Abandoned City Hall Station Tour 9/19/2023 

Hello, There was a tour guide, I did not film that part of the tour as it was too loud outside. We did not get in through the original station entrance but it was definitely worth it !

@@kbhastheanswer Too bad you were way more interested in forcing us to watch/listen to subways rolling by. Your video, out of all I've seen from urban explorers, literally sucks.

@@Dolph-nv8ooI think it’s pretty good for my first video

​@@kbhastheanswer How can we get a tour to this historic City Hall station?

​new york transit museum conducts these tours

Yes it is sad that this place is inaccessible to the public, I answered a recent comment similar to yours that explains why this station is not utilized as a museum and/or opened for the public to see. It is very interesting how the location and sentimental value of the station keeps it in a state where this station is abandoned but still checked up on and not left to rot or adapted like other early subway stations. Also, Post 9/11 sentiment plays a big factor in preventing this station from being open for the public. For example, the city will probably never open this station to the public again because it is located directly underneath City Hall. The lightbulb idea should be considered by whoever is in-charge of this station !

I don’t know why they would put daylight lighting didn’t it used to have a soft white color?

Yes, although well preserved, it needs a good cleaning and for missing tiles and the damaged light fixtures to be addressed.

I wish they'd quit marketing that "daylight" color to the public - it's awful. @@42luke93 Yes, there's modern LED in warmer colors, even mimmicing early Edison bulbs.

Thank you ! Interesting from the perspective of a train operator, I did not realize that it’s rare for the lights to be on because I usually see the station from the window of the 6 train.

Thank you !

It is very loud but being in the station worth losing your hearing for ! Must be terrifying to be there alone !

I can’t unsee it !!

I’m glad you enjoy the footage ! You can learn more about touring the station here: www.nytransitmuseum.org/program/cityhall-tour-6242/#:~:text=In%201904%2C%20New%20York%20City's,Station%20amidst%20great%20civic%20pride.

There is actually nothing wrong or illegal about staying on the train as it makes the loop

@@kolmogorovaxiom1493 not according to the MTA. But seriously doubt you would do it right next to an employee

@@jamesf791 I have done it in plain sight of employees, and I was not the only one in the train car. They didn’t care. And even if they did care, the worst that can happen is they tell you to get off

@@kolmogorovaxiom1493 sure you have

They closed the platform in 1945 because the curved platform created issues for the new, longer trains of the Subway hence the loud scrapping noise you hear when the trains go by this station. This noise is caused due to new the trains being much bigger and not suitable to go around the steep curve. Also, the station was made with the purpose to serve the people of its time. For example this station only has one area to enter/exit, with this entrance being located within an area of City Hall Park which is only accessible to authorized individuals. It would be interesting to see this subway station be used, sadly, it was abandoned for a reason because it would not be practical to accommodate the demands of the modern day subway.

@@kbhastheanswer Thanks for the follow up! I hear that screeching sound regularly on the subway; I didn't realize it indicated a problem! I get it now!

@@MK-hh1vothe original IRT Subways all had entrances/exits at the very ends of the cars; little open-air vestibules where people could hop on and off before going into the enclosed part of the car with the seats.

It doesn't. It's an artifact of the sold-axle wheels moving at different speeds on the inner and outer rails. It has noting to do with the length of the cars. @@MK-hh1vo

@@kbhastheanswer The screeching wheels are an artifact of the sold-axle wheels moving at different speeds on the inner and outer rails. It has noting to do with the length of the cars, more to do with the severe curve of the track.

Scary, It looked tempting to get some footage inside the station alone. I saw a video where this guy jumps onto the moving train to leave the station. I don’t know if I could see myself pulling something like that off so I opted for taking the tour !

The tour was definitely worth it. Wish I had a better camera to take more high quality photos but the GoPro did the job. I’ve rode the downtown 6 train many times around the loop and tried to take videos but always wanted to access the city hall station without trespassing. If you have the same desire I highly suggest looking into the nytransit museum who are the only service to my knowledge that offers tours of this Subway station.

I can vouch that it is very fun !

I love hearing personal stories from before my time ! I definitely recommend the tour !

@@kbhastheanswer I appreciate that must have been something for those people to ride the third avenue El that's before my time by the time they demolish that was some remnants here and there that's it the back then the Bronx where I grew up look like a war zone and I'm not talking about people shooting each other like today talking about the Bronx was on fire 🔥 in the 70's. By 77 the year I came into the world city was a mess the Bronx was a burned out disaster infrastructure was falling apart so a lot of things got closed up from neglect lack of use lack of funding for the maintenance I'm glad you like to learn I hope you continue to learn the city is full of wonders thats facts some of it long gone some of it we don't want to talk about but will never forget

@@bluemantom77 you are correct there are many mysteries to be solved here in NYC. I am grateful to live in a place where so much happened. Wish I could’ve been around to see many things, that is why I film these videos so when time prevails people of the future can see what we saw.

​@@kbhastheanswerI wish more native New Yorkers would be interested in curious about so many secrets in in New York City #5 train to Dyer avenue used to go all the way to white plains and that's the remnants of that old train line it was a commuter line want to port Chester NY to along the route of the New Haven line now would you go to White plains Westchester mall is was the terminus of that line

The 6 train was “my train,” as I’d pick it up at Pelham Bay, and ride it down to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall. My mom worked at the Southern District Federal Courthouse, so I’d have lunch with her sometimes during the summer. Occasionally, I’d stay on the train when it would loop around and pass through the old station to get a glimpse of it, and then get off at BB/CH.

That would entail remodeling the entire station as it was not built to deal with today’s subway cars. We must appreciate that it is still around. Besides, despite being a bit overbearing at times, the screeching is apart of the modern day City Hall Station. It sounds even better in person! :)

Although I have not seen this myself, I believe what you are talking about was also a reference to the Beach Pneumatic Transit which was the first subway in nyc and a topic I have gone into great detail on this channel. TMNT also referenced the Pneumatic Transit in the 2012 series Season 2 Episode 13, where the Subway is apart of Kraangs lair. Always loved TMNT and it may be a reason I am obsessed with the Subway as an adult since there are lots of references.

Glad you enjoy!

Danke schön! Es gibt Kronleuchter, die mit Glühbirnen von der Decke hängen. Keine modernen LEDs, da nie Passagiere unterwegs sind. Dies ist eines meiner ersten Videos, die ich mit meiner Gopro gedreht habe Ich weiß nicht viel über Kameras :)

@@kbhastheanswer Okay, hatte mich nur etwas gewundert.

Never heard of this idea. This station lies under city hall / the entrance to this station is located in an area of City Hall Park that is off limits to the public. Only authorized individuals are allowed in this area where the entrance to this station is located, hence why we had to enter the station from the 6 train. I doubt they would turn it into a museum with the train going by / the only way as of now they could bring people in and out is through the 6 train. This leaves the station in a odd place where it is very beautiful. The station probably would not be here still if it wasn’t still used as a turnaround for the 6 train.

​@kbhastheanswer I thought there was a transit museum with an entrance on Court Street ?

I agree. It is still used as a turn around for the 6 train but I think this station has long out-lived/out-served it’s purpose for public use. We should appreciate that we still have the station relatively unchanged from its origins. if you know about nyc subways, originality is hard to come by now a days !

Must’ve been some trip, I could only imagine being in there knowing my only way out is to venture through the subway tunnels. I’ve rode the 6 train around to loop at Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall many times and know how big it is / far of a walk through the tunnels it may have been for you. Were you able to snag any souvenirs ?

Walking into the abandoned tunnel via J train Chamber street station 🚉 😅

Thank you ! I highly recommend taking this tour if you are a local or love NYC subways

@@kbhastheanswer I'm quite far but i visited Paris subway once.

@@debranchelowtonethat’s on my bucket list to visit Europe and see the subways !

Plus back in the day, my neighbor was MTA Welder and we took many exploration tours. South 4th St among others.

I lived in NY for 21 years before I found out. It’s a hidden gem !

You have to pay for a New York Transit Museum membership which is around $60 and with this membership you are provided free access to the museum. They also provide offers including tickets for retro train rides and visiting the city hall station but you must pay extra for these programs. For example, it cost 50$ per person for the full tour including a visit to the station. I think it is worth it for those who have always want to go in the station and you also learn a lot about the history. They do visits to the stations per season. Tickets are high demand and sell out within the first 2 hours they are dropped so make sure if you spend the money on the subscription you are the first one there to buy tickets to see the station.

​@@kbhastheanswerSo that would be $110 if a tourist wanted to see this station? That's pricey for a one-time thing.

No. You have to be a member of the Transit Museum to even have the opportunity to purchase tour tix.

This is to give you all the experience of going on the tour. Also it is interesting for many who have not been in subways before.

​@@kbhastheanswer I beg to differ sir. I don't know what is the norm for this type of vicarious video of a paid tour over there in the States. Nor indeed, if they would allow you to 'broadcast' any of the guide's talks. Here on the tube in London, I have yet to see a video like this. Your first, you say. Well, ahem, it can only get better from here on in. Did it not strike you that the visuals, whilst being of great interest and highly noteworthy ~ because of this enchanting palace's sheer beauty ~ would be absolutely and utterly ruined by i) all that metal on metal shrieking? There really is no reason to keep it in the edit. Yes, the wheels on the tightly curved rails make a really nasty noise and yes, you all had to go through it so we viewers here share your pain. Just once though. Just one episode of it in this video would have been enough. ii) a woeful lack of information. Tis usual over here to have the videographer give a running commentary on his experience (which can also jar if of too little importance) and enlighten we viewers with a potted history of the place. If you're not ready to do a voiceover, what people can do instead is to provide textual snippets in the description. Forgive me for being a bit harsh but I mean this (long) comment as constructive criticism to help you with your future productions.