Or, “Beach 105th St.-Seaside”. This is the least-used station on the entire MTA subway system, so let’s look at it!
Throughout most of the day, this station is served either only by the Rockaway shuttle to either Beach 116th or to Broad Channel. However, at street level, you also have the Q22 to the LIRR and the QM16 to Midtown, and if you come by at the right time, you’ll also find school tripper Q11s (which, for reference, normal Q11s terminate in Hamilton Beach). The station itself has your standard amenities and even has an OMNY machine, however the land use is not the greatest. Yes, you have a beach within a 5 minute walk on one side, but you also have a wastewater treatment plant right next door. There’s also a ferry dock somewhat close by, a school, and some high rises. Neat!
The good: It exists and serves nearby beaches and high-rise developments! There’s also a ferry terminal nearby. Land use surprisingly isn’t as terrible as I expected it to be.
The bad: YUCK. IT REALLY SMELLS HORRID THOUGH. *vomits from wastewater scent*. Also, it’s not accessible.
Nearby points of interest: The beach, high rises, the wastewater treatment plant, and a school mainly.
Transit connections:
Rockaway Shuttle (aka the IND shuttle)
8th Ave. (A, limited service)
MTA bus (Q11 school trippers, Q22, QM16)
Overall, while it’s clear that it’s the least-used subway station, it’s surprisingly not as terrible as I was expecting. And, despite that, it very much does have a use case – even if other adjacent stations fill that use better. It does kinda stink though.
Rating: 6.5/10
