G Train - Nassau Ave. (Day 9, stop #396)

Out:  The vibe here is different than that at Greenpoint Ave.  There is much more gentrification around here, and it feels less Polish.  There are some hoodier-looking delis and Crown Fried Chicken as well, making the neighborhood seem a little less nice.  There is new construction going up here, but most of the buildings are still low-slung in brick, siding, or the weird wooden shingles I only really see in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. 

Some of the more gentrified spots include a  Japanese restaurant, “Golden Café Modern Thai”, and “Johnny’s Café.”  

However, this is also the Polonia bakery and many other signs still in Polish.  There seems to be a bit more Hispanic presence here as well, but not too much.  There are still a few non-gentrified dive bars around, as well as some non-Polish, non-gentrified white people.

In:  Similar to Greenpoint Ave. except there is no real mezzanine area here and I need to use the underpass to cross over to the northbound platform in order to exit.  The station is just below street level here.

G Train - Greenpoint Ave. (Day 9, stop #395)

Out:  At corner of Greenpoint Ave. and Manhattan Ave.  Here there is a very large amount of Polish stuff.  There’s the “Polonaise Terrace”, a fancy restaurant and events space, the Polish Federal Credit Union, and lots of people on the street speaking Polish.  

Most of the people around are white and Polish, but there are also a decent number of gentrifiers; I also saw a couple of Hispanics and South Asians.  There are many brick buildings here in good condition.  There are also plenty of small stores around, many with a Polish theme.  One interesting building is an old theater that has been converted to a Starbucks (see photo).  

There are also a couple of other hipster-looking bars; but, in general, still pretty Polish over here!

In:  The layout here is two platform, two track with blue-green metal columns and a tile stripe of the same color.  There is a mosaic station name with black background and green border.  The station is fairly dimly lit and the paint on the ceiling is peeling badly.  The mezzanine is again about half the size of the platform level.  The station has an unpleasant odor of old meat.

G Train - 21 St.-Van Alst (Day 9, stop #394)

Out:  This station is near the LIRR stop, in the Hunters Point neighborhood.  There are a number of large abandoned buildings near the stop, as well as some factories, distribution warehouses, and a few smaller businesses.  

In general though there aren’t too many stores around, nor is there much foot traffic.  The only people I see over here are a number of white office workers heading to the LIRR as well as a bunch of cabbies filling up at the nearby gas station.  In general, though, I’m not sure who actually lives over here.

In:  The layout here is still single platform with trains in both directions.  There are purple metal columns on the platform, a green tile stripe on the wall, and small “21” painted on tiles.  It smells damp in here.  There are concrete floors and lots of the wall tiles are really dirty from various leaks.  The lighting is ok, at least.  The mezzanine is half the size of the platform, but still quite long and wide.

G Train - Court St. (Day 9, stop #393)

Out:  See photos and description for 7 Train - 45 Rd.-Court House Sq.

In:  White tile walls, with a single platform and trains in both directions here.  There is no tile mosaic station name, just small letters near the green tile stripe down the walls.  There are also green metal columns by the platform edge.  The mezzanine has a long tunnel above for transfer to the E/V.

G Train - Metropolitan Ave. (Day 8, stop #325)

Out:  Exit here at Metropolitan and Union.  Now firmly in Williamsburg.  There’s a fancy American restaurant (DuMont) as well as upscale Mexican place, organic groceries, and lots of hipster gentrifiers.  However, there is still a good number of black and Hispanic people as well.  There are also a couple of Polish establishments (electronics, paint).  The housing is mostly small apartment buildings and row houses. 

I can see the BQE fairly close by.  The neighborhood right here looks a little rough around the edges but obviously gentrifying and does not feel dangerous.

In:  This station is similar to Broadway, but in better condition.  There are green metal columns by the platform.  The mezzanine is wide, long, and brightly lit.  There are murals in tile on the walls, with messages like “Same/Sane” on grass and “Faith/Fate” on a boulder.  There is a tunnel for the transfer to the L, and a long stairway up to the exit.

G Train - Broadway (Day 8, stop #324)

Out:  The stop here, at the corner of Broadway and Union, is directly underneath the J tracks, but there is no transfer available to any of the J stations.  

There is a gas station, a 99¢ store, a florist, a Kosher bakery, and an auto body shop.  The surrounding area looks pretty run-down in general, though, and also dirty.  The streets are wide and there are some empty lots in the vicinity.  The housing is mostly large apartment blocks/projects, but there are some smaller apartment buildings around, too.  

The people seem to be mostly black and Hispanic, but there are also some Orthodox and white around.

In:  This station is similar to the previous stops on the G train, but with green border tiling on a black tile background for the mosaic station sign.  There are blue-green metal columns by the platform edge, and some spots with evidence of some pretty bad leaks (I’m glad it’s not raining today).  The mezzanine here isn’t too big.

G Train - Flushing Ave. (Day 8, stop #323)

Out:  I exit here at Marcy and Flushing and I observe that there really isn’t too much going on outside this stop.  There is a big empty parking lot, some factories, some construction, and some housing projects.  

There are no businesses around.  Only a few people around, but the ones I see are a mix of black, Hispanic, and Orthodox Jewish.  I’m not very sure of the character of the neighborhood, though; it might be on the border between two areas (i.e. East Williamsburg and Bed-Stuy).  The housing in the area mostly looks like big apartment blocks. Also: it is HOT out here!

In:  Similar to Myrtle-Willoughby, but with yellow columns and a curving platform.  It’s surprisingly cool in here on this hot July day.

G Train - Myrtle-Willougby Avs. (Day 8, stop #322)

Out:  I exit at Myrtle and Marcy Avs.  The housing next to the stop is all low-slung small apartment buildings and row houses, with some buildings that look more industrial-type.  About a block away is a small park and the Marcy Projects (is that what J-Z would always talk about?).  

There aren’t too many businesses here, basically just a gas station.  Despite the decent amount of foot traffic here, the lack of businesses, trees, and the many open spaces between buildings still makes it feel a little deserted.  The people around look primarily black, but there are some Hispanics as well.  There may be a small amount of gentrification, but this is only because I saw a couple of white people in the train station; there’s not much evidence otherwise.

In:  Similar to Clint-Wash, with purple metal columns.  There is no mezzanine, though, and it’s just one level up from the platform to the exit.  The station is still pretty dingy and the lighting isn’t great.

G Train - Bedford-Nostrand Avs. (Day 8, stop #321)

Out:  The neighborhood here definitely looks pretty rough; in Bedford-Stuyvesant now.  The sidewalks are cracking, there are some empty lots, and many row houses with siding in relatively poor condition.  Almost everything is pretty low-slung, with no buildings over ~3 stories.  

The people around here are almost all black, with no obvious gentrification.  There’s the “Sexotic” hair salon, a church, cheap Chinese food, delis, and Kennedy Fried Chicken.  Definitely typical of the ‘hood, and nothing really that exciting.

In:  The layout here is two platform, three track, which is kind of strange on the G train here.   It’s not clear to me what the middle track is for, because I doubt they ever ran an express train on this crosstown line.  There are red metal columns by the end of the platform.  The walls have white tiles with a green tile accent stripe, and no mosaic station signs. The paint is peeling on the roof and the tiles are kind of dirty.  There is a really long mezzanine that extends the length of the platform, as well as a long tunnel to exit to the station.  When I re-enter the station to leave, I notice that there are lingering smells of the trash train in the station.  There are also a couple of cops near the near the turnstiles who eye me and my camera suspiciously (I’m wearing it around my neck), but they don’t see me take any photos and they don’t say anything to me.

G Train - Classon Ave. (Day 8, stop #320)

Out:  The surroundings here are definitely a bit rougher than at the previous couple of G stops.  It’s also a bit busier outside on the street.  There are a couple of delis, a small drug store, a grocery, and a school.  There are also some large projects right by the stop (see photo).  

Now definitely in Clinton Hill, the neighborhood looks mostly black with very little gentrification.

  

There are no longer any nice brownstones right by the stop, but there are some nice brick/siding row houses.

In:  The layout here is similar to Clinton-Washington, but the lighting is a little better. The metal columns by the platform are painted a garish shade of blue.  The mezzanine is wide but not as long as at C-W, and there is just one exit.  There is a guy playing the mandolin in the station when I come back in to leave; that’s pretty surprising.

G Train - Clinton-Washington Aves. (Day 8, stop #319)

Out: The area near this stop is very residential. There are large brick apartment buildings, a stone church (see photo), and lots of beautiful brownstones. There are also plenty of trees around here, giving this area a pleasant atmosphere (is this still Fort Greene, or Clinton Hill?). The neighborhood demographically seems mostly black with some white, but since there aren’t really many businesses over here I don’t see a ton of people around. At the corner of Clinton and Vanderbilt, there is a large cathedral (see photo) and a historic house (see photo).

I walked a little more and see even more impressive brownstones, along with some other row houses in siding. Close by I also find the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, with its imposing boxy architecture (see photo).

I definitely like the feel of this area, even if it is a little devoid of people at the moment.

In: Similar to Fulton St., but with yellow metal columns. Upstairs here there is a really long mezzanine that extends the length of the platform, it’s also quite wide with ok lighting. I exit at Clinton and Lafayette.

G Train - Fulton St. (Day 8, stop #318)

Out: Here in Fort Greene, the neighborhood is evenly split ethnically between white and black. The houses around here are well-maintained, and there are also some upscale bars and restaurants at Fulton & Lafayette as well as the usual delis and banks. This stop is close to the Williamsburg Savings Bank (see photo) as well as BAM.

There are brick row houses around as well as some small apartment buildings. I took a photo of some particularly cool row houses with mini-columned facades.

There are two(!) real estate offices here, indicating the level of interest in buying property and further gentrifying the neighborhood.

In: Similar to Bergen St., but with purple metal columns; the tile accents are sea green, though, as is the background on the mosaic tile station name. In order to exit I need to cross over under the tracks and walk out; the underpass tunnel smells pretty dank.

A/C/G Trains - Hoyt-Schermerhorn (Day 8, stop #317)

Out: Outside the station here is a mix of white, black, and Hispanic people. Right next to the stop there are still tall office buildings and a very large luxury residential complex.

There is a lot of construction going on, as well as a parking lot. This block is not very busy, and it’s one block south of a busier commercial stretch.

One block south of the station, the neighborhood looks much more residential. This block definitely looks like a kind of buffer zone on the border between neighborhoods.

In: The layout here has four platforms and six tracks, but the outside two platforms and tracks are abandoned. Indicates that in the past more lines were running through this station but they’re now discontinued. There inner platforms have white tile or green metal columns. The walls are white tile with green accent strips, with “Hoyt” in small letters. The lighting is ok and it’s a little dirty on the functioning platforms, but the abandoned platforms are covered with a thick layer of dirt and the lights are turned off. The mezzanine is wide, and there is a long exit tunnel to get to exit at Hoyt and Schermerhorn.

F/G Trains - Carroll St. (Day 8, stop #316)

Out:  Carroll Gardens here is very residential.  There is still a mix of people on this commercial stretch of Smith St., but the key features of the neighborhood are the beautiful row houses, plenty of trees, and a small park by the stop.  

There’s also a school and both upscale and downscale restaurants.  There are plenty of white people, and many signs of gentrification.  This area seems a bit nicer than by the Bergen stop, and everything appears to be well-maintained and in good shape.  There are many houses with flat brown fronts, which is an architectural style I hadn’t seen too much yet.

In:  Similar to Bergen St., but with darker green accents, and the station is a bit more dimly lit.  There are two opposed platforms and four tracks with express bypass.  The columns are large, square, and green, but not metal on the exterior.  On part of the platform, the express tracks are below grade.

F/G Trains - Bergen St. (Day 8, stop #315)

Out:  At this time of morning, I see of mix of some gentrifiers and some black people around.  There is some guy on a bike yelling at somebody in a car in Spanish.  There’s an organic market, a diner, and a Dunkin’ Donuts.  There’s an upscale Peruvian restaurant, meat market, and Indian place.  

Not too many of the businesses are open yet, so there aren’t too many people on the street.  Off of Smith St. (and on it, above the stores), the neighborhood looks very residential with few buildings over three/four stories, primarily well-maintained brick row houses and small apartment buildings.  

This neighborhood looks pleasant and gentrifying, but still a little rough around the edges.

In:  The layout here is two platform facing each other, two track.  There are white tile walls, the station is pretty clean, and the lighting is decent.  There are green tile borders on the top and bottom of the walls, and many mosaic tile station name signs on a green tile background.  There are also some scattered sea green tiles in with the white tiles, creating a bit of a pattern on the walls in certain places.  The roof looks pretty old and leaky, and there is no crossover to the other side.

E/F/G/R/V - Roosevelt Ave.-Jackson Heights (Day 7, stop #301)

Out:  The outside here is similar to the 7 at 74^th St., as the main entrance for that stop is really only a couple blocks away (and there is also a free transfer between these trains and the 7).  

Across Roosevelt here there are a few Korean stores, but otherwise it’s still mostly South Asian.

In:  The station here is underground.  There are some small shops attached to the station entrance: florist, watch repair, convience mart.  The mezzanine is wide with white tile walls and a grey tile floor.  The layout here is two platform, four track with access to both local and express trains.  There are white tiles on the wall with a blue tile stripe going the length of the platform.  “Roosevelt” is in small letter on a black background.  There are large square columns covered in white tiles on the Manhattan-bound side, and overall the station looks renovated fairly recently.