Sunday, March 20, 2011

It's just "Court Square" now!

From Transit Blogger:

If you have been on the A Train, C Train, F Train, or R Train recently, you will have seen signs from the MTA highlighting the name change of the Jay St-Borough Hall & Lawrence St-MetroTech to the simple Jay Street-MetroTech.

Now riders of the 7 Train, E Train, G Train, & M Train should expect to see similar signs as the agency has announced that the 23rd Street-Ely Ave station has been renamed Court Square in anticipation of the soon to open transfer connection between the 7 Train & G Train. When the in-system transfer officially opens, the 45th Rd-Court House Sq station will be renamed to Court Square as well.

8 comments:

Erik Baard said...

Now there's an MTA change I can support. As someone frequently giving directions to and within the area, I'd love to see a unified Queens Plaza and Queensboro Plaza too. I'd opt for Queensboro Plaza for three reasons: 1) It solidifies the bridge name by associating it with the neighborhood, 2) It distinguishes the area from Queens Center Mall and references to Queens Plaza Mall, and 3) This third reason really should be enough: http://planetoftheapes.wikia.com/wiki/Queensboro_Plaza

Or wait... I just had an epiphany! Maybe our elected leaders are ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! If we rename the bridge, we rename the plaza. If we rename the plaza, perhaps we'll alter the timeline and prevent the takeover of our planet by other, non-human, ape species! There will be no Queensboro Plaza for Brent and Nova to discover.

Okay, I must write an essay to this effect. :)

Anonymous said...

Just call it the "Ed Koch Mass Transit System" and give them all the stations politicians' names.

Anonymous said...

Except that Koch couldn't care less about transit unless there was a strike going on.

Sergey Kadinsky said...

The westernmost entrance to the E/V station is almost 1/3 mile from the station's easternmost entrance at Jackson Avenue. A person getting off at the 21st Street exit form the station would be very far from the Court Square namesake location.

Furthermore, the name Ely Avenue carries a sense of history to it, predating the utilitarian street number grid.

So while Court Quare would be appropriate for the 7 and G stations, the E/V station does not deserve this new moniker and should remain 23rd/Ely.

Erik Baard said...

@Sergey: I also wondered about Ely. Then I wondered who Ely was. If he was just an early developer, then why not romanticize some other developers today? :)

I really couldn't find a history behind the Ely but can look again later.

I suppose an Ely Cafe might come along...

As for the station, yes, one exit is a small hike but the hub on Court Square does link all of the lines. The E train on West 4th Street has entrances four blocks apart, so there's precedent even within the same line.

Anonymous said...

@Erik try forgotten NY
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/SUBWAYS/Subways%20remember/remember.html

Anonymous said...

@ Erik better answer to who Ely was

Ely Avenue or 23rd Street
Charles Ely was a partner of Rev. Eliphant Nott, the developer of Hunter's Point. In the early 1850s, Mr. Ely was hired to level hills and fill in swamps to create lots for prospective developers.

figures a developer

source:
http://www.astorialic.org/topics/names_p.php

Anonymous said...

Isn't Court Square a bunch of yuppies from New Jersey that couldn't hack it in Manhattan?