L Train - 3rd Ave. (Day 10, stop #448)

Out:  The stop here is right next to the Met Life building, which dominates the intersection.  An NYU dorm is another prominent feature here.  Most of the residential buildings here are large apartment towers, but there are some smaller four-story narrow brick apartment buildings on 14^th.  The neighborhood here is somewhat less hipster-ish, but still mostly white/Asian gentrified.  There is a mix of mom and pop stores, with Duane Reade-type places as well. This is definitely a wealthy and primarily residential area, even if not totally refined. 

In:  Similar to 1 Ave., but the mosaic tile border on the wall is blue with burgundy background for “3”.

L Train - 1st Ave. (Day 10, stop #447)

Out:  The buildings near here are a mix of three story apartments and the large apartment buildings of Stuyvesant Town (see photo).  

I can smell food grilling here from the nearby street car, and there are also plenty of small restaurants near here.  There are also a couple of fast food spots and the streets are a little dirty.  

The majority of people are white and look hipster-ish, not surprisingly.  There are a few Hispanic people who mostly seem to walking towards Alphabet City, to the east.  There are also some elderly folk wandering out of Stuy Town.  Even though this neighborhood has become thoroughly gentrified, it still retains a little bit of its former grittiness.

In:  The layout here is two opposing platforms and two tracks.  There is again an appealing tile mosaic station name, in the style of the L stops in Brooklyn, with a blue background and yellow/green border.  At the top of the walls there is a border of larger yellow/green tiles with a “1” on a blue background.  The tiles look pretty dirty for the most part, but the lighting is ok.  On the platform I run into Danielle’s friend Amanda, who is, perhaps  somewhat surprisingly, only the second person I know I’ve run into during this project.  There is no mezzanine at the station, just a small booth area right below the street, and there is no crossover.

L Train - Union Square (Day 10, stop #446)

Out:  See photos and description of 4/5/6 Trains - 14th St.

In:  The station here is similar to 6^th Ave., but the wall tiles are cleaner, and the mosaic tiling at the top of the wall has a “U”.  The color may be green and yellow, but it’s so dirty it’s hard to tell.  Upstairs is a large and expansive mezzanine which allows for transfer to the other trains here.

L Train - 6th Ave. (Day 10, stop #445)

Out:  See photos and description of F/V Trains - 14th St.

In:  The layout here is again one platform, two track, with trains in both directions.  The platform is fairly narrow, it’s dimly lit, the white tiles on the walls are dirty, and the back part of the platform smells of urine.  Up one flight in the middle of the platform it is possible to access the F/V trains, or there is also a transfer down a long tunnel to the 1/2/3 on 7^th Ave.  there is a green and yellow mosaic tile stripe with “6” at the top of the walls, and yellow metal columns on both sides of the platform.

L Train - 8th Ave. (Day 10, stop #444)

Out:  See photos and description of A/C/E Trains - 14th St.

In:  To get down to the platform, I must walk down long a staircase with metal steps, lit by harsh orange sodium lamps.  The layout here is one platform, two track with a tiled wall at the west end, as this is the last stop on the line.  The platform is quite wide and well-lit.  The columns here are covered with white tile and look new, as well as the white tiles on the wall, and the station has burgundy-colored tile accents.  There is a nice mosaic tile “8” within a tan and green stripe at the top of the wall; these tiles look like they have also recently been replaced or cleaned.

L Train - Bedford Ave. (Day 9, stop #397)

Out:  The buildings around are quite low-slung, and the people around are almost all hipsters of all ethnicities.  There are delis, a thrift store, and a pharmacy.  For some reason the atmosphere is both calm and active at the same time.  This might be helped by the impending sunset and the nice breeze blowing through the trees.  

There is still a Polish meat market here, but it’s clear that the neighborhood has changed significantly.  There are many upscale bars and restaurants nearby as well as lots of new construction (likely to be luxury rentals or condos).  There is a colorfully painted juice truck and lots of bikes parked on the street right by the stop (see photo); a sign of hipster-dom.

In:  The station here is a single platform with trains in both directions, and it’s dimly lit.  There are white tile walls, and some mosaic tiling at the top border.  The walls are pretty dirty from leaks, and greenish columns by the platform edge.  There isn’t really much of a mezzanine, but the booth is up a fairly long staircase.

L Train - Bushwick Av.-Aberdeen St. (Day 8, stop #343)

Out:  The area near the station is wide and empty.  There are car dealerships, closed garages, a deli, and some siding/brick houses.  There aren’t many people around, and I can’t really tell who lives here.  There’s plenty of traffic on Bushwick Ave.

In:  The station is now back underground.  There is a brown and yellow tile mosaic, both on the wall, and uniquely, in small colored tile lettering actually on the columns by the platform.  Also, the top border of the platform wall is more elaborate than usual.  The layout here is two opposed platforms and two tracks.  The mezzanine here is wide and spacious, and the station house is at street level.

L Train - Wilson Ave. (Day 8, stop #342)

Out:  The station here is at the dead end of Wilson Ave. where it hits the tracks.  The area is pretty quiet, with the main features being some small apartment buildings, some row houses with bay windows, and a school.  The area seems mostly black, with some Puerto Ricans, and possible a couple gentrifiers (all the way out here? Really?).  The houses are in brick or siding.  The only business right here is a deli, and there isn’t much else until a block or two away.  The neighborhood itself looks pretty rough, though, and there are some shady-looking guys hanging out on the stoop of some of the buildings.

In:  The Canarsie-bound station here is outdoors.  It’s in crappy condition, and the concrete walls have lots of peeling paint.  The platform smells of urine.  The platform is wide, with sea green metal on the side to support the awning.  There are no colorful tiles like at previous L stops.  As I leave to exit, I realize that the Manhattan-bound train is actually directly underneath the other track is not open to the outdoors.  This indoor portion also looks in pretty bad condition, though.  The station house is at street level here.

L Train - Halsey St. (Day 8, stop #341)

Out:  This area looks pretty industrial, with some low apartment buildings mixed in with some garages/light industry, a gas station, and parking lots.   There is also a random small motel, a diner, a bodega, and a Latin restaurant. There are a few white people around and some Hispanic, but not a ton of people overall; hard to tell who lives here and who just works here.  There may even be a little gentrification, but there isn’t much going on in general.

In:  This station is underground again, and looks similar to the previous L stops in Brooklyn.  There is a blue/yellow/green mosaic tile station name, and yellow metal columns by the edge of the platform.  The station is kind of dim, but not that bad.  The white tile is kind of dirty in places, and there is also a fair amount of peeling paint.

L Train - Myrtle Av.-Wyckoff Av. (Day 8, stop #333)

Out:  This intersection is busy, but largely non-descript.  There is Ridgewood Bingo (this stop is right on the border of that neighborhood in Queens), some delis, and low-slung houses in brick and siding.  The M tracks above let some light through onto the street.  The people outside seem mostly Hispanic, but there are a few Asian and Middle Eastern as well.  It seems that here the wave of gentrification along the L has finally ended.  Overall, the most interesting aspect of this intersection is the station itself.  It is situated at street level as a freestanding building.  It has a triangular shape, fitting the angular nature of the intersecting roads.  The station is partly covered in brown stone, but there is also green glass and a wavy metal façade on the side; I want to take some photos but there’s a cop outside and I don’t want to raise any suspicions so I don’t. It's a real shame as this is one of my favorite stations I've seen.

In:  Here the L stop only has one platform for trains going in both directions, but it’s still underground.  The platform area looks recently renovated, with tile floors and very clean walls.  The top half are all white tiles, while the bottom half is black.  There is mosaic tiling at the top of the wall with a red/grey/yellow stripe and an interspersed “M”.  There is no mosaic tile station name here.  The mezzanine here is long and narrow.  There is an escalator to the M train, which runs above ground on elevated tracks.  The roof above the escalator has skylights, allowing in some natural light, and there is also an impressive tile mural in the ceiling depicting trees and butterflies.

L Train - DeKalb Ave. (Day 8, stop #332)

Out:  This is a busier commercial stretch here, and the area seems more Hispanic.  I can smell food frying from the street, there are Puerto Rican flags flying, and a guy selling shaved ice on the corner.  There are plenty of small businesses, many with Spanish-sounding names.  There’s a Mexican music store, restaurant, and deli.  This area is definitely more residential than the previous stops, with brick row houses and small 3-4 story apartment buildings.  

There is also a small hospital affiliated with Cornell.  I don’t see many white people except for hospital staff, but there are still some fancy looking new loft apartments (called the “L Lofts”, after the train) as well as other older buildings with “Loft for Rent” signs.  Thus, I would guess that gentrification is even extending out to this stop, too.

In:  The same layout as previous L stops.  There is blue and green mosaic tiling on the signs, and yellow, blue, and green tiling at the top.  There are yellow-brick type tiles lining the exit, and blue metal columns.

L Train - Jefferson St. (Day 8, stop #331)

Out:  Exit at Jefferson St. and Wyckoff Ave.  The area here is still very industrial.  The streets are quite empty, and most of the surrounding buildings are factories or warehouses.  

The only people around here seem like they work at one of the industrial establishments; hard to tell who lives around here.  There are no small businesses on Jefferson.  I walk a couple blocks over to Starr Ave, and here there is a Mexican restaurant, a semi-upscale place called “Northeast Kingdom”, and a coffee shop serving tattooned hipsters.  

So I guess gentrification has even made it all the way over here; I didn’t know.  On Wyckoff there are a lot of body shop and half torn-up cars parked outside, helping to enhance the industrial feeling.  I did manage to find a few row houses in brown brick around (see photo), but there definitely is not much residential property near the stop.

In:  Similar to other L stations, with blue metal columns by the platform edge.  The mosaic tiling here has a brown and blue background with a yellow border.  The top border of the walls have yellow, blue, and brown mixed.

L Train - Morgan Ave. (Day 8, stop #330)

Out:  This intersection in Bushwick is definitely pretty empty, with primarily industrial installations, factories, and warehouses.  

The are looks mostly black and Hispanic still, but I still find some gentrifiers around (including one hip-looking Japanese guy).  There are not many typical businesses around, just a few three-story attached houses in siding and some empty lots.

In:  The mosaic tiling for the station name is in brown, yellow, and orange.  The columns by the platform are covering in white tiling, and they also say “Morgan Ave.” in a unique small-tile pattern.  There’s a long tunnel to the exit at Harrison Pl. and Morgan Ave.

L Train - Montrose Ave. (Day 8, stop #329)

Out:  The streets here are quite dusty, in the process of repaving.  There are not many people around, but the area seems to be mostly black or Hispanic, with a surprising number of gentrifiers.  The places around are pretty industrial, with a fuel oil place, mattress store, and a pizzeria, but not many other establishments.  Nearby there are some low-slung houses with some bigger apartment blocks in the distance.  

Many of the buildings look to be on the decrepit side.  I did manage to see a Loco Burrito here, one of the few eating establishments, and got some decent lunch at this Brooklyn chain.

In:  Similar to Grand St.  There is elaborate tiling on the “Montrose Ave.” sign on the wall, with a purple and red background and yellow border.  The top border of the wall has turquoise, purple, and yellow tiling.  The station is a bit dirty and dim, though.

L Train - Grand St. (Day 8, stop #328)

Out: Exit here at corner of Grand and Bushwick Ave. The neighborhood here now looks a bit rougher, and it is definitely less gentrified (even though there are still a few white people around). There are a bunch of black and Hispanic teenagers around, as well as some thuggish-looking Asian kids. The houses are mostly small brick apartment buildings.

There is an ugly brown school, some buildings with siding, a fish market, and an old bank building now converted.

There’s also a “Latin Cuisine” restaurant trying to look fancy, but it’s mostly failing. Not a whole ton to see here.

In: The layout is similar to the previous two stops. Now the mosaic tile border is brown and green, and the tile mosaic station sign has a blue background. The station is not that clean, and there are no columns by the platform again.

L - Graham Ave. (Day 8, stop #327)

Out:  This area is still pretty gentrified, with a good number of hipsters around.  However, there is more of a ethnic mix with more Hispanic and some black here, as well as non-gentrifier white/European people.  Across the street from the stop, there is the OTB with its usual crowd of grizzled old guys (see photo).  

There are also a couple delis, a grocery, a burrito joint, and a back and foot rub place.  The area here seems pretty residential and does not look shady at all.  Some of the stores look like they are slightly upmarket, and there are also a couple of newer bars/restaurants nearby.  Almost all the housing is only a few stories, with attached homes covered in siding or brick.

In:  The layout here is again two platform, two track.  There is white tile on the walls, and it’s not as clean as Lorimer.  There are no columns by the platform edge, and the platform is quite narrow.  Again the mosaic tile station sign, in blue, looks very attractive.  The top of the walls have mosaic tile borders in brown and blue with a “G”.  The exit stairs have large grey tile flooring.

L Train - Lorimer St. (Day 8, stop #326)

Out:  I walk over to Metropolitan and Lorimer to get on the L from the G exit at Metropolitan and Union.  At this intersection, not surprisingly, it looks pretty similar with plenty of hipster-ish bars and other establishments.  The housing is mostly row houses with strange wooden-style shingles (see photo).  

I also grabbed a roast pork bun from a cheap Chinese place here (not a full lunch, but it’ll do for now).

In:  The layout here is two platform, two track with white tiles on the walls and brown mosaic tiling on the upper borders of the walls.  There is an elegant mosaic tile station name in brown as well, in a font that I only see on the L train.  There are green metal columns by the platform edge.  The station looks pretty clean overall.

L Train - Atlantic Ave. (Day 4, stop #196)

Out: All I can see here are big roads, on ramps, and the LIRR tracks. However, from the platform I do get a great view of this part of Brooklyn and overall picture of the surrounding squalor. This includes plenty of razor wire, abandoned apartments, run-down row houses, a few big dudes on the street, and warehouses. However, there is a Quality Inn being built right by here, for some reason totally unbeknownst to me. There are also a couple of newer-looking apartments visible as well as one nice church. Since there’s no one else around I took a couple photos of the surroundings in the fading light.

In: This station really creeps me out, but in a different way than Livonia Ave. It has a complete maze of exits, it’s unrenovated, and there is no one else either coming or going from the train. There are long tunnels to get outside, but the booth agent can’t really see anything that’s happening in the station. Plenty of place for someone to lurk around in here…I’m definitely a bit nervous walking through it. Plus it smells bad and there are lots of leaks, and the paint is peeling both inside the station as well as on the awning over the platform. Clearly the L train past Broadway Junction is not a place I will want to return to. The platform itself has one platform and two tracks, so there are no walls and a good view outside. Next to the functional tracks, there are also two other tracks and one platform which are clearly abandoned and not in use.

L Train - Sutter Ave. (Day 4, stop #195)

Out:  At the intersection of Sutter and Van Sinderen Aves.  The area here is still pretty empty, but at the corner there’s a deli, three new two-family houses, and two renovated row houses.  Other than that, I can see the tracks for another train, a furniture store, and a pipe distribution company.  There are also some shady back alleys, but at least the stop doesn’t open onto them like at Livonia Ave.  I can see some housing complexes that look like projects about a block away.  Ethnically the neighborhood looks mostly black.

In:  This station is now higher above the street, and I need to descend a few flights to get to the street.  The station house is small but is in good shape and appears recently renovated.

L Train - Livonia Ave. (Day 4, stop #194)

Out:  This is the scariest station I encounter on all my journeys.  The small station house opens directly onto a tiny back alley.  I can see a few kids playing ball about three blocks away, but otherwise there are no living souls around.  To one side there are some empty lots, and to the other are stacked, graffiti-ed up shipping containers.  I can’t see any houses or any businesses.  I get back on the train real quick…I feel like I could get murdered out here and no one would hear me scream.

In:  The station is similar to New Lots Ave. in general.  The station here crosses right under the tracks for the 3 train.  It’s actually possible to take a really long catwalk and walk over to the Junius St. stop, but I’m definitely not about to do that (also it’s not a free transfer, plus I would like to make it back to Manhattan alive).