2. Smith–Ninth Streets Station Was the Tallest Rapid Transit Station in the World Until 2022
Until it was surpassed by the Chongqing Metro’s Hualongqiao station in 2022, Smith-Ninth Streets station was the highest rapid transit system in the world. The station is situated over the Gowanus Canal and stands at 87.5 feet above ground level. Served by the F and G trains, Smith-Ninth Streets station opened in 1933 and was originally served by the A train. To connect the rest of the city with Coney Island, the IND Culver Line was proposed to cross underneath the canal, though a viaduct over the canal was more economical, making it the only above-ground section of the original line.
After multiple reroutings (the E and D trains also served the station), the F and G became the regular trains. As trains zoomed by almost 100 feet above the ground, tall-mast ships sailed underneath. The station was built so the vertical-lift Ninth Street Bridge could safely open. Green mosaics with the name of the station still exist, and the viaduct underwent renovations beginning in 2007, as there was a significant danger of concrete falling onto the ground below.