Comments on: What’s in a subway station name?

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By: For $200,000, a subway station name :: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:46:37 +0000

[...] the city and the Mets dismantled Shea Stadium and opened the corporately-named Citi Field, the MTA tried to get some money to rename the Willets Point-Shea Stadium stop after Citi Field. The two sides could not reach an [...]

By: R2

R2 — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:00:00 +0000

My two cents: Willets Point – Mets Stadium

That way, the entire sign wouldn’t even have to be replaced. Just cover/paint over/whatever in black “Shea” and put in Mets.

By: rhywun

rhywun — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:01:28 +0000

Well, he has a point. I believe Times Square was named after the paper, not the building. However… it was over 100 years ago and it’s pointless to make a stink about it at this point. Plus in this case the station is named after the square, and only indirectly after the paper.

That gives me the idea to create, say, a “Yankees Square” and “Mets Square”. Then name the stations after them. I wouldn’t mind that much. Naming a station after a place is much more acceptable than directly after a corporation.

I wasn’t aware of Herald Square’s origin.

By: George

George — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:42:40 +0000

That’s not true. The old convention was street name first – geographic location/landmark second. However, since the 90′s they have slowly changed that, and most terminal stations, as well as some major stations, have switched to geographic location first – street name second.

42 Street/Times Square for example is now Times Square-42 Street.

By: Scott E

Scott E — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:45:05 +0000

Although I’ve never questioned The Times in the past, I think the article may have some errors. The MTA always uses dashes, not slashes, in their names, so “Mets/Willets Pt.” would really deviate from that.

The LIRR stop is only open during Mets games and events at Arthur Ashe Stadium (which got slighted, once again, in the naming) so maybe that’s why the team name is first there. But I think it would be better to find a way to adapt the “Flushing Meadows Corona Park” name in the stop.

Meanwhile, at the #7 station there is still at least one sign (on the Manhattan-bound outer platform) that reads “Willets Pt. Blvd”. The station is on Roosevelt Ave, Willets Pt Blvd is quite a distance away.

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:53:48 +0000

Also, in case anyone's interested in some more history here, I wrote about station naming conventions in September.

By: Cap'n Transit

Cap'n Transit — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:50:37 +0000

I agree about the uniqueness. In Paris and London, every station has a different name. It’s hard to do on a grid system, but you could at least change them to Canal/Varick, Canal/Church and Canal/Centre.

What’s worse is when you have two stations with the same or similar names on each line. I once saw two people go almost all the way to 23rd and Sixth on the V train when they needed to get off at 23rd/Ely. Similar with Seventh and 53rd and Seventh and Flatbush. Maybe they’re not very close together, but they can still be confused with each other.

By: Benjamin Kabak

Benjamin Kabak — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:58:23 +0000

I think the Times Square analogy is a little bit flawed. Times Square is a prominent area in New York City that happens to be named after a building The New York Times no longer inhabits or even owns. I’d even go so far as to bet that the majority of New Yorkers wouldn’t be able to tell you after what Times Square is named. CitiField is a bit more blatant than that.

By: bill reese

bill reese — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:54:48 +0000

Let us not forget that Times Square is named after The New York Times, yet the MTA does not complain that The Times gets away with free advertising. Nor did they complain when The New York Herald was still publishing, after all the intersection of Sixth, B’Way and 34th Street was named after that defunct publication.

Not all Mets fans will bank with Citi, not all subway riders who transfer at 42nd read the Times. I say if you’re going to deny Citi, you should also rename the other stations, or at least ask The Times to pony up (which, considering their financial straits, they’ll be more than willing to do.