2/3/4/5 Trains - Borough Hall (Day 10, stop #437)

Out:  See photos and description of R Train - Court St.

In:  The station here is dingy with small white tiles.  The layout is one platform, one track; the local train in the other direction is downstairs.  The 4/5 are on also on different levels.  There is a mosaic tile station name in purple and blue with a multicolor background.  The top border has a brown tile stripe as well as a small picture of Boro Hall instead of the usual “B”; kind of a nice touch.  There is a long tunnel to the R train, but I’m surprised to find the only exit from the station is the same.  Therefore, I don’t go outside to take photos.

2/3/4/5 Trains - Nevins St. (Day 10, stop #435)

Out:  This exit is near the intersection of Flatbush, Fulton, and Nevins.  It’s pretty busy here at 5 p.m.  There is a McDonald’s, office buildings, and some apartments; a fairly interesting mix.  There are some big stores but plenty of smaller ones mixed in.  

There are people of all types here: mostly black, but plenty of Hispanic, white, and South Asian.  Again it’s not clear who lives here and who is just passing through.  There are also a decent number of homeless people around. This stop gives a feel for some of the grittiness of downtown Brooklyn.

In:  The layout here is two platform, four track with local and express access.  There are white tile walls and green rounded columns.  The station is kind of dingy, with a very small mezzanine.  There are some line drawings on flat panels near the exit stairs.

2/3/4/5 Trains - Atlantic Ave. (Day 10, stop #434)

Out:  This subway station, along with LIRR tracks, are actually directly attached to a large, mid- to upscale-looking shopping complex.  On Atlantic itself there is lots of traffic and some big box stores as part of the shopping center (P.C. Richards, Target) as well as smaller apartment buildings.  

There are people of many races around, but it’s not clear who lives here or who is just passing through.  The station here is also right next to the Williamsburgh Savings Bank building.  I got an Italian Ice from a cart here to relieve my parched-ness, but unfortunately it only tasted ok and left a metallic aftertaste.

In:  This station is actually quite nice.  There is a Penn Station-style division of tracks, with a four track, three platform layout.  The center platform is for express trains (4/5) in both directions, while the outer two platforms are for the local (2/3) trains only.  There is a large frosted glass wall covering one side of the station, but otherwise there are white tiles on the walls.  There is a maroon mosaic tile station sign, and granite staircases for transfer to other trains.  On the floor there is an inlaid pattern with symbols reminiscent of a Guyanese flag.  I exit via the LIRR tracks, which are directly attached to this set of subway tracks.

2/3/4/5 Trains - Franklin Ave. (Day 10, stop #413)

Out:  There are a couple of stores here at the main entrance to these trains, which is only about half a block from the S station house.  The housing is still mostly tenements and larger apartment blocks, and there are a couple delis, a Golden Krust, and West Indian market.  Eastern Parkway is still wide with plenty of trees.

In:  The layout here is two platform, four track with local (2/3) and express (4/5) access.  The station is dingy and dimly lit.  The platforms have yellow metal columsn by edge and dirty white tiles on the walls.  There is some brown mosaic tiling on the top border with an “F” intersperesed on a dirty blue tile background.  The ceiling looks recently painted, but otherwise the station doesn’t look that great.

2/5 Trains - 149 St.-Grand Concourse (Day 3, stop #127)

Out: see entry for 4 train - 149 St.-Grand Concourse for description.

In: Dirty yellow bricks, dim lighting, and tiled signs for “Mott Avenue”.  In general, things look like they’re falling apart here; pretty bad.  While it looks like there were some other exits from the station in the past, here I walk the only tunnel which takes you over to the 4 train.  As the exit will be the same, I don’t go outside.

2/5 Trains - 3 Ave.-149 St. (Day 3, stop #126)

Out: This is a crowded 6-way intersection with lots of activity.  One corner has a two-story building with operating retail on the first floor but a boarded up residential section on the second.  Across from this is a very new-looking retail/residential building.  There are many general merchandise/electronics/books/games stores, including the “Horizon” wireless shop.  Quite the marketplace here.  It’s a very big intersection, with some well-preserved old apartment and office buildings.  This looks as if it were a pretty important place at some point in the past.  The neighborhood may be called Melrose, but I’m not sure.

In: This station is now underground.  The tiling inside is interesting, with long rectangles in green and burgundy.  The round columns by the platform edge are also painted burgundy.  The lighting is somewhat dim and old, though.  The station has two tracks and two platforms, facing each other.  One the platform walls there is a series of mosaic tile murals.

2/5 Trains - Jackson Ave. (Day 3, stop #125)

Out: Surprisingly lush and green outside the station here, but this is explained when I notice that the stop is right in the middle of the Adams housing projects.  The neighborhood also looks tough, and this includes the bulletproof glass covering the front of the newsstand; I hadn’t seen that before.  Otherwise there are the typical shops for this lower-income neighborhood.

In: Renovated station, similar to Prospect Ave.

2/5 Trains - Prospect Ave. (Day 3, stop #124)

Out: Outside the stop here streets are dirty and there are some guys hanging out on the corner. There are some old-type factories nearby, as well as the “Olympic Theater” now converted into the “Abundant Life Cathedral”, but the building looks pretty run down. There is a nail place here with a couple of Asian people inside (a surprise here, still), but this neighborhood definitely looks rough around the edges. I started to sketch a nice-looking apartment building (see sketch) but the train was coming so I had to cut it short.

In: This station is renovated and looks like other places along the 2 line.

2/5 Trains - Intervale Ave. (Day 3, stop #123)

Out: The El tracks run directly above the street, but they are highly elevated with more understructure, making it look more imposing than usual.  The neighborhood here is pretty close to Hunt’s Point, and on the street level things look quite desolate.  There aren’t many stores around, especially because of a big construction project next to the train stop.  I was feeling hungry and went to a White Castle for lunch.  Some guy came up hassling me for a quarter, which wasn’t a big deal, but I was feeling pretty uncomfortable when he bumped me on the chest with his fist afterwards.  I definitely look pretty conspicuous here.  Fortunately he didn’t pull anything else.  The food at White Castle was surprisingly disappointing; I had never been here before, despite my love of Harold & Kumar.  The burgers were greasy little balls of almost-meat.

In: This station is definitely not renovated.  There are the old-style metal panels with ridges on the side of the platform, as well as an old-style awning over the platform.  The staircases down to the street look like they’re straight out of the 70’s. Despite the old accents, though, the station is in pretty good condition.

2/5 Trains - Simpson St. (Day 3, stop #122)

Out: This stop has nothing particularly exciting or different, really.  There are tenements, mom & pop stores, fast food, and check cashing.  A couple of discount and 99¢ are also thrown in for good measure.  The one interesting building is an old movie house, the “Boulevard Theater”, now converted into a furniture store.  Ethnically the neighborhood seems pretty mixed between blacks and Hispanics. 

In: On the way over, I saw lots of good graffiti from the train.  The stop itself is similar to Freeman St.

2/5 Trains - Freeman St. (Day 3, stop #121)

Out: The neighborhood here feels more Puerto Rican than others I’ve been to today.  In general, though, there’s nothing too exciting near this stop.  For some reason, there is a huge crowd of people gathered near the “Word of Life Christian Fellowship Int’l, Inc.”  They all seem to have fold-up shopping carts with them (see photo).  Maybe it’s some type of food kitchen? Not really clear.  As the train comes in, it seems like they’re all getting some type of ticket/voucher.  Oh well, I guess I’ll never know.

In: This station is in good condition and overall looks like 174 St. station.  The stained glass here looks good and depicts a general street scene. There are some recently renovated apartments directly next to the tracks.

2/5 Trains - 174 St. (Day 3, 12:20 p.m., stop #120)

Out: This is a major 3-way intersection of Boston Rd., Southern Blvd., and 174 St.  There is a deli, a Kennedy Fried Chicken, a liquor store and a beauty salon; pretty typical stuff.  There are more tenements around, as well as a lots of Mexican/Hispanic stuff.  There is an interesting run-down building with a façade made of stones, as well as a new-looking building proclaiming to be the “EAST BRONX ACADEMY FOR THE FUTURE” in green metal and red brick.  As I’m getting ready to get back on the train, I saw two black guys (one in dreadlocks, the other not) getting in some argument, seemingly about a girl.  As I walk up the stairs back onto the station, they also begin to walk up while fighting, and it looks like they’re gonna bring the fight into the station.

In: It’s similar to other stops along the 2 line, with curving lamp posts and a little bay window.  After coming back into the stop to leave, the same guys I saw fighting on the street brought the argument up into the station.  For a while, it wasn’t really clear what was gonna happen; I was afraid it might blow up into something big.  At first they both continued shouting at each other on the tracks, and I moved down toward the south end of the platform, away from the entrance.  At first it seemed like the non-dreadlocked guy was just going to leave, but then he ended up coming back and following the other guy.  Fortunately in the end nothing really bad happened, but it was bit dicey.  When this is all going on this woman next to me starts telling a long-winded story about how she never gets in fights because she grew up in the projects in “Far Rock” and fighting takes too much energy.  She’s just trying to get work, and I just want to get out of this station; the train took forever to come!  This fight is also accompanied by another guy in a wife beater getting in argument with a girl with tattoo on her breast.  There is a lot of action at this station!

2/5 Trains - West Farms Sq-E. Tremont Ave. (Day 3, 12:07 p.m., stop #119)

Out: At corner of Boston Rd. The El tracks really dominate the streetscape, as they are very high above street level and the metal undercarriage is more intricate than usual. However, the metal also looks pretty old and decrepit. The intersection here is pretty busy. The station is also pretty close to the Bronx Zoo. There are a few big buildings around, one looks like a high school and another medical clinic. There is also a nice little plaza next to the station with trees arranged in a regular pattern.

There is also a deli that is the home of the “Murder Burger”. Ethnically it seems mostly black here.

In: It’s an elevated platform, like other stops along the 2 line. There is stained glass, 3 tracks (with one express bypass).

5 Train - Morris Park Ave. (Day 3, stop #118)

Out: This very quiet residential block has a train station, but it almost looks like one of the other houses; it’s just a little separate from them.  The houses are single-family and brick, look quite pleasant.  

There are a couple tenement-style apartment buildings down the block as well.  It looks like a pretty nice place to live, actually, and appears ethnically mixed (whites, blacks, Hispanics, South Asians, East Asians).  However, some of these people might be Einstein affiliates as I believe this is the closest station to the school.

In: The station here is definitely in better shapes the ones above it on the 5 line.  It has a fresh coat of paint, at least.  It is also “in the cut” here.

5 Train - Pelham Parkway (Day 3, 11:40 a.m., stop #117)

Out: From the outside, the station house itself looks pretty ugly, with peeling paint.  The area here feels almost suburban, and there are some white and asian people walking around (this makes sense as it’s close to Ann’s cousin’s house).  All I see here are trees, buses, and small houses, as well as upscale cars.  Quite a contrast from other stops on the 5 I’ve been to, pretty surprising.  I could probably even take a photo here, but there are transit workers around and I don’t want to make them suspicious.

In: The station here is now back underground.  There’s not even any tiling on the side, it’s just painted black.  The layout is 4 track, 2 platform with stop for express train (?).  The interior is all peeling paint and concrete, pretty ugly overall.  It smells dank in here.  At least the lighting is kind of ok.

5 Train - Gun Hill Rd. (Day 3, stop #116)

Out: The houses are small and neat, with no large buildings.  The people hanging around still look pretty shady, though.  There are big ads for a religious revival on the train track overpass.  I stopped into Golden Krust to get some jerk chicken; tasted good and surprisingly spicy!

In: Similar to Baychester, except now “in the cut” for real, not elevated.  In this case, the tracks are actually below ground but outdoors, so to exit you have to walk up to the street.  The station itself is still in pretty ugly condition, though.

5 Train - Baychester Ave. (Day 3, stop #115)

Out: From the track between stations, the neighborhood looks like it is composed of nice, neat, well-maintained single-family houses here. It’s also the closest stop to Co-op City. However, when you actually exit the stop, the surroundings are a bit desolate. The exit is on a very empty block and is located right underneath the elevated tracks. The only businesses around are a couple of auto repair shops and a deli.

In: Station has old type of metal paneling on the side of platform (with vertical ridges). The trees here also come up close to both sides of the platform. Also feels like it’s “in the cut” at a Metro North Station, but it’s actually elevated above street level. To get back into the station, you have to climb up a dark stairway that for some reason is decorated with a bad orange and white paint job.

5 Train - 233 St.-Eastchester/Dyre Ave. (Day 3, stop #114)

Out: The neighborhood here looks pretty downscale. There are some guys just hanging out on the corner, but close to the station there is also a decent looking café with nice lighting. Perhaps the proximity to Westchester here rubs off a bit. The architecture here is pretty much all houses and low buildings.

I don’t see any tenements, and there are also plenty of trees here. There are a handful of African cab drivers around, looking to take people further on. There are also some guys around with Jamaican/West Indian accents; it’s hard to tell if they’re speaking English or Creole. There are also some white people waiting for buses, presumably to Westchester.

In: Lots of trees on both sides of platform, reaching all the way up to the station. Looks more like something from a Metro North stop. Here there is one platform with trains in both directions. There’s also a cleaning crew here at the end of the line. An awning only covers the back of the train, with green metal columns on both sides to support the roof. The station is in really bad condition. Overall, it looks run down. Specifically, the bathroom is disgusting (but at least there is one), the lighting and tiles are dirty, there are lots of leaks, and the station house is composed entirely of cracking and peeling plaster.

2/5 Trains - E. 180 St. (Day 3, stop #103)

Out:  Can see an elevated road and plenty of traffic near the stop.  There are some ~3 story row houses with siding in a strange assortment of colors.  There is also an NYPD station, brick tenements, and a deli.  I can see some trees nearby; there might be a park, but I’m not walking out in the rain to investigate.  The station is in West Farms neighborhood, which is reasonably close to the Bronx Zoo.  The station house from the outside is quite impressive, 5-6 stories tall with a unique architecture.  

As I stand under the overpass to avoid the rain while sketching, a bird shat on my hand!  Wasn’t too terrible, but definitely teaches me to avoid standing in spots where bird crap is on the ground during the rest of the project.

In:  2 platform, 3 track layout.  The station itself looks recently renovated.  There is a 5 train sitting on the middle track, looking like it’s getting ready to go downtown from here.  This is also the location of the 5 shuttle late nights.  There is lots of activity because of the nearby train yards and maintenance depot.  When re-entering the station, I tried to swipe my MetroCard and found out that after 2 days of heavy usage, the MTA has classified my card as “Lost or Stolen”.  To avoid this hassle, I decide to just buy Fun Passes for the rest of the project.  Pretty annoying, though; that thing should keep working.

4/5 Trains - Fulton St. (Day 2, stop #101)

Out:  The feeling is a bit open at the corner because of construction site and an old church, but I’m not sure which one it is even though I feel I should.  

The architecture here is primarily classic skyscrapers.  

There again is a mix of office workers and tourists.  It's getting a bit late in the day and the light is starting to fade.

In:  The lighting is ok, but it’s under renovation so the platform is quite dirty and moldy smelling.