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/M/Z Trains - Essex St. (Day 1, stop #48)

Out:  At this intersection there is plenty of auto traffic looking to cross the Williamsburg Bridge, which is directly to the east.  

Many of the buildings at this intersection look a bit run down, and there are some large parking lots on the southeast corner of the intersection.  

However, there are also a couple of new high-rise condo buildings going up, indicating how much this neighborhood has gentrified.  The people here are quite mixed, with plenty of Puerto Rican, black, and asian (presumably Chinese).  There are also a decent number of gentrifier/hipsters around here, but maybe not as many as one would expect at 7:30 p.m. on a weeknight.

In:  1 platform, 2 track layout.  The platform here is narrow and very crowded, with people going in both directions.  There is a narrow staircase going down in the middle of the platform with connection to the F platform.  The station is in good condition with mosaic station name on brown background tiles and some greek-pattern mosaic tile border in yellow.

J/M/Z Trains - Bowery (Day 1, stop #47)

Out:  The exit here is directly in front of the Bowery Ballroom.  

The streets here feel surprisingly desolate, but the people around are mostly white & hipster…probably because they’re going to a show at Bowery.  There is definitely a smell of dirt and seafood that is reminiscent of Chinatown, and the numerous lighting stores surviving on Bowery are a reminder of what this neighborhood was once famous for.  

This corner, at least, still looks to be avoiding the onrushing tide of gentrification in Lower Manhattan.

 In:  1 platform here with two tracks, one unused.  The tiles on the wall and dirty and falling off the walls in many places.  There is a tile wall separating this platform from the other platform in the other direction.  The mezzanine is accessed by an escalator as the platform is quite far underground.  There are red metal columns by the platform edge and small brown mosaic tile stripes on the side walls with “Bowery” or “B” interspersed.

J/M/Z Trains - Canal St. (Day 1, stop #46)

Out:  The craziness of Chinatown!  The sidewalks are extremely crowded with a mix of Chinese, tourists, and New Yorkers of all stripes.  

The streets are dirty and noisy, as per usual.  There are many stands selling street food and produce, and plenty of small stalls selling the usual Chinatown fake/crappy merchandise.  

Here I saw a little kid with his pants pulled down peeing on a trash can on the side of Canal St.  Trying to make it as third world as possible, I suppose.

In:  One narrow platform with trains in both directions here, with a narrow staircase in the middle to access the exit.  The station area is dirty & poorly lit.  The columns by the platform edge are tiled in white with some mosaic tile bordering.

J/M/Z Trains - Chambers St. (Day 1, stop #45)

Out:  The scene here feels quite overarching, as the borough of Manhattan building towers directly above the subway entrance and instills a sense of awe in the onlooker.

City Hall Park is directly across the street and sets up a great street scene, with the vegetation of the park offset by the other large buildings directly adjacent to it.  

There is plenty of auto traffic going towards the bridge, but not too much foot traffic as it is a quite a bit past government working hours.

In:  This station is very cavernous, with four platforms and four tracks.  The lighting here is poor and the tiles & concrete floors are dirty.  The outer two platforms are abandoned and look to be covered with years’ worth of dirt.  The ceiling is very high, at least, and the station is not as hot as many other ones around here.  The paint everywhere is peeling and the station itself seems quite ancient.  On the mezzanine there are some painted tile murals.  The entrance the station is a five stairways wide and directly under the borough hall.

J/M/Z trains - Fulton St.-Broadway-Nassau (Day 1, stop #44)

Out: The buildings at this intersection are mostly squat and old-looking.  The alleys and streets here are narrow and both the auto traffic and pedestrians must fight to get through.  

It is not ridiculously crowded as it is a bit past the peak of rush hour at this point, but there are still plenty of workers getting out of the office.  The crowd again is quite mixed in terms of race.

In:  This station is also in quite good condition, with a similar color scheme to Broad St., with new tiling and bright lighting.  The uptown and downtown platforms are on two levels, with one track and one platform on each level.  The far wall is tiled in white with a tan tile stripe.  Font on mosaic station names here has serifs and is not as blocky as those on 1 line.  Access is limited by a confusing crossover involving some of the labyrinthine tunnels of the Fulton St.-Broadway/Nassau station.

J/M/Z Trains - Broad St. (Day 1, stop #43)

Out: The station here is directly outside the New York Stock Exchange building.  The façade of the NYSE is covered by an enormous American flag and the building itself is protected by large automobile barricades.  

At this corner there is also the Federal Hall National Memorial, another impressive 19^th-century looking building of marble.  

The people here are a mix of tourists and financial workers of all races.  Definitely many more South Asians here than I noticed anywhere else so far.

In:  The station is well-lit, the tiles are clean, and the uptown platform is very wide and spacious.  The tiling inside is well-maintained and seems fairly new.  The color scheme is tan and green on the walls with “B” interspersed in the tiling.  There are red metal columns by the platform edge.  The layout is 2 track, 2 platform.  The Brooklyn-bound platform is only open during rush hours, when the M continues to Bay Parkway.