Broadway and Amsterdam Ave Between 71st St and 73rd St
I have to admit, I'm not entirely sure whether or not this intersection has a formal name (practically every other Broadway-created-square does) besides "Verdi Square" (which I'm pretty certain is simply the name of the park in the middle). Either way, I've always been a fan of this big open area, if only because of the great examples of architecture that surround it.
The centerpieces of the square are the two 72nd St Subway entrances - built 98 years apart - whose architectural detailing mirror each other so perfectly as to make one wonder why other stations are such a mish-mosh of design confusion. Despite it's small platforms, crowded fare houses and narrow stairways, 72nd is one of my favorite stations if only for it's great art details (both old and new). Underground it has some of my favorite mosaics in the entire system, while above ground, the detailed renovation work on the south fare house and the new design of the north fare house both show an extreme attention to detail. The last time I really visited the station was back in 2005 (not counting recent periods when I simply went through the station as a subway rider)- I've included some photos in today's gallery from that visit. The only major change from four years ago is the loss of the 9 train - which had it's icon removed from both signs outside (Before | After). While the three remaining icons on the north-side house were re-aligned to remained centered, the signage on the south entrance simply had the 9 removed, with a glaring, empty space where it had been (look closely in this photo)
Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 8:00AM
Reader Comments (1)
I don't know about official names but it was "needle park" for many years.