The abandoned City Hall station of New York Subway (18 Pics)

It has been called ‘one of the most beautiful subway stations in the world’, but today it’s one of New York subway’s ghost stations. City Hall station opened in 1904 and served as the southern terminal of the “Manhattan Main Line”, the subway’s first line. Designed by Rafael Guastavino, it is an usually elegant station and unique among New York’s first subway stations. The platform and mezzanine feature Guastavino tile, skylights, colored glass tilework and brass chandeliers.
During the following decades, New York subway saw an increase in passenger numbers which meant longer trains and longer platforms had to be used. As the City Hall station’s platform was built on a tight curve, it would have been difficult to be lengthened. Moreover, City Hall was never an important station and it was close to the far busier Brooklyn Bridge station. The station closed on December 31, 1945. It served 600 passengers on that day.
Today, the tracks going through the station are part of the turning loop which is being used by 6 trains. Passengers who remain on the trains as they go around the loop, can see the station’s platform even though trains no longer stop there. Since the mid ’90s there have been many ocassions when this very unique station opens to the public for tours.