There are a number of minimalist subway stanchions like this, unique in the MTA, that indicate entrances to the Jay Street-Metrotech station at Jay and Willoughby Street, with distinctive Futura lettering. The green light indicates the station is open 24/7. The station serves A and F trains with a connector to the R train Lawrence Street station.
It’s likely they were installed in 1951, they year that 370 Jay Street, the former MTA headquarters, was constructed. It was among NYC’s first glass-walled big box buildings, a trend that continues today over 65 years after the first one appeared.
The building, swathed in construction netting in spring 2016, was purchased by New York University a couple of years ago; the university is currently reconstructing the building to serve as a new academic center.
Hopefully these artifacts from the new International Style of the 1950s will remain in place.
5/2/16
5 comments
Very cool. I would have guessed 60s, but I hope they stay in place too, in spite of now being hi-lighted!
Nothing factual to go on, but I think they were put up much later—80″s? 90’s? Would like to hear if someone has real details.
This station was one of the first ever in New York to have an escalator directly between the street level and an underground mezzanine.
Those entrance lights were there the 1st time I visited the TA at 370 Jay St, back in 1974. And they were lit up green too. Many non-subway signs from earlier than the 70’s were illuminated by green lights. On the subway, the side destination signs of IRT cars from R17 thru R36 would light up green for the terminal the train was heading to.
Those signs are no more than 20 years old and were added as part of the facelift this station received in the late 1990s when Metrotech was constructed. That’s when the elevator, escalators and stairs were added.