http://www.gothamist.com/2004/04/26/smith_and_9th_street.php All comments for Smith and 9th Street en-us 2007 nyc_daveh Tue, 05 Jun 2007 18:32:49 -0500 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss daveh@gothamist.com daveh@gothamist.com 60 http://www.gothamist.com/2004/04/26/smith_and_9th_street.php#comment-21455 http://www.gothamist.com/2004/04/26/smith_and_9th_street.php#comment-21455 Comments Mon, 26 Apr 2004 14:08:15 -0500 <p>Actually the tallest free-standing subway platform in the world!</p> http://www.gothamist.com/2004/04/26/smith_and_9th_street.php#comment-21454 http://www.gothamist.com/2004/04/26/smith_and_9th_street.php#comment-21454 Comments Mon, 26 Apr 2004 12:39:29 -0500 <p>The story is apocryphal. It was cheaper to bridge the Gowanus than to tunnel under it, especially with the big climb up to Park Slope. The bridge was built long before WWII, anyway; the station opened in 1933. And it's by no means the highest spot above sea level (not even close); it's the highest elevated station, compared to the ground below it.</p> http://www.gothamist.com/2004/04/26/smith_and_9th_street.php#comment-21453 http://www.gothamist.com/2004/04/26/smith_and_9th_street.php#comment-21453 Comments Mon, 26 Apr 2004 10:48:33 -0500 <p>ahh the mystery of the smith-9th st station... apparently it is the highest station in the mta network (3 sets of stairs!!!) due to the US War Department's planning. somehow the gwanus canal needed to be accessible to a certain type of battleship/destroyer/pain inflicting seacraft during WWII, I believe. so instead of boring a hole under the canal, they went above the canal. this begs the question 'why would one send a fierce military ship up a tiny canal?' mapboy can only surmise that this was done to 'hide' our valuable maritime assets, but i don't really know...</p>