News: Shea’s Subway Platform is Gone

December 10, 2007 at 12:21 pm · 23 comments

by Matthew Cerrone

Dan sent in the following images of Citi Field’s construction site.

…what’s most interesting, as dan points out in his description of the photos at Mets Refugees, is that the infamous subway entrance platform to shea has been knocked down…it’s gone…which is really, really weird, since the image of late-arriving fans, spilling out of the subway, while spiraling down the platform, is very iconic to me…

{ 23 comments }

dontstopbelieving December 10, 2007 at 12:32 pm

Wow, that is the end of an era. I didn’t know they were doing away with the old platform, but I guess it makes sense since the entrances to the new stadium will be in different places. Hopefully the new subway entrances will have more entrance points and token booths — while the old platform was iconic, it was not at all fun trying to get back into the station after a sold-out game.

Peter December 10, 2007 at 12:40 pm

So everyone is going to have to cross Roosevelt Avenue now? Not fun for traffic . . .

Dan December 10, 2007 at 12:48 pm: I’m assuming that whatever sort of new entrance to the subway they were planning on building, they’ll be doing it before the 2008 season. There’s always the option of building something temporary, ripping it down, and building something permanent for 2009, but that wouldn’t make much sense.
General Millz December 10, 2007 at 1:34 pm: That’s not true. There’s a staircase on the north side of Roosevelt for the subway station. We will have to cross the two lanes of VIP parking entrance, though, unless the new structure is completed for 08.

Xavier22 December 10, 2007 at 12:42 pm

Good riddance I say. The old subway platform was terrible in dealing with pedestrian traffic from a sold out game – especially if you were trying to get on the LIRR.

Hopefully, the subway/LIRR entrances for the new stadium will be better designed.

Saltzy23 December 10, 2007 at 2:06 pm: Ive been saying I cant wait for Shea to be a parking lot for so long that maybe I forgot that I will miss it. Dont get me wrong, I still cant wait for ‘09, but my first reaction to the picture showing the platform as rubble actually was one of a little sadness. To be a first rate organization you need a first rate facility, but I think as the Mets become more and more about the bottom line and less ‘loveable loser/Junior Varsity to the Yankees’ were gonna look back to our old crummy stadium with a lot of fond memories.

TheMonstersOutOfTheCage December 10, 2007 at 12:45 pm

they either need the old apple there or a new and inproved one

cpai76 December 10, 2007 at 12:46 pm

why would they put the apple at the subway stop?

TheMonstersOutOfTheCage December 10, 2007 at 12:53 pm

wow

TheMonstersOutOfTheCage December 10, 2007 at 12:54 pm

you might need some sleep lol

Ferragamo December 10, 2007 at 1:21 pm: If you check out Adam Rubin’s Blog over at the Daily News he’s answered a lot of these questions about Citi Field. He also talks about how the new bullpen will be setup, which is very similar to the way the Phillies have there’s…..Here’s the link………………..http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2007/11/citi-field-progress-old-apple.html

Free Wally Backman December 10, 2007 at 12:53 pm

The original Homerun Apple is coming to Citi Field.

TheMonstersOutOfTheCage December 10, 2007 at 12:55 pm: nice didnt hear anything about it thanks
Xavier22 December 10, 2007 at 1:00 pm: I thought they were going to make a new one and put the old one in some museum or something. The current apple is in pretty sad shape.
napes22 December 10, 2007 at 1:01 pm: Where did you hear that?

I would hope they wouldn’t – the current one is beaten to hell.

SheaVendor December 10, 2007 at 12:55 pm

Great pics. I’m curious though. Being a New Yorker I just went to the yankees website to see how the construction is progressing in the Bronx. They have not updated any photos since August. Meanwhile the Mets website has new pics at least once a month (sometimes more)…why the discrepency?

Dan December 10, 2007 at 12:59 pm: I think it’s just because the Mets are much more eager to celebrate opening a new park.

For some very recent pictures of the new YS, showing the facade partially installed at the main entrance, check here, about halfway down:
http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=51384&page=35

Many more pictures can be found on that thread further back.

metsrbest December 10, 2007 at 1:05 pm

The pictures look great!!!!!

Too bad I won’t be able to afford the tickets though. :-(

marvelousmarv December 10, 2007 at 1:19 pm

Since I watch most of my games on TV, I’ll miss the shots of fans coming down the ramp. However, post game it made for some horrific pedestrian traffic. Especially….after a playoff game. I hope we have to worry about it in 2008!

davethenjmetsfan December 10, 2007 at 1:42 pm: Watching on TV, I always felt bad for the laughing happy people bounding down the steps not knowing the Metsies were already down, 6-1!

Stephen December 10, 2007 at 4:33 pm