Court Square (New York City Subway)

Court Square
New York City Subway rapid transit station complex
300px Transfer passageway between the Flushing Line and the rest of the station complex as seen from outside on opening day.
Station statistics
Address	the immediate vicinity of One Court Square Queens, NY 11101
Borough	Queens
Locale	Long Island City
Coordinates
Division	A (IRT), B (IND)
Line	IND Crosstown Line       IRT Flushing Line IND Queens Boulevard Line
Services	7  (all times) <7> (rush hours until 9:30 p.m., peak direction)       E  (all times)       G  (all times)       M  (weekdays until midnight)
Transit connections	NYCT Bus: B32, B62 MTA Bus: Q39, Q67, Q69
Levels	3
Other information
Opened	1990 (1990) (Queens Boulevard & Crosstown lines) June 3, 2011 (2011-06-03) (Flushing line)
Wireless service
Traffic
Passengers (2015)	6,730,837 (station complex)  1%
Rank	67
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

Court Square is a New York City Subway station complex on the IND Crosstown Line, the IRT Flushing Line and the IND Queens Boulevard Line. The complex is located in the vicinity of One Court Square in Long Island City, Queens and is served by the:

• 7, E, and G trains at all times
• M train on weekdays
• <7> train during rush hours in the peak direction

The complex comprises three separate stations, formerly known as 23rd Street – Ely Avenue (Queens Boulevard Line), Long Island City – Court Square (Crosstown Line), and 45th Road – Court House Square (Flushing Line). Following the opening of the Citibank office tower at One Court Square, a passageway was built underneath connecting the Queens Boulevard Line and Crosstown Line stations.

On December 16, 2001, service on the Queens Boulevard Line was increased by the connection of the IND 63rd Street Line, requiring G trains to terminate at Court Square on weekdays. To compensate Crosstown riders going into Queens, a free out-of-system transfer to the Flushing Line station was created.

On June 3, 2011, a $47 million ADA-accessible connection between the Crosstown Line and Flushing Line stations was opened and the two stations were renamed "Court Square". In kind, the Queens Boulevard Line station, which is not ADA-compliant, was renamed "Court Square – 23rd Street".

NYCT president Thomas Prendergast opens the complex.

IRT Flushing Line platforms

Court Square
New York City Subway rapid transit station
300px The north end of the station with the Manhattan skyline in the background.
Station statistics
Address	45th Road & 23rd Street
Division	A (IRT)
Line	IRT Flushing Line
Services	7  (all times) <7> (rush hours until 9:30 p.m., peak direction)
Structure	Elevated
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	November 16, 1916 (1916-11-16) (first station) June 3, 2011 (2011-06-03) (second station)
Accessible
Former/other names	45th Road – Court House Square
Station succession
Next north	Queensboro Plaza: 7  <7>
Next south	Hunters Point Avenue: 7  <7>
Next north	61st Street – Woodside: 7  <7>
Next south	Grand Central: 7  <7>
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
45th Road – Court House Square (Dual System IRT)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
MPS	New York City Subway System MPS
NRHP Reference #	05000229
Added to NRHP	March 3, 2005

Court Square is an elevated station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway. Opened on November 5, 1916 as 45th Road – Court House Square, there are two side platforms and two tracks. In 2005, this station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Both platforms have beige windscreens that run along their entire lengths and brown canopies with green frames and support columns except for a small section at their north ends. The station name plates are in the standard black in white lettering.

This station has an elevated station house beneath the tracks at the extreme south end. A single staircase from each platform goes down to a waiting area/crossunder, where a turnstile bank provides entrance/exit from the station. Outside fare control, there is a token booth and two staircases going down to either western corners of 45th Road and 23rd Street.

The station house formerly had two more staircases leading to either eastern corner. In June 2011, they were replaced by an in-system transfer to the underground Queens Boulevard and Crosstown platforms.

The P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center is nearby at 46th and Jackson Avenues.

In popular culture

• In Barry Levinson's 1996 drama Sleepers, two characters, Lorenzo "Shakes" Carcaterra and Michael Sullivan, met at this station.
• Cross' secretary is seen exiting the elevated platform here with her son, Tiny Tim, in the 1988 comedy Scrooged.

Gallery

• NYCSub 7 45th St Court House Sq platform.jpg

  Manhattan-bound platform before renovation, looking south

• Court square platform.jpg

  Covered section of new platform at Court Square

• Court Square Rehabilitated IRT Flushing Platform (7039769399).jpg

  Outdoor section of new platform

• 

  Station entrance in 2005, prior to the construction of the direct connection to the IND complex

• Court Square Subway escalators to IRT Flushing Line (5794506144).jpg

  Escalators to the Flushing Line platform

IND Queens Boulevard Line platforms

For the stations in Manhattan also served by the E and M trains, see 23rd Street (IND Eighth Avenue Line) and 23rd Street (IND Sixth Avenue Line).

Court Square – 23rd Street
New York City Subway rapid transit station
300px The Forest Hills and Jamaica-bound platform, August 2013.
Station statistics
Address	23rd Street & 44th Drive
Division	B (IND)
Line	IND Queens Boulevard Line
Services	E  (all times)       M  (weekdays until 11:00 p.m.)
Structure	Underground
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	August 28, 1939 (1939-08-28)
Former/other names	23rd Street – Ely Avenue
Station succession
Next north	Queens Plaza: E  M
Next south	Lexington Avenue – 53rd Street: E  M
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times

Court Square – 23rd Street on the IND Queens Boulevard Line is an underground station with two tracks and two side platforms. It is located along 44th Drive between 21st and 23rd Streets and is the western-most (railroad south) station on the line in Queens. The station was constructed between 1931 and 1933 along with the original section of the line east to Roosevelt Avenue, but remained unfinished due to lack of demand. It was later decided to complete the station due to expanding commercial and industrial operations in the area. It opened as an in-fill station called 23rd Street – Ely Avenue on August 28, 1939, six years after the first section of the Queens Boulevard Line and the opening of Court Street on the Crosstown line. Ely Avenue was the former name of 23rd Street until early in the 20th century.

File:23 Ely slidewalk towards G jeh.jpg

Moving sidewalk

Each platform has a scarlet lake trim line with a black border and name tablets reading "23RD ST. – ELY AVE." in white sans serif letting on a black and brown background and matching scarlet lake border. Below the trim line and name tablets are small directional signs and station signs alternating between "23RD" and "ELY" in white lettering on a black border. Red I-beam columns run along both platforms at regular intervals with alternating ones having the standard black station name plate in white lettering.

This station has three entrances/exits; the full-time one is at the extreme north end. A single staircase from each platform leads up to a crossover, where on the Manhattan-bound side, one exit-only turnstile and one High Entry/Exit Turnstile leads to a single staircase that goes up to the northeast corner of 44th Drive and 23rd Street. On the Forest Hills-bound side of the crossover, a long passageway connects to the IND Crosstown platform. Built when Citibank opened its office tower at One Court Square, the passageway consists of two sections and in-between them is the full-time fare control area that has a turnstile bank, token booth, and two staircases. One has two escalators and goes up to south side of 44th Drive inside a Citibank and the other is open weekdays only and leads to the entrance plaza of One Court Square. A set of escalators opposite the street stairs lead to the building's lobby. The main fare control area has a skylight and the passageway has the only moving walkways (horizontal escalators) in the subway system. These were installed in December 2001 when the G began terminating at this station complex on weekdays.

This station's second fare control area is at the extreme south (geographical west) end. A single staircase from each platform go up to a raised crossover split in two by a steel fence. The Manhattan-bound side has a turnstile bank, token booth, and one staircase going up to the northeast corner of 21st Street and 44th Drive while the Queens-bound side has two exit-only turnstiles and one staircase going up to the southeast corner of the aforementioned intersection. All fare control areas have their original IND-style directional mosaics.

There are two sets of artwork at ths station. One was made in 1992 by Frank Olt and is called Temple Quad Reliefs, consisting of glass mosaic and ceramic tiles on the platform walls. The other was made in 2001 by Elizabeth Murray and is called Streams, consisting of glass mosaics on the transfer passageway walls.

Gallery

• 23rd-Ely Station by David Shankbone.jpg

  The Manhattan-bound platform as it looked when the station was known as "23rd Street – Ely Avenue".

• Court Sq 23 Ely WB platform jeh.jpg

  The Manhattan-bound platform with updated Helvetica signs and "Ely" mosaics.

IND Crosstown Line platform

Court Square
New York City Subway rapid transit station
300px IND Crosstown Line station platform
Station statistics
Address	45th Avenue & Jackson Avenue
Division	B (IND)
Line	IND Crosstown Line
Services	G  (all times)
Structure	Underground
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	August 19, 1933 (1933-08-19)
Former/other names	Long Island City – Court Square
Station succession
Next north	Queens Plaza: no regular service (Terminal): G
Next south	21st Street: G
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times

Court Square on the IND Crosstown Line is the northern terminal for G trains at all times.

Although G service terminates here, the tracks themselves continue north and feed into the Queens Boulevard main line just south of Queens Plaza. This section of track is not used in regular service. Until April 19, 2010, trains traveled over this connection to continue to Forest Hills – 71st Avenue at various times of the day.

This underground station, opened on August 19, 1933, has one island platform between two tracks. Each track wall has a green trim line with a black border and small "COURT SQ" signs below it in white lettering on black background. Green I-beam columns run along both sides of the platform at regular intervals.

Three staircases from the platform go up to the full length mezzanine above and a passageway within fare control connects the station to the Queens Boulevard platform. All fare control areas are unstaffed, containing just full height turnstiles. The main one has a single staircase that goes up to the southwest corner of Jackson Avenue and Court Square. After the IND 63rd Street Line was connected to the Queens Boulevard Line in December 2001 (a project known as the "63rd Street Connector"), another unstaffed entrance was added to the north end of the mezzanine to allow an out-of-system transfer to the IRT Flushing Line. A single staircase goes up to the north side of Jackson Avenue at Pearson Street directly outside the staircases to the IRT station. In June 2011, this transfer was replaced by an enclosed in-system transfer that consists of two escalators, one elevator, and one staircase connecting both stations (but, only the IRT Flushing Line platform was made ADA-accessible; in the future, the IND Crosstown Line platform will be made accessible as well).

File:R68 (G) train at Court Square.jpg

An R68 G train on the Crosstown Line tracks.

Station layout

2F Flushing Line platforms	Side platform, doors will open on the right
	Southbound	← ( AM rush hours) toward 34th Street – Hudson Yards (Hunters Point Avenue)
	Northbound	→ ( PM rush hours) toward Flushing – Main Street (Queensboro Plaza) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the right
1F	Fare control, to entrances/exits, station agent, MetroCard vending machines (Elevator at NE corner of 23rd Street and Jackson Avenue; transfers to other services not accessible)
G	Street Level	Exit/ Entrance
B1	Fare control, to entrances/exits, station agent, MetroCard vending machines
	Moving walkway and passageway between IRT Flushing Line/IND Crosstown Line platforms and IND Queens Boulevard Line platforms
B2 Queens Blvd. Line platforms	Side platform, doors will open on the right
	Southbound	← toward World Trade Center (Lexington Avenue – 53rd Street) ← toward Metropolitan Avenue (Lexington Avenue – 53rd Street)
	Northbound	→ toward Jamaica Center (Queens Plaza) → → toward Forest Hills – 71st Avenue (Queens Plaza) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the right
B2 Crosstown Line platforms	Southbound	← toward Church Avenue (21st Street)
	Island platform, doors will open on the left, right
	Northbound	← toward Church Avenue (21st Street) → (No regular service: Queens Plaza) →

External links

• nycsubway.org—IND Queens Boulevard Line: 23rd St./Ely Avenue
• nycsubway.org—IND Crosstown Line: Court Square
• nycsubway.org—IRT Flushing Line: Court House Square/45th Road
• Station Reporter — Court Square Complex
• The Subway Nut — 23rd Street – Ely Avenue Pictures
• The Subway Nut — Court Square Pictures
• The Subway Nut — Court Square (7) Pictures
• MTA's Arts For Transit — 23rd Street – Ely Avenue/Long Island City – Court Square
• Forgotten NY – Subway Signs That Remember...
• 23rd Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• entrance to Citibank from Google Maps Street View
• 21st Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• 45th Road entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Court Square entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Thomson Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Jackson Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View