There’s no doubt: New York is one of the most fascinating cities in the world. Iconic streets, steaming manholes, endless skyscrapers: an open-air movie set.
But there’s also a side of the Big Apple that’s not immediately visible: the subway system, one of the largest on the planet.
And in a city like this, it’s no surprise that the New York’s metro system hides architectural gems unlike any other.
1. Grand Central Madison: The World’s Most Beautiful Metro Station, featuring Yayoi Kusama Artwork
In 2024, this subway station received the UNESCO Prix Versailles Interior Award as the most beautiful passenger station in the world.
Inside the Grand Central Station are actual works of art, including mosaics by iconic artists like the famous japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith.
2. F Line – Sixth Avenue Local: The Renewal of New York’s Metro System
In the late 1970s, New York’s subway system underwent a major upgrade. Italian companies Impresit-Girola-Lodigiani Inc. – later part of what is now the Webuild Group – joined a joint venture commissioned by the New York City Transit Authority to renovate two sections of the F Line, both located in the heart of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, between Park Avenue and FDR Drive.
The project included four tracks on two levels: the first stretch (378 meters) was excavated using traditional methods, while the second (738 meters) was bored using a full-face Robbins tunnel boring machine (TBM), which allowed work to proceed without explosives.
Despite the scale of the work, it never interrupted service, a testament to the efficiency of the New York subway, the only one in the world that operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
3. 42nd Street-Bryant Park: A Tribute to Manhattan’s Bryant Park
This metro station features a striking mural by Samm Kunce. The piece incorporates natural elements like leaves, wood, and roots in a tribute to nearby Bryant Park.
Etched into the mural is a powerful quote: “Nature must not win the game, but she cannot lose.”
4. Broadway-Lafayette/Bleecker St.: The New York Subway Station that Becomes a Beehive
One of the more recent installations is Hive, created in 2012 by Leo Villareal. The piece transforms the ceiling of this metro station into a giant beehive of light, a composition of glowing, colorful LED hexagons pulsing in dynamic sequences.
Villareal’s aim was to capture the frenetic energy of New York’s underground life, likening it to a swarm of bees in constant motion.
5. City Hall: The First Metro Station in New York’s Metro System
New York’s metro system opened in 1904 (the first outside of Europe) and its inaugural ride departed from City Hall station, then a rare gem of underground architecture.
What first draws the eye are the vaulted ceilings and skylights that once flooded the platform with natural light. Where sunlight couldn’t reach, ornate golden chandeliers lit up the space. The station was also adorned with iconic emerald-green tiles.
Despite its beauty, the original City Hall subway station was closed in 1945 due to logistical issues and has since become a ghost station. Today, the only way to visit it is by becoming a member of the New York Transit Museum and joining one of their guided tours.
