Over the past few years, several of the stations on the elevated portion of the Bronx IRT 6 line have undergone renovations.
As these were completed, panels of artwork were also installed making the stations a little more cheery.
This artwork consists of either colorfully tiled murals or whimsical metal sculptures. My favorite is the "
Cross-Bronx Waterway" sculpture, located at the Middletown Road station. The artists are Amanda Schachter and Alexander Levi of
SLO Architecture, commissioned by
MTA Arts & Design as part of the
NYC Transit Rehabilitation program.
Their piece pays homage both to the train's course as it navigates its way across the borough, while also traversing parts of the Pelham Bay watershed, which includes the
Hutchinson River,
Westchester Creek,
and Bronx River waterways, before reaching the
Harlem River as it crosses into Manhattan.
The sculpted panels are mounted in such a way that when standing on the platform it is as if you are underwater looking up at items floating on the surface.
I think this is a really fun, creative way to expose aspects of the Bronx's ecology
to the public that they typically don't see or even think about
as they commute back and forth to work or school.
I can tell you it has certainly made my otherwise long,
daily commute a little more delightful!
