E/J/Z Trains - Sutphin Blvd.-Archer Ave. (Day 9, stop #365)

Out:  This area appears to be mostly black, a little run down, and with lower-scale buildings than at Jamaica Center.  There are smaller old attached houses as well as some potential factories.  There are also a number of small stores (deli, nails, McDonald’s, Crown Chicken, etc.), but most of them are still closed (9:45 a.m.).  

The area doesn’t feel residential, but instead more like the gritty downtown of some smaller city with its population center in the suburbs.  The only impressive building is the one housing the LIRR stop (see photo).  

There also seem to be a lot of buses around, as this is probably an important place to connect to further destinations in Queens not accessible by subway.

In:  Similar 60’s feel at this station, but with better lighting.  There are square metal columns, a brick floor, and red and burgundy square tiles on the side of the stairs.  It smells kind of damp in here.  The E platform has a one platform, two track layout.  The ceiling is long and inclined and made of reflective metal, and red brick tiles or square tiles are everywhere on the platform and on the stairs.  There are still plenty of stainless steel accents around as well, but the roof has lots of strange dirty streaks on it.  This station is still ugly and looks like a MARTA station, but at least it’s out of the ordinary.  The mezzanine level here is pretty large, but with the same ugly red tiles. There are many signs directing customers to the AirTrain to JFK as well as the LIRR stop here.  The lobby for the elevator up to the AirTrain is quite a bit nicer than the subway stop, with fake granite walls.

E/J Trains - Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer (Day 9, stop #364)

Out:  From the outside I can see here the exit stairs from the subway are covered by some unusual skylights.  Right next to the stop here there is a large bus terminal, a shopping center that looks pretty new, and a number of office buildings.  The people outside are a mix of black and Hispanic, for the most part.  The housing looks mostly tenement-style.  There is a decent amount of traffic, but it is at the tail end of rush hour.  Also, it looks like many of the buildings around may be municipal/administrative and the stores aren’t open yet, so it’s not surprising there aren’t many people around.

In:  This station has a very unusual design inside.  There are high ceilings composed of reflective metal panels.  The station is dimly lit but has flood lights hung from high off the ceiling as opposed to the usual tube fluorescents.  The benches are also made of a reflective metal, and the floor is made of brick.  There are beige square tiles on the walls with very few station signs.  It looks like what someone in the ‘60’s would have thought a futuristic version of the subway would have looked like.  The J runs on the lower level here, but it’s also dingy with concrete ceilings and yellow tile platforms.  It’s ugly.  The mezzanine is a little better, but still covered with ugly brown tiles.  I still need to walk up some long staircases to exit here.  This station definitely reminds me of a MARTA station in Atlanta, which is extremely atypical for the NYC subway.

J/M/Z Trains - Marcy Ave. (Day 8, stop #352)

Out: The intersection here is totally covered by the train tracks; they don’t just run in the middle of the street, as usual. There are a few white people around, but it’s still mostly Hispanic with some black presence.

There are many small stores here, as well as a seafood restaurant, pizza place, “Rainbow” clothing, 99¢ store, Bank of America, and party supply store. Senor Taco (surprisingly) looks a little upscale.

Quite a variety going on here. The streets are still pretty dirty, though, and the neighborhood still looks a big rough. There is a big bus depot close to the station and I can see the Williamsburg bridge in the distance.

In: The station walls here have flat white paneling with green trim, and the roof angles straight off the back wall. Some panels are replaced by stained glass here. The station house is small, and I can see over the edge of the platform at the end.

J/M/Z Trains - Hewes St. (Day 8, stop #351)

Out:  I exit at Hooper St.  The streets are pretty empty over here, and there isn’t too much traffic.  

There are some brick attached houses, small apartment buildings, and tenements.  

There are some signs of gentrification, but the area is still mostly Hispanic for sure.  There are a couple delis and other small shops, a car service, a Latin restaurant, and a random shady hotel (see photo).  A lot of stores are already closed, even though it’s only 6 p.m.

In:  Similar to Halsey/Chauncey.

J/M/Z Trains - Lorimer St. (Day 8, stop #350)

Out:  The housing here is primarily mid-size to large apartment blocks, which is different from what I’ve been seeing recently.  On the street I saw some Orthodox, a couple gentrifiers, and more Hispanics than blacks.  While sitting outside and talking on the phone here I also saw a whole school bus full of Orthodox kids roll by; I’m not too far from the big Orthodox part of Williamsburg.  Nearby there is a deli and a chicken place, but it’s not that busy a commercial intersection and feels mostly residential.

In:  Similar to Halsey/Chauncey.  From the platform I can see the public pool in the nearby apartment complex.  The station house here is in pretty good shape, with stained glass windows.

J/M/Z Trains - Flushing Ave. (Day 8, stop #349)

Out:  The area here seems quite ethnically mixed; it’s about evenly split between black and Hispanic, but there are also white/European and Middle Eastern people around.  It’s a busy intersection, with lots of random stuff being sold on the street (belts, jewelry, flags, sunglasses) along with many bigger stores such as Duane Reade, Walgreens, Fat Albert (see photo), and Foot Locker.  The stop is also right next to the monolithic Woodhull Medical Center.  

There are some residential buildings on the side streets, mostly small to medium apartment buildings.  While I’m out at this stop some kids start talking shit to me about taking photos, but I just ignore them and nothing else happens.

In:  Similar to Halsey/Chauncey, etc.  The paint looks a little older, but otherwise quite similar.  The artwork inside at first resembles stained glass, but upon closer inspection it is some colored panels encased behind rougher glass.  There is also an elevator here to the elevated station, a rarity. 

J/M/Z Trains - Myrtle Ave. (Day 8, stop #348)

Out: This is a pretty big intersection here, between Broadway and Myrtle.

The neighborhood is still predominantly black, but there are a fair number of Hispanic people as well, and perhaps a white person or two. Some of the businesses around include Popeye’s, Dunkin Donuts, some delis, and a party expo. There are also some guys selling stuff on the street here, and there is a rank odor lingering in the air as well as trash lying around. There is a big mural of Puerto Rican leaders on the side of a building (see photo).

Most of the buildings around are small to medium apartments in brick or siding, but I do see a couple of older, well-preserved houses with bay windows (see photo above). However, there are also some abandoned houses around, too.

In: Two platform, three track setup with express access and no walls over the sides. There is some stained glass below the station signs in the middle of the platform. There is the M train on the far platform and possible express train in the middle (but I think late nights the M works off the middle track and then curves north). Each side has a concave roof with green metal columns. The station here looks pretty old. I need to use a crossover to reach the station house, with it lit with old orange sodium lights; the station house looks pretty ancient, as well.

J/Z Trains - Kosciuzko St. (Day 8, stop #347)

Out:  There is a playground right by the stop here with basketball courts and a track with lots of kids playing on it.  Here there is more a of mix between black and Hispanic.  There is some new construction over here, a nail place, a salon, and medical offices.  The stores have professional signs and look well-maintained; also the streets are cleaner and there isn’t as much trash around.  It is continuing to get nicer as I get away from East New York.  There is another Family Dollar this stop, and a church nearby.  The residential buildings are mostly row houses with siding and small apartments in brick.  The only white dude I see looks crazy and is asking for change.

In:  Similar to the other stations on the J, with a small place to see over the side and some new paint.  On the way over I finally got to ride the Z train!  This is the only train where I could have conceivably gone to every station but never ridden.  I actually thought it only ran in the peak direction at rush hours, but I guess it’s going against the rush as well.  It also seems to not be going skip stop this direction.

J Train - Gates Ave. (Day 8, stop #346)

Out:  The first thing I notice here is an empty lot converted to a small garden.  Also, on one of the side streets, there are actually some well-maintained row houses.  Definitely a contrast from the previous two stops, but it still looks fairly rough around here even if it is a bit better.  There are people selling stuff on the sidewalk, and there are some small stores and restaurants on Broadway, including the Family Dollar, a deli, fried chicken place, and a sports store.  There is an impressive old Roosevelt Bank building on Gates Ave., and lots of people hanging out by the V.I.M. Jeans.  Again the neighborhood seems predominantly black.

In:  Similar to Chauncey and Halsey, with the stained glass, etc.

J Train - Halsey St. (Day 8, stop #345)

Out:  The neighborhood looks somewhat better than Chauncey, but overall unremarkable.  There’s a Dunkin’ Donuts, a Popeye’s, a deli, and a fish market.  There’s also a couple of West Indian places.  The people around are mostly black (could be African-American or West Indian), with some Hispanic.  The neighborhood is still pretty rough, but the houses are in somewhat better shape than at Chauncey and there are actually kids around on the street, which indicates that it may be slightly nicer.  The residential buildings are either small houses or apartment buildings in brick, for the most part.

In:  Similar to Chauncey.

J Train - Chauncey St. (Day 8, stop #344)

Out: This area does not look like the most pleasant place. There are stores that are closed even in the middle of the afternoon, some bored-looking guys hanging out, lots of trash around, and empty lots. Most of the people around are black. The housing is mostly attached houses, some in siding and some in brick. I got back onto the train pretty quick.

In: This elevated station has a two platform, three track setup with express bypass. There are white metal flat panels covering the side walls, and they have recently received a paint job. The platform has a cement floor that also looks fairly recent. I can see over part of the side through holes in the panels covered with silver wire. There are no columns on the platform. There is also some stained glass in the small station.

J Train - Alabama Ave. (Day 4, stop #189)

Out:  This stop has a huge MTA bus depot right next to it, which probably relates to its direct proximity to Broadway Junction.  There are some non-descript, four-story apartment buildings nearby.  There is also a strangely-placed hotel with a façade of fake granite.  I can also see the L train in the near distance.  There aren’t too many people around, except for MTA employees.  There is a well-maintained garden in the plaza of the Alabama Av./Jamaica Av./New York Av. intersection.  From the people exiting the train here, the neighborhood looks mostly black and Hispanic.

In: This station is still not done with renovations, as the stained glass has not yet been put below the station signs.  Also, the roof of the awning is flat here, missing the arching roofs and column metalwork at the previous stops.  In general, though, the station still looks to be in pretty good condition.  Also the views from here are expansive as there aren’t really any adjacent buildings to block it.

J Train - Van Siclen Ave. (Day 4, stop #188)

Out:  There are trash-strewn empty lots, weeds growing in the sidewalk, and stray cats.  Yet, for some reason, this neighborhood doesn’t seem too terrible, as there are black, white, and Hispanic families all around on the streets.  Most of the stores are closed, though, so it makes the area feel emptier.  From the platform I can see construction workers and lots of three-story houses, as well as plenty of graffiti.

In:  Still 1 platform, 2 track layout and outdoors.  The stained glass below the station names here look particularly good, and everything looks newly renovated.  Here the booth is on the mezzanine level, below the platform level.

J Train - Cleveland St. (Day 4, stop #187)

Out: This area is definitely rougher-looking than near Norwood; I can tell I’m getting back towards East New York. The streets here are dirtier and the people on the street look a bit more intimidating, but it’s still pretty ethnically mixed, even including some Eastern Europeans. There are still all row houses here, but they look like they’re more run down, and there is also more graffiti here.

In: Same as Crescent St., with shorter awning. The station agent in the booth is an Indian guy with a mullet; that’s kind of amusing. Leaving the station, I ran up as the train was arriving and got on in the wrong direction since I didn’t have time to check the signs (definitely the annoying thing about these single-platform stations). Oy, what a time waster.

J Train - Norwood Ave. (Day 4, stop #186)

Out:  There’s a pupuseria which is visible from the subway platform, which is quite tempting as I’m feeling hungry.  It looks like there are some Salvadoreans around, as well as a number of West Indian places.  I go into “Roti on the Run” and I am totally won over.  It’s run by Trinidadian Indians, who are brown-skinned but have thick West Indian accents.  I bought an aloo pie, basically some very spicy potatoes inside a fried doughy tube, which tasted great and only cost $1.  Plus they had a clean bathroom.  I definitely recommend that spot.  The neighborhood still looks pretty mixed overall, but there does appear to be more of a black presence than at previous stops.  The buildings here are mostly two and three story; many are row houses with siding or brick, some in better condition than others.

In:  Similar to Crescent St., except here it’s only one flight of stairs up to the booth.  Also the awning only extends to cover ~1/4 of the platform.  Also, there is no stained glass here.  I took a photo from the platform of some graffiti.

J Train - Crescent St. (Day 4, stop #185)

Out:  At corner of Crescent and Fulton.  The neighborhood is still quite ethnically mixed, with blacks, whites, East Asians, South Asians, and Hispanics; Hispanics might predominate, but I can’t tell.  There are attractive, well-maintained row houses on the side streets here.  There is a fish market, a North Fork Bank occupying an old stone bank building, a dry cleaner, and a pizzeria.  More notably, there is a large dual-steepled church and a huge graffiti mural nearby as well.  The neighborhood looks middle-class and small-scale overall.

In:  On the train ride over, the train has to slow down considerably to navigate a sharp turn before coming into the station.  The station also has a very different design now: while still elevated, there is only 1 platform with 2 tracks on both sides for trains going in each direction.  This also means there is no side paneling and I can see the surroundings over the entire length of the platform.  The awning is newly renovated and covers about half the platform length.  The token booth is on the same level as the platform (as opposed to the station house one flight down, at most elevated stations), but you need to walk up two flights of stairs to reach the booth.  There is a burgundy and green motif for the stairs, similar to those on the renovated 2 and 4 line trains in the Bronx.  There is also stained glass below the sign placards with the station name in the middle of the platform.

J Train - Cypress Hills (Day 4, stop #184)

Out:  Not a whole lot here.  On the North side of the street is Cypress Hills Cemetery, while the South side has P.S. 7.  There’s also a small diner and a closed florist here as well.  Even though I’m now in Brooklyn, the neighborhood retains its ethnically mixed character.

In:  On the train ride over, someone left some condoms on the seats in the train.  That is pretty disgusting.  Also from the train I can see into the neighboring cemetery, which looks quite crowded but contains some nice mausoleums.  Nothing in there compares to Woodlawn Cemetery, though.  The station itself is similar to 75 St., with some fresh paint on the benches and touch-ups on the wall.

J Train - 75 St.-Elderts Ln. (Day 4, stop #183)

Out:  This neighborhood now feels a bit lower-class when compared to 85 St., but mostly pretty similar.  I stopped at a Chinese place for an egg roll, and there wasn’t any bulletproof glass separating me and the guy at the counter; this is a good sign of some semblance of public safety.  The neighborhood still looks pretty mixed, with black, white, Hispanic, and muslim South Asian presence.

In:  This station is similar to 85 St., with weird arrow-shaped artwork.  From the platform I took two photos of a big high school as well as a cemetery through a wire mesh at the end of the platform (see photos).

J Train - 85 St.-Forest Parkway (Day 4, stop #182)

Out:  This area looks predominantly white and Hispanic.  There is an asian nail place here, which I hadn’t seen in a while.  There are row houses with columns on the porches, either in white or brick; most are in OK condition, but not great.  There are plenty of families around, including one with a schizophrenic-looking mother, which is a little disturbing.  But all in all, Woodhaven looks to be a pretty decent middle-class neighborhood.

In: Similar to 104 St., with gap in middle of tracks and some strange shape-based artwork.

J Train - Woodhaven Blvd. (Day 4, stop #181)

Out: Woodhaven Blvd. is really wide here, ~10 lanes across, and is obviously a pretty major road.  There are lots of stores here, plenty of fast food, a Radio Shack, dental clinics, and a Colombia bakery, to name a few.  Ethnically it again seems quite mixed, including a decent number of white people.  The homes here are again two story, with a very slight amount of detachment.  In general, the area looks pleasant enough.

In: Very similar to 104 St., again with gap in middle of 2 tracks.