Touring NYC: The NYC Subway Art Tour (Part 3 of 6)

Canal St.-Chinatown Station:

From 8th Street, we ventured to the Canal Street Station located in under Chinatown.

Why is Canal Street called Canal Street?  Before it was a street, it was a canal.  To drain spring water and sewage into the Hudson River, a canal was constructed in the early 1800's along the path of a natural stream.  Unfortunately, poor engineering resulted in the 40' wide, 8' deep ditch becoming an open sewer with little flow.  As a result, the canal was covered over in 1819 and on top of the former canal a road, Canal Street, was constructed in 1820.

(And what about Wall Street and Orchard Street?  One was the site of a 12' wall to defend the Dutch settlement and the other was the site of an early cherry orchard.)

 

Canal Street Area, with depiction of the canal (original terra cotta and mosaic)

Canal Street Station:  Character meaning China

Canal Street Station:  Character meaning "village"

Canal Street Station:  Interlocking Teapots symbolizing "good life"

Canal Street Station:  Pictograms, by artist Bing Lee, representing goods imported from China aboard the ship Empress of China

Canal Street Station: A solitary musician playing the Chinese 2-stringed violin called the ehru.

Next stop:  Part 4--Cortlandt Street and Whitehall Street Stations.