carrying the BMT Brighton Line
with tracks E2 and E3 carrying southbound and northbound express IRT Eastern Parkway Line
trains on either side of the Brighton Line tracks. These track designations are only displayed on small emergency placards on either end of the platform for use by train and emergency personnel; they are not used in everyday conversation.
The only mosaic
in the Grand Army Plaza station is a small "P". A permanent art installation in the station's entrances and mezzanine
entitled Wings for the IRT: The Irresistible Romance of Travel was created in 1995 by Jane Greengold, who used the station regularly when she lived in Park Slope. The bronze
and terra cotta
pieces of art are modeled on the original Interborough Rapid Transit Company
logo, and references the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch in the plaza above with its Winged Victories. The MTA's Arts for Transit program held an opening ceremony for the artwork on June 19, 1997.
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 Eastern Parkway Line
IRT Eastern Parkway Line
IRT Eastern Parkway Line and New Lots Line can refer to:* IRT Eastern Parkway Line* IRT New Lots Line...
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...
. It is located in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Park Slope is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City's most populous borough. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Avenue to the north, and 15th Street to the south, though other definitions are sometimes offered. Generally...
, underneath Flatbush Avenue
Flatbush Avenue (Brooklyn)
Flatbush Avenue is one of the major avenues in the New York City Borough of Brooklyn. It runs from the Manhattan Bridge south-southeastward to Jamaica Bay, where it joins the Marine Parkway Bridge, which connects Brooklyn to the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens...
at its northwest intersection with Grand Army Plaza. The station is close to Prospect Park
Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Prospect Park is a 585-acre public park in the New York City borough of Brooklyn located between Park Slope, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Flatbush Avenue, Grand Army Plaza and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden...
, and is thus identified as Grand Army Plaza – Prospect Park in 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....
service timetables. 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, the latter of which is replaced by the 4
4 (New York City Subway service)
The 4 Lexington Avenue Express is a rapid transit service of the New York City Subway. It is colored green on station signs, route signs, and the official subway map, since it uses the IRT Lexington Avenue Line in Manhattan....
train during late nights.
History
Grand Army Plaza opened on August 23, 1920 as part of the opening of the IRT Eastern Parkway LineIRT Eastern Parkway Line
IRT Eastern Parkway Line and New Lots Line can refer to:* IRT Eastern Parkway Line* IRT New Lots Line...
, an extension of the Brooklyn IRT from Atlantic Avenue to Crown Heights – Utica Avenue. This extension was part of an expansion of the subway system known as the Dual Contracts which built not only IRT lines in Brooklyn but also those for the BMT. The BMT Brighton Line
BMT Brighton Line
The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays...
was already in use at the time but used trackage that is now part of the Franklin Avenue Shuttle; the opening of the subway line beneath Flatbush Avenue provided a more direct route to Downtown Brooklyn and, eventually, Manhattan.
The construction of the station and tunnels resulted in the removal of Frederic W. Darlington's 1897 Electric Fountain from the center of Grand Army Plaza, which was dug up for the cut-and-cover construction and replaced with a grass oval. Construction began on a new fountain, known as the Bailey Fountain, in 1928, and it was completed in 1932.
Design and layout
At platform level, Grand Army Plaza has a simple island platformIsland platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
layout with two tracks. Southbound (eastern Brooklyn-bound) trains use track E1 while northbound (Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
-bound) trains use track E4. Underneath the platform are four tracks, the center two carrying the BMT Brighton Line
BMT Brighton Line
The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays...
with tracks E2 and E3 carrying southbound and northbound express IRT Eastern Parkway Line
IRT Eastern Parkway Line
IRT Eastern Parkway Line and New Lots Line can refer to:* IRT Eastern Parkway Line* IRT New Lots Line...
trains on either side of the Brighton Line tracks. These track designations are only displayed on small emergency placards on either end of the platform for use by train and emergency personnel; they are not used in everyday conversation.
The only mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
in the Grand Army Plaza station is a small "P". A permanent art installation in the station's entrances and mezzanine
Mezzanine (architecture)
In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...
entitled Wings for the IRT: The Irresistible Romance of Travel was created in 1995 by Jane Greengold, who used the station regularly when she lived in Park Slope. The bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
and terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
pieces of art are modeled on the original Interborough Rapid Transit Company
Interborough Rapid Transit Company
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the private operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the City in June 1940...
logo, and references the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch in the plaza above with its Winged Victories. The MTA's Arts for Transit program held an opening ceremony for the artwork on June 19, 1997.
External links
- www.nycsubway.org:
- Brooklyn IRT: Grand Army Plaza
- Brooklyn IRT: Map 2, Brooklyn IRT Dual Contracts (includes current and former track configurations, and provisions for future connections)
- Wings for the IRT, The Irresistable Romance of Travel Artwork by Jane Greengold (1993)
- Station Reporter — 2 Train
- Station Reporter — 3 Train
- The Subway Nut — Grand Army Plaza Pictures
- MTA's Arts For Transit — Grand Army Plaza (IRT Eastern Parkway Line)
- Plaza Street entrance (northeast from Grand Army Plaza) from Google Maps Street View