53rd Street (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)

53rd Street
New York City Subway rapid transit station
Northbound train departing the platform
Station statistics
Address	53rd Street & Fourth Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11220
Borough	Brooklyn
Locale	Sunset Park
Coordinates	40°38′37.00″N 74°0′55.86″W / 40.6436111°N 74.0155167°W / 40.6436111; -74.0155167Coordinates: 40°38′37.00″N 74°0′55.86″W / 40.6436111°N 74.0155167°W / 40.6436111; -74.0155167
Division	B (BMT)
Line	BMT Fourth Avenue Line
Services	N  (late nights)       R  (all except northbound late nights)
Connection	New York City Bus: B11, B63 (on Fifth Avenue)
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4
Other information
Opened	September 13, 1915 (1915-09-13)
Other entrances/ exits	Fourth Avenue and 53rd Street, Fourth Avenue and 52nd Street (Exit Only)
Traffic
Passengers (2014)	2,405,353[1]  0.8%
Rank	207 out of 421
Station succession
Next north	45th Street: N  R
Next south	59th Street: N  R
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops in station at all times Stops all times except late nights Stops late nights only Stops late nights and weekdays only Stops late nights and weekends only Stops weekends and weekend late nights Stops weekdays and weekday late nights Stops weekdays only Stops weekends only Stops all times except rush hours in the peak direction Stops all times except weekdays in the peak direction Stops daily except rush hours in the peak direction Stops rush hours only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only Station is closed (Details about time periods)

53rd Street is a local station on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at 53rd Street and Fourth Avenue in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, it is served by the R train at all times except late nights northbound and the N train during late nights only.

This underground station, opened on September 13, 1915, has four tracks and two side platforms. The two center tracks are used by N trains during daytime hours as well as late-night northbound R trains.

This station was overhauled in the late 1970s. The Transit Authority repaired the station's structure and appearance, particularly the staircases and platform edges. The overhaul also replaced the original wall tiles, signs, and incandescent lighting with cinderblock tiles (colored gray with yellow indentation), black and white signs, and fluorescent lights.

On the platforms, street signs and arrows leading to the station's exits are painted black on the wall tiles. Columns run along the entire length of both platforms and are painted yellow. Every other column has a "53 Street" sign on it in black with white text. All are rounded except for the ones near the two staircases to the station's main entrance, which was where the platforms were extended.

The station's main entrance has two staircase to each platform and one to each side of Fourth Avenue and 53rd Street. The mezzanine allows transfer between directions and contains some of the original mosaic directional and arrow signs. The one by the staircases to the southbound platform says "Ft. Hamilton & Coney Island" while the one by the Manhattan-bound platform staircases says "Down Town Trains."

The Bay Ridge-bound platform has an exit-only near the north end. A single platform-level turnstile leads to a small landing before a three-flight staircase goes up to 52nd Street and Fourth Avenue. The landing area contains the original 1915 trim band with a single "53" tiled on it.

Station layout

G	Street Level	Exit/Entrance
M	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent
P Platform level	Side platform, doors will open on the right
	Northbound local	← toward Forest Hills – 71st Avenue (45th Street) ← toward Ditmars Boulevard late nights (45th Street)
	Northbound express	← ( late nights) does not stop here
	Southbound express	→ does not stop here →
	Southbound local	→ toward Bay Ridge – 95th Street (59th Street) → → toward Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue late nights (59th Street) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the right

Gallery

• 

  Entrance at 4th Avenue and 53rd Street, by the B11 bus stop

• 

  A station name mosaic

• 

  Close-up view of the 4th Avenue and 53rd Street entrance near the Templo La Luz del Mundo Church

References

External links

• nycsubway.org—BMT 4th Avenue: 53rd Street
• Station Reporter — R Train
• The Subway Nut — 53rd Street Pictures
• 53rd Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• 52nd Street exit only stairs from Google Maps Street View