Blast From The Past - Q, B and F Trains Stopped At Roosevelt Island Subway Station Before Southtown Built
Don't know what year this video was taken, but if you follow the subway rider all the way up from the Roosevelt Island subway station platform to the street you will discover that at one time the Q, B and F trains all stopped here. Also, notice no Southtown Riverwalk buildings but a building just north of the subway where the Starbucks is currently located.
You Tube Video of Roosevelt Island Tram Station Before Southtown
Anybody know what that building was?
5 comments :
That building was a nurses' residence built in support of the hospitals on the island. You can see a number of photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26816223@N07/sets/72157614714168898/
The third from last photo in that set shows its location relative to the subway station as it was demolished to make way for Southtown development in 2001.
The earliest subway map I could find online that had B, F, and Q service to/from Roosevelt Island is from 1997. During rush hours and week days the Q line stopped here. On weekends and during weekday evening hours it was the B and between midnight and 6:30am on weekdays the F. Here are some historic maps: http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/Historical_Maps.
So, the video was filmed between some time after opening of the Roosevelt Island station (actually quite a bit after considering the state of the wall tiles downstairs plus it was only the B and Q trains that stopped here at that time) in 1989 and 1999 when the S replaced the F.
Back in the very early days of the subway (around 1989-1990), we also had the JFK Express ("Take The Train To The Plane"), which was very convenient (assuming you didn't have much luggage) and connected with a city bus to LGA at 21 St Queensbridge.
And, because everyone loves the jingle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkL1LIUsmqc
Thanks Mr. Lyon: rather than a fuzzy memory of that jingle, I now have a more precise version looping continuously in my head. In response, here's another *incredibly* catchy ditty from around that time, which you've heard (literally) a thousand times "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxvlKp-76io". But don't click on the link if you don't want children singing in your head. :-)
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