53rd Street (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)

53rd Street (BMT Fourth Avenue Line)

53rd Street is a local station on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at 53rd Street and Fourth Avenue in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, it is served by the R train at all times except late nights northbound and the N train late nights only.

This underground station, opened on September 13, 1915, has four tracks and two side platforms. The two center tracks are used by N trains during daytime hours as well as late-night northbound R trains.

This station was overhauled in the late 1970s. The Transit Authority repaired the station's structure and appearance, particularly the staircases and platform edges. The overhaul also replaced the original wall tiles, signs, and incandescent lighting with cinderblock tiles (colored gray with yellow indentation), black and white signs, and fluorescent lights.

On the platforms, street signs and arrows leading to the station's exits are painted black on the wall tiles. Columns run along the entire length of both platforms and are painted yellow. Every other column has a "53 Street" sign on it in black with white text. All are rounded except for the ones near the two staircases to the station's main entrance, which was where the platforms were extended.

The station's main entrance has two staircase to each platform and one to each side of Fourth Avenue and 53rd Street. The mezzanine allows transfer between directions and contains some of the original mosaic directional and arrow signs. The one by the staircases to the southbound platform says "Ft. Hamilton & Coney Island" while the one by the Manhattan-bound platform staircases says "Down Town Trains."

The Bay Ridge-bound platform has an exit-only near the north end. A single platform-level turnstile leads to a small landing before a three-flight staircase goes up to 52nd Street and Fourth Avenue. The landing area contains the original 1915 trim band with a single "53" tiled on it.