Stairs at the E station 53rd & 7th
 

Trying not to wear out a travel companion's knee.... we'll be coming in from JFK on the E train, getting off at in Midtown at 53rd & 7th. The station is accessible for northbound, but not south. How bad of a climb is it to get to the street? Worth it to stay on exit at 50th instead where there is supposedly an elevator (no guarantees that it's working of course...) We've done airport commute dozens of times but never had to think about the stairs. Thanks for the information!

I notice you aren't getting any replies.

I don't remember anything unusual about the stairs at that subway stop and, while living in New York City for thirty years, I found the thought of getting into a subway elevator very unappealing.

HTtY

Subway elevators are usually something to avoid.

Most of Manhattan is cut-and-cover so the trains are not very deep (exceptions in the Washington Heights area).

"Accessible" means the station meets Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. The 53rd street stations for the E (and F) tend to be deeper than the average subway station but also tend to have escalators.

And are you reading your information correctly? I don't see accessibility information for the Seventh Avenue station. http://web.mta.info/accessibility/stations.htm

That station is actually pretty deep. It was not built under a street. But I don't recall if there's an escalator up from the platform. You definitely have to climb one flight to the booth level.

http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/Statio...Boulevard_Line)

Thanks everyone - I appreciate the input!

Margo,

There are 2 escalators on the platform at 7th Av & 53rd St on the downtown platform. One at the western end and one at the eastern end.

The one at the western end is closed on weekends. The other one is open 24/7.

As Doug stated, you will have 1 flight of stairs (mezzanine to the street) to contend with.

Aren't there full escalators all the way up at the 50th Street station (only for downtown bound trains, not the other way)? I've used that station a lot, including with luggage. I'm not recalling an elevator -- but I think there is one. Still, I do think there are escalators.

From the last or next-to-last car of an uptown E train, use the next to rear-most stairway to get to the next level (where downtown trains run). There's a long escalator from there that takes you to one level below street level, then a stairway up to the surface.

The 53rd and Seventh station is not listed as "accessible" presumably because it has no direct accessible access to or from the street.

An accessible station is one that has an elevator from street level to the entry/turnstile level and then another elevator from the entry/turnstile level to the platform.

I'd work my down the stairs the best I could, or take a bus or cab, before I'd get into a subway station elevator. If you have no other recourse, use your elbow to press the buttons! Don't touch anything. brrr..

Ok, we made the journey so I thought I'd report back in. (This was a southbound trip, coming from jfk) We got off at the 50th street station, used the elevator to get from the platform up one level and then escalator to street level, did not have to use any stairs. Elevator was not as offensive as it could have been, it was a decent size, well lit and didn't stink. Thanks everyone, you were very helpful!