Public Transit – Chelsea's Corner

61st St.-Woodside (Line #7, LIRR)

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!

Another shot of the tracks, looking towards Manhattan!

Construction passageway to the ticketing booth

DM30AC #501 leading a Montauk train into Penn Station

C3 cab car leading a Port Jeff train to L.I. City!

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

Little Neck (LIRR)

Little Neck is a LIRR station located in the rather quiet Queens neigborhood bearing the same name. Located on the Port Washington Line, this station is a little unusual vs. all the others. Let’s look at it.

First off, I have to give a shoutout to the ride out here. Beautiful ride, especially as the line curves around Little Neck Bay. As for the station itself, the station consists of two high-level platforms that are approximately 10 cars long. Rather unusually, the station is also located at a grade crossing, and one with extra protection at that (quad-gated!). Why? Well, my guess is that the neighbors complained enough to get the LIRR to get permission to protect the crossing enough and put up “NO TRAIN HORN” signage. The station house is nice, and was open when I was here (at around 11am on a weekday), however the HVAC was out of service. Not pleasant when it’s 100 degrees outside! As for outside, the inbound platform has a decent amount of shade. Outbound? Not so much. There’s also a pedestrian bridge that isn’t accessible. As for the amenities, you have your usual LIRR affair (shelter, ticket machines, benches, departure boards, etc.). There’s also a bus connection at 40th Avenue, being the Q36 to Jamaica via Bellerose and Hillside Avenue. That runs every 30 minutes or so on weekdays. Overall though, not a bad station.

The rather toasty station house (on a 100 degree day no less…)

The good: It exists, and serves the local neighborhood and eastern Queens (which is surprisingly rather car-centric!). It’s also accessible and has an open station house, and even a bus connection.

The bad: The damn gates (do NOT try beating the gates!). Also, the pedestrian bridge being inaccessible is a tad annoying.

Nearby points of interest: By and large, housing. I guess there’s a water treatment plant nearby too? The main commercial strip is Northern Boulevard, which is a bit of a hike away.

Transit connections:
LIRR (Port Washington)
MTA bus (Q36)

Overall, it’s not a bad station. It’s a bit unusual, but not in a bad way. Also, shoutout to the video Sammymarrco made of this place. Strongly suggest giving it a watch.

Rating: 8/10

Franklin Ave. (Line C, FAS)

Alrighty, after a one month hiatus from the blog to recover from burnout and life circumstances, I have finally returned. And with that, is Franklin Ave. & Fulton Street. Sweet! Located questionably in Crown Heights (this is disputed), this local station serves both an IND line (the C) and the BMT shuttle.

The shuttle platform has a countdown clock, canopy, and the usual amenities. Not a lot to say, it’s short (2 cars). Gets the job done, and it’s accessible. It’s also above street level on an embankment, and as such there’s a walkway connecting to the IND section of the station.

The coveted grey S. (it is not, in fact, coveted)

Stairs to the Manhattan-bound C platform (& elevator)

The mezzanine is nothing to remark about, with the usual amenities and whatnot. The IND platforms are also pretty standard, with the C stopping here whenever it’s running, and the A taking its stead overnights. However, there’s something different about these platforms! Above the IND tiling are stickers that resemble standard MTA signage, reading “Respect”. So, what the hell does this have anything to do with this (or Franklin St. on the #1 line, for that matter)?

Well, I’ll tell you what: it actually comes back to late Aretha Franklin, known as the “Queen of Soul”. The story goes that passengers and members of the community put up makeshift memorials on the walls of these two stations honoring the then-ill singer in 2018, only for the MTA to then remove it. Presumably, after facing backlash from the community, the MTA then turned around and put up stickers memorializing Franklin in the stations resembling actual MTA signage. Now, I don’t know entirely how “Respect” ties into it as I’m not familiar with her works, but nevertheless, it remains a notable part of the subway.

Now, with that in mind, is there anything else notable about the station that I overlooked? Not really. Overall, not an awful station, and it’s a bit unique in a way, owing to the memorializing of Franklin.

The good: It’s accessible and has connections to both the shuttle and the IND! Furthermore, the fact there’s something memorializing Aretha Franklin is cool. Also, the skyline view of downtown Brooklyn from the overpass is cool, too.

The bad: The transfer between the C and shuttle is a bit lengthy, but whatever.

Nearby points of interest: A few playgrounds, a supermarket, a mosque, a church, and a few restaurants and bars. Fulton Street itself is a bit of a commercial corridor.

Transit connections:
MTA subway (Lines C, FAS)
MTA bus (B25, B48)

Overall, it’s not a bad station, and is a little unique among the others.

Rating: 8/10

Riverfront Stadium (NLR)

Riverfront Stadium was a baseball stadium built for Newark’s Atlantic League baseball team. Unfortunately, it was torn down in 2019, and there lies absolutely NOTHING here.

The station consists of a hunk of concrete, a sign, another sign that tells you HOW to pay your fare (yikes!), and an emergency call point. That’s it. That’s the whole station. At this point, just walk to Broad Street. There isn’t even a saving grace for this sorry excuse of a station.

I’m almost certain this was taken at Broad Street instead of Riverfront Stadium, but I have to pad out the photo count somehow.

The good:

The bad: Existence.

Nearby points of interest: Broad Street Station and Atlantic Street Station.

Transit connections:
NJT (Newark Light Rail)

Overall, this station should not exist.

Rating: 0.25/10

Atlantic Terminal (Lines 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R, LIRR)

Atlantic Terminal is one of the four terminals of the LIRR within NYC city limits (Far Rockaway notwithstanding). Located in Downtown Brooklyn, the station lies underneath both the namesake Atlantic Terminal Mall, and also the Barclays Center- which, notably, is home of the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA, as well as the New York Liberty of the WNBA (remember the women). With that in mind, and with this being the heart of Brooklyn, let’s dig into this station.

The LIRR section of the station isn’t too crazy, with a handful of platforms. For most times, the station is served by a shuttle train running between here and Jamaica Station in Queens. However, you can also catch an odd West Hempstead train, or at rush hours a train heading all the way towards Babylon or Far Rockaway. The platforms themselves aren’t that crazy. However, the concourse is also relatively small – even if it’s (surprisingly, and if memory serves) staffed. There is, however, a physical connection to the Atlantic Terminal Mall here, as well as the IRT lines! Neat!

Some of the subway entrances retain their original designs (which actually looks cool!), with one such entrance being found on Hanson Place near Flatbush Avenue. Going down this one will bring you to the platforms for the B/Q, and the 2/3/4/5. Notably missing was the DNR platform – which was HELL to find. The platforms themselves look as you’d expect: tiling, usual amenities, but nothing too crazy. I really did hate finding the DNR platforms though. I mean, eventually I did. And, after finding the DNR and photographing it as needed for this blog entry, I made my way back to the BQ platform, and after witnessing someone careening down the stairs on a bicycle (ouch!), I hopped on the Q and proceeded to the BMT shuttle. Overall, nothing insane.

I sure would hate to come careening down these stairs…

The good: It gives Downtown Brooklyn a direct connection to the LIRR network. Furthermore, it’s one stop short of the heart of the BMT (DeKalb), even though arguably this is more important as more BMT lines serve here. It’s also got direct access to both a mall and a sports arena. Neat!

The bad: Trying to find the right passage from the BQ to the DNR can be very tricky.

Nearby points of interest: You may see signs that say “BAM!” on them. That’s actually just the Brooklyn Academy of Music. There’s also the Atlantic Terminal Mall and the Barclays Center, a state DMV branch, and an Apple Store.

Transit connections:
LIRR (Brooklyn Shuttle, West Hempstead, Far Rockaway, Babylon, Hempstead)
7th Ave. IRT (Lines 2, 3)
Lexington Ave. IRT (Lines 4, 5)
Broadway BMT (Lines N, Q, R)
6th Ave. IND (Lines B, D)
MTA bus (B41, B45, B63, B65, B67, B103)

Overall, it’s not too awful a station, but it’s one that’s REALLY annoying to navigate. Yuck. I’d argue this is even worse than Penn Station on that front.

Rating: 6.5/10

14th St.-Union Square (Lines 4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)

On this day in 2022, Union Square station opened up, serving the D- oh, wait, wrong station? Oh, ohhhh, this is FOURTEENTH STREET on the IRT and BMT! Okay, I get it now!

So, Union Square is located under its namesake park, and serves both the IRT (the #s 4, 5, and 6 lines) and the BMT (L, N, Q, R, and W) lines. As such, it’s also a transfer point between the IRT and BMT lines. Let’s look at it.

The IRT section is an express stop (serving both the 4 and 5, along with the 6) and is rather unique. While it isn’t accessible, the tracks are curved going into the station, and even considerably inside the station itself. This means the platforms need gap fillers and a reminder that, to sum up the British, one has to MIND THE GAP. Otherwise, it’s standard for an inaccessible express station. Nothing to remark otherwise aside from the coolness factor of a severely curved platform. But, no seriously, mind the gap please.

Moving on to the BMT platforms, they’re both normal. Nothing special. Both are accessible, have the usual amenities, and whatnot. This is a local stop (as are all stops) on the L (Canarsie/14th St.) line, and an express stop on the NQRW (Broadway) lines. Furthermore, there’s OMNY machines and a staffed booth in the mezzanine, and you even have some shops outside fare control. Neat! There’s even a rather cool-looking headhouse in Union Square Park itself. Did I also mention there’s a lot of buses here, too? Many of which happen to be useful as well?

One more uptown IRT shot for good measure.

The rather normal BMT express platform for the NQRW

Transgender representation? In MY Union Square?! APPROVED.

The good: It’s a REALLY busy station, with both a number of local and express buses, along with the 4/5/6 lines, the L line, and the NQRW lines as well. It’s located right on the borderland of what’s generally considered “lower Manhattan” and “not lower Manhattan” (14th St. itself is generally seen as the cutoff, from what I could find). Also, it’s the 4th-busiest station on the entire system. For context, the other top 3 (Times Square, Grand Central, and Herald Square) have also been covered here.

The bad: The only real stinker is the IRT platforms being inaccessible. That’s actually kinda scary, considering this is the 4th-busiest station on the entire system.

Nearby points of interest: Union Square Park, various shops and restaurants, and the obvious case of housing. I will note though, I did get the impression most restaurants nearby aren’t exactly affordable to a more normal person like myself. There is also a holiday market, from what I was told, if you happen to be in the area during the Christmas shopping craze. There’s even a farmers’ market!

Transit connections: Oh boy, this one’s a doozy.
Lexington Ave. (4, 5, 6)
BMT Broadway (N, Q, R, W)
Canarsie/14th St. (L)
MTA bus (M1, M2, M3, M14A-SBS, M14D-SBS, SIM1C, SIM3C, SIM4C, SIM7, SIM9, SIM33, SIM33C, X27, X28)

Overall, for usability, it’s a very important station, and the adjacent park is kinda nice too! It’s kinda scary how it’s not accessible despite being up there in the top 10 most-used stations system-wide though.

Rating: 9.5/10

Forest Hills-71st Ave. (Lines E, F, M, R)

Wait, didn’t I already cover Forest Hills? Well, yes, but not in NYC. And, there’s a second station here also carrying the name – albeit that one is served by the LIRR. That one is coming a little later, as today’s focus is the subway.

So, the M/R both terminate here, and historically the G has also terminated here (but not since, iirc, 2010). However, the station is your standard express configuration with two islands. The platform is pretty standard with benches and clocks and whatnot. As for the track layout, there’s a big mess of crossovers spanning two levels beyond the station, with the upper level primarily being used for continuing trains (the E to Parsons Blvd. and the F to 179th Street), and the lower level being used for access to Jamaica Yard (primarily supplying service to the E, F, and R lines). It’s oftentimes said that this station also kinda sucks as a terminal, but I don’t know enough about NYC terminal ops to make a judgement call on that. As for the mezzanine, it’s your standard affair for the IND. There’s also the LIRR a stone’s throw away. Neat! It’s also an accessible station. From here, the next stop outbound is Kew Gardens on the E and 75th Avenue on the F.

Welcome to Forest Hills! (also Queens Blvd. is wide as hell)

EXPRESS BUSES?! why would anyone take them from here when the subway exists?!

The good: It’s accessible, and has a good amount of transit connections!

The bad: The station really sucks as a terminal! (as far as I understand, anyways – and I’m inclined to believe this given my experiences with signal issues!) But also, Queens Blvd. itself is wide as hell. That isn’t good! If you don’t know what exit to take, you may have to hail Mary across it to reach the LIRR! Yikes!

Nearby points of interest: There’s ..a tennis stadium???? But also, shopping, housing, and what looks like a very wealthy neighborhood.

Transit connections:
BMT-Broadway (R)
IND-6th Ave. (F, M)
IND-8th Ave. (E)
MTA bus (Q23, Q60, Q64, Q74, QM4, QM11, QM12, QM18, QM42, QM44)

Overall, the station itself is pretty normal, and there isn’t a lot to remark about. Yet another standard IND station.

Rating: 7/10

Radnor (Norristown HSL)

Radnor is a station on the weird mode of transit known as the Norristown High Speed Line (or the M). It’s located in Radnor Township off King of Prussia Rd., in suburbia. Let’s look at it.

What ya see is what ya get. This is it. The whole station.

The station consists of an inaccessible footbridge, a shelter with a bench and wastebaskets, and even some parking. Is there anything else? No? Cool. That’s it. That’s the whole station. Well, aside from a bus connection on King of Prussia Road, but that’s it.

Towards Norristown – this feels actually a little rural…

The good: It exists? It can theoretically be a park & ride?

The bad: It’s inaccessible (except on the inbound side?) and it’s also stupid close to a number of other stations. The connection to Regional Rail(TM) is also not convenient – yet in spite of this rather major shortcoming, Regional Rail(TM) STILL is more accessible than this rinky dinky little station.

Nearby points of interest: An office park and Radnor High School, I guess? If you walk a little further (per Ranya), you can get to Micro Center!

Transit connections:
Norristown HSL
SEPTA bus (106)

Overall, this station blows.

Rating: 3.5/10

West 4th St.-Washington Square (Lines A, B, C, D, E, F, M)

Ah, W. 4th, or I guess operationally, the heart of the IND network. (as all the ex-IND lines aside from the G and the far-flung shuttle converge here). So, surely this would have to be some big, grandiose station, right? Well…

The station is located along 6th Avenue, spanning between West 3rd and West 8th Streets, and is REALLY close to PATH’s 9th St. station. With that in mind, and with this being the beating heart of the IND (if something goes wrong here e.g. a switch or signal dies, then the entire IND network is functionally knocked out – essentially, the IND’s version of DeKalb. I could not find a comparison for the ex-IRT lines), surely it is grand, no?

WRONG! It’s just about as standard of an express IND station as one can get. I mean, you have elevators. And, the layout is unique with the mezzanine sandwiched between the ACE above and the BDFM below. This is also the point of no return for trains that need to be re-routed (e.g. E via F, or D via A) before meeting back up with their respective original routes. But, for the platform, it’s standard with all the amenities. Sometimes, it might reek of piss though, however out of the handful of times I actually used this station, I have not encountered such a problem. But, sometimes, being a normal station, if important, is a good thing.

The good: It’s literally the heart of the IND. Every IND line converges here except for the G and the shuttle, and it’s got various buses as well. Furthermore, it’s in a pretty lively part of Manhattan that isn’t as swarming with tourists (but I’d argue is still worth visiting as one, as a personal suggestion). It’s also accessible!

The bad: I mean, it blends in with the rest of the IND, but that isn’t always bad. Its’ importance as the heart of the IND network means one failiure here and the A/B/C/D/E/F/M are handicapped severely. (or in the case of the F, rerouted via the G sometimes). It’s important but fragile as far as infrastructure goes.

Nearby points of interest: Many of the same places as noted on the 9th St. PATH entry, and for Christopher Street apply here too, however this station is a little closer to NYU than 8th St. is on the BMT. Furthermore, you have Washington Square Park, various entertainment venues, and whatnot.

Transit connections:
8th Ave. IND (lines A, C, E)
6th Ave. IND (lines B, D, F, M)
MTA bus (M8, M55, SIM7, SIM33, SIM33C, X27, X28)
At 9th St.: PATH (JSQ-33, HOB-33)

Overall, it’s not a bad station. I’d probably give it an average-ish score that I give to stations that aren’t awful, but don’t have much to remark. But, this is one case where its usefulness elevates the score a bit.

Rating: 8/10

Douglaston (LIRR)

Douglaston is a station on the Port Washington Line of the LIRR located in eastern Queens, in the Douglaston neighborhood. Let’s take a look at it.

My train here was running a bit late because of the hordes of passengers that got on at both Woodside and Mets-Willett Point (there was a Mets game that night), rendering the train to both be nearly crush-load for a little bit AND for a 12-car set to be used (which cannot platform fully pretty much anywhere on the line aside from Woodside and Penn Station/Grand Central Terminal). As for the station itself, you have a station house (which was surprisingly open at the hour I was here – 11pm?!), level boarding, ticketing machines, a shelter to wait in outside the station house, and even a kiss & ride on each side. As for land use, it’s eastern Queens. You have a small and relatively low density business district around the station. As for accessibility, while the station is accessible, one has to go around and cross via Douglaston Parkway for step-free crossovers. Which can take a while (about 10 minutes, measuring it out). Yikes. Overall though, not a bad station!

If it weren’t for the fact this neighborhood is largely dead at 11pm, this would be sketchy.

The good: It serves the local neighborhood and is (technically) accessible! Also, service to Manhattan is rather frequent being half-hourly! There’s also a station house that’s open during most hours (seemingly), which can’t be said for most stations I’ve reviewed here.

The bad: WHY IS THERE NO RAMP GOING UNDER THE TRACKS?! DOES THE LIRR HATE ACCESSIBILITY ON THIS LINE OR SOMETHING?!

Nearby points of interest: there’s a whole mini-downtown area here! There’s also a school, a church, and the Allen-Beville House.

Transit connections:
LIRR (Port Washington)
MTA bus (on Rt. 25A) (Q12)

Overall, it’s not a bad station, and the area around it is kinda nice. If anything, I should probably come back during the daytime and check some stuff out.

Rating: 7.5/10