Woodside is one of four interchange points between the LIRR and the #7 subway line, and in terms of accessibility is arguably the best one. That doesn’t mean it’s good, however (I mean it is…), but it’s not bad by any means. With that, welcome to Woodside.
The #7 platforms have countdown clocks, signage, benches, wastebaskets, the usual affair you’d expect for an express station. I am not, however, factoring construction-related weirdness (the other island platform was shuttered due to structural work on the viaduct). However, the entire station was pretty much Oops! All Blue Construction Walls! once you got into the station concourse between the LIRR and the #7 line. However, down here, you have elevators up to the platforms, down to street level, OMNY machines, and LIRR ticketing machines. I think there may have also been a ticket office here, I’m not sure if the station is staffed both for the LIRR and the subway, or just the subway. Nevertheless, there is MTA personnel here as with most subway stations. The LIRR platforms have departure boards (there is also one in the station mezzanine), benches, the usual stuff. It’s also an actually pretty decent spot for railfanning the LIRR, if that’s your thing, especially at rush hour, as you have both Port Washington traffic, along with Main Line traffic and, at rush hour, traffic going in/out of Long Island City (& Hunterspoint Avenue). Overall though, not a bad station!
The good: It serves both the #7 line and the LIRR pretty well, with a decent amount of electric service (every Port Washington train, plus about half of the trains between Jamaica and Midtown). There used to be a diesel train that stopped here (what is now train #44 to Speonk), but it became a Penn Station-Jamaica express back in 2023. There’s also the #7 line as redundancy for both the innermost section of the Port Washington Line, and for redundant service to Grand Central. It’s also accessible, and located pretty much in the heart of Woodside. Also, it’s staffed, which is rather rare for a LIRR station. (the only other staffed stations in the city are Atlantic Terminal, Jamaica, Penn Station, and Grand Central). There’s also a bus connection to LaGuardia via the Q70-SBS (which is functionally just a LaGuardia express bus)
The bad: The construction, mainly. That’s really it.
Nearby points of interest: Woodside, as a neighborhood, is mainly residential. However, your main commercial corridors are Woodside Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue. There’s the odd cafe, bar, and locally-owned restaurant on top of the likes of Jollibee and Baskin-Robbins. As with most of the #7 subway line and its reputation for being culturally diverse, you will probably be able to source a meal from different cultures pretty easily around here.
Transit connections:
LIRR (Port Washington, Hempstead, West Hempstead, Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma, Far Rockaway, Babylon, Long Beach)
MTA subway (Line #7)
MTA bus (Q18, Q32, Q53-SBS, Q70-SBS)
Overall, it’s actually a pretty good station, even with construction everywhere. It’s also a useful connection between the LIRR and the subway, and in that regard easily one of the best stations for making that transfer. It’s also a good spot for railfanning, and shoutout to the Woodside live camera that questionably still exists.
Rating: 9/10
