47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center station

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The **47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center station** is an express station on the IND Sixth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. It is located along Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) between 47th and 50th Streets, on the west side of Rockefeller Center. The station is served by the D and F trains at all times, the B and M trains on weekdays, and the <F> train during rush hours in the peak direction. In 2018, it was the 12th busiest subway station in the system.

## History

47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center opened in 1940 as part of the mainline portion of the IND Sixth Avenue Line to West Fourth Street–Washington Square, with connections to the IND Queens Boulevard Line to the north. Rockefeller Center's underground mall, built in 1935 as part of the complex's construction, contains passageways to the station.

In February 1958, Rockefeller Center Inc., the owners of Rockefeller Center, leased Template:Convert the northern mezzanine for 20 years at a total cost of $2 million over that period. Architects Harrison & Abramovitz were hired to redesign that part of the mezzanine with stores similar to Rockefeller Center's underground mall. The work would also include a new connection to 1271 Avenue of the Americas, which at the time was under construction. The renovations were completed in February 1960, along with the passageway to 1271 Avenue of the Americas.

Express service began in 1967 with the completion of express tracks between West Fourth and 34th Streets and the opening of the Chrystie Street Connection.

## Station layout

 **M** | Mezzanine

The station has two island platforms and four tracks, like most express stations, but has an unusual track arrangement. The uptown side has the traditional arrangement of local service on the outside track and express service on the inside track, but the downtown side reverses this (local on the inside, express on the outside). This is to avoid level junctions with the IND Queens Boulevard Line, which is perpendicular with the IND Sixth Avenue Line north of this station. Express trains come from the Bronx via a connection from the IND Eighth Avenue Line while local trains come from Queens via either the IND 63rd Street Line or the 53rd Street Tunnels. South of this station, the downtown local track crosses under the express track and the line returns to the traditional arrangement in both directions at 42nd Street–Bryant Park.

Each platform has seven stairs to mezzanine, the north end of the northbound platform has an active tower, and is depressed about ten feet below the southbound platform. This is to prepare the lines to be branched out towards the Bronx and Queens. Both trackside walls have a permanent red trim line with a chocolate brown border, and small tile captions alternating between "47" and "50" run below the tile band at regular intervals. Red I-beam columns run along both platforms, alternating ones having the standard black station name plate with white lettering. Also at this station is a sign next to the tower saying "What you punch is what you get"; this sign is referring to the automatic punch boxes on both tracks on the northbound platform. In the case of an emergency or service reroute, the express tracks can also be used to access the 63rd Street tunnel.

### Exits

 File:Rockefeller center map en.svg
The station has numerous passageways and exits, including fourteen street stairs and an elevator. This does not include several passageways through Rockefeller Center, all of which are outside fare control. The mezzanine has a full-time booth at its north end, at West 49th Street. A passageway to one northern part-time staircase leads to West 50th Street. Another passageway along the west side of 49th Street connects to the 49th Street subway station on the BMT Broadway Line outside of fare control. The middle fare control at West 48th Street has a ghost booth and all-day HEET access. The south fare control at West 47th Street has a part-time booth and more staircases.

* One stair, on street, to NW corner of 6th Avenue and 50th Street
* One stair, within Radio City Music Hall building, to east side of 6th Avenue north of 50th Street; usually open late during evening performances
* One stair, within plaza of 1251 Avenue of the Americas (facing street), to SW corner of 6th Avenue and 50th Street
* Passageway directly to 1251 Avenue of the Americas
* Passageway directly to 30 Rockefeller Plaza
* One stair, within plaza of 1251 Avenue of the Americas (facing street), and one elevator, on street, to NW corner of 6th Avenue and 49th Street
* One stair, within 30 Rockefeller Plaza, to NE corner of 6th Avenue and 49th Street
* Two stairs, within courtyard of 1221 Avenue of the Americas (under grade level), to west side of 6th Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets
* One stair, within Simon & Schuster Building (1230 Avenue of the Americas), to west side of 6th Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets
* Passageway directly to Simon & Schuster Building
* One stair, on street, to NE corner of 6th Avenue and 48th Street
* One stair, on street, to SE corner of 6th Avenue and 48th Street
* One stair, within plaza of 1211 Avenue of the Americas (facing street), to SW corner of 6th Avenue and 48th Street
* Passageway directly to 1211 Avenue of the Americas
* One stair, on street, to NE corner of 6th Avenue and 47th Street
* One stair, on street, to SE corner of 6th Avenue and 47th Street
* One stair, on street, to SW corner of 6th Avenue and 47th Street

## In popular culture

The station was featured in the 1976 film *Marathon Man*, where the former KK route's emblem is posted on a street entrance of the east side of Sixth Avenue and West 47th Street.

The station exit to 1271 Avenue of the Americas (Time and Life Building) was featured in the opening sequence of 2012 film *The Secret Life of Walter Mitty*.

## External links

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* Station Reporter — B Train
* 50th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
* 49th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
* 48th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
* 47th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
* Platforms from Google Maps Street View
* Mezzanine from Google Maps Street View

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1. ↑ Template:Cite news
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3. ↑ Template:Cite enc-nyc2
4. ↑ Template:Cite news
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7. ↑ SUBWAY CHANGES TO SPEED SERVICE: Major Alterations in Maps, Routes and Signs Will Take Effect Nov. 26 (November 16, 1967).
8. ↑ BMT-IND CHANGES BEWILDER MANY; Transit Authority Swamped With Calls From Riders as New System Starts. *The New York Times* (November 27, 1967).
9. ↑ Template:NYCS const
10. ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 10.17 MTA Neighborhood Maps: 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center (B)(D)(F)(M). Metropolitan Transportation Authority (2015).