# 14th St–Union Square

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**Borough:** Manhattan  
**URL:** https://standing-on-history.com/union-square

A crossroads above and below ground since 1904.

## 1. You might've seen this platform before, on screen.

Union Square is a go-to filming location for "Sienfield," the famous 1990s New York sitcom. Many of the film's subway scenes are at this station or just down the line, giving the show that iconic New York subway feel.

**Why it matters:** The station isn't just a transit hub — it's a piece of pop culture history.

**Source:** Sienfield, Jerry. "Elaine Takes Frank's TV Guide On The Subway | The Cigar Store Indian | Seinfeld." YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDmXuBAC0so. Accessed 21 July 2025.

## 2. A subway lawsuit once saved Union Square Park.

During construction of the 4/5/6 in 1902, the IRT left heavy equipment there, sparking a legal battle. New York state's highest court ordered the park cleared, setting a precedent for protecting green space amid city growth.

**Why it matters:** A transit construction dispute helped establish legal protections for urban green space that endure today.

**Source:** "COURT DEALS A BLOW TO TUNNEL CONTRACTORS; Appeals Bench Decision Compels Clearance of Union Square. Victory of Proprietor Bates of Everett House May Affect Contractors Throughout Subway's Length." New York Times, 2 June 1902, p. 16.

## 3. The modern Union Square Park came about because of the subway.

Due to the N/Q/R/W needing to run directly under the park, the old park had to be temporarily removed during contruction in the 1910s. When the subway was completed, the city remodeled the park into what we know today.

**Why it matters:** The park you walk through today was literally rebuilt around the subway beneath it.

**Source:** "SUBWAY'S PROGRESS MARS UNION SQUARE; Fine Old Shade Trees Fall Under the Axe and May Never Be Replaced in the Park." New York Times, 7 Sept. 1913, p. 10.

## 4. The only moving platform in the system is right here.

Installed in 1910, mechanical gap-fillers bridge the platform's curve, necessitated by trains including a door in the middle of the car. Over a century later, they still do their job.

**Why it matters:** A century-old piece of engineering still solves a problem most riders never notice.

**Source:** Kolker, Robert. "How a Single Mechanical Failure Sparked 625 MTA Delays." Intelligencer, 23 Feb. 2016, nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/02/mta-one-day-625-delays.html.