This Fascinating New York Subway System Has Been Abandoned And Reclaimed By Nature For Decades Now
By Christy Articola|Published February 23, 2023
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Christy Articola
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Christy Articola has lived in Colorado since 2013 and considers herself a Centennial State enthusiast and expert through and through. She's based in Denver metro, but over the past decade, she has traveled to every corner, river, village, park, town, and city in the state and continues to explore it deeper and further whenever she can. Christy simply can't get enough of Colorado, and loves sharing all her adventures with you through Only In Your State! She graduated with a degree in journalism from Fordham University and is thrilled to be working as a full time travel writer for this and other sites - she finally found her perfect niche - and is so grateful for that.
Did you know that Rochester used to have a subway? It’s true! The Rochester Industrial and Rapid Transit Railway was in operation from 1927 to 1956. It did well for a while, espeically during World War II, but eventually ridership decreased enough that the city decided to shut it down and to instead build a highway (I-490) to connect to the New York Thruway. However, even though it was shut down over 50 years ago, there’s still a lot of this abandoned subway in New York that remains. The city has filled in most of it and has developed on and around it, but some of it is just slowly being reclaimed by nature. Read on to learn more about it.
Note:Some of the photos below may show parts of the subway that no longer exist, as in recent years there has been much construction in and around former subway land. Some of the subway line does still exist, though, like the Broad Street Bridge.
The Rochester Subway is a very interesting piece of New York history that many people do not know about. Today, it’s an interesting abandoned place to view and, if you’re brave, to explore. Be careful and obey all fences and No Trespassing signs.