Turnstyle Underground Market — Local services in New York

A gourmet eating place in a subway!? I didn't think it would work. The crowds. The rats. The unique NYC smell. Well I was wrong.

It's one of the most comfortable and upscale seeming malls in the city. Not properly on a platform it is outside the turnstile. No need to pay a fare. It's situated along a corridor sheltered from the wind traveling down the escalator. Double doors dampen noise from a train line at one end, distance dampens at the other end.

Aesthetically it is designed with a conscious regard for the very upscale Time Warner Mall up above, of which it seems almost an underground extension.

There are not just mom and pop take out with their own unique take on popular cuisine, one also has a nice selection of shops offering small goods that might make nice stocking stuffers for Xmas.

My one complaint is about a change in dining format.It used to be that there were tables with benches for eating. People ate and actually talked to strangers! Rate for New York. It reminded me of a college dining room with all the laughter and banter. Now there are just infinitely long tiled tables. It's format is stand up. Oh well perhaps they will go back to the old way some day.

Unlike Time Warner Center, affordable, middle class pricing.

And if it seems too nice a day live like a mole 😂 underground then up above leafy Central Park, celebrity spotting on Central Park South ( Liza Minnelli lives there; I once saw Robert Redford, singer Al Jarreau and Luciano Pavarotti! Not to mention "Tiny Tim". These last two did look a little seedy being in their endgame, but still a thrill because they were so close you could just walk up and say hello) and window shopping on 5th avenue, all and more beckon as Turnstyle is centrally located.

If you see oddly but very expensively dressed gentlemen talking nonstop while pacing up and down smoking a cigar congratulations! You just saw a "master of the universe" who lives in one of the nearby...

Turnstyle Underground Market

This is every business that was open or appeared to still be in operation on my visit :

@wetzelspretzels @bywoops @pandabubbleteausa @thelaunchnyc @lanabluboutique @yongkangstreetnyc @criollasbaked @tommysfigz @popspizzas @cruncheeseusa @mandukpop @mangaspotnyc @saltedbakedgoods @qbhousenewyork @lushcosmetics @loccitane @doughnuttery @pressedjuicery @lisasdumplings @downundercoffeenyc

To me the coolest shops were : @criollasbaked Argentine empanadas, @mandukpop K-pop store, @saltedbakedgoods looked very delicious, @qbhousenewyork also cool concept of Japanese hairdresser with prix fixe $30 cut, and then @cruncheeseusa Korean hotdogs seems fun.

It is possible to access the market from 59th st subway entrance but you would need to pass through a turnstile and cross the concourse. If you enter from 58th street entrance you won’t need to pass through a turnstile to...

Pros: • Good place for tourists to by little gift and finger foods from the establishments there • Connects you to many trains that go uptown and downtown (express/local) • Leads out to a rich neighborhood/business district • There are numerous benches that you can sit and rest on after purchasing an item, or if you just need to catch your breath • Free WiFi

Cons: • Turnstyle Underground Market always smells a bit funny because of all the different foods there, but if you're just passing through it should be fine • It is heavily CROWDED because of tourists and people going to work (business district) • There is also a highschool nearby so around 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. you will encounter many teenagers • It is also very warm down there especially during the summer, so make sure you do not wear any heavy or thick layers for long...