For photos please see www nycsubway.org

Some Art description taken from the MTA web site

For a description of the stations between 121^st and 168^th Streets see the JJ Train Page

Parsons/Archer Jamaica Center Opened 12/11/1988 this station sits at the central hub of Downtown Jamaica and is the terminus of both E and J/Z trains. The station was not intended to be a terminal, as a late 1960’s MTA master plan show the lines were planned to extend down Merrick Blvd, towards either Springfield Gardens or JFK Airport. The plans were cut short and construction was halted, during the 70’s fiscal crisis. Noting the overburdened 169^th Street/Hillside Ave station, which this station is inadequate to accommodate crowds through narrow staircases, the first 2 MTA Capital Programs helped put Jamaica Center and 2 other stations on the subway map. It also ensured the J line’s presence into the 21^st Century, as it was being cut back from 168^th Street to 121^st Street on 2 separate occasions, the first due to a fire that gutted part of the 168^th Street, the other to allow a new track connection to take place. The current terminal station has 2 levels and is fully ADA accessible. The upper level is for E trains, while the lower level is for J/Z trains. Neither level has track connections from one level to another, although it is possible to run a train from one level, through Manhattan, and come back to Jamaica Center on the other level. Each level is 2 tracks and 2 island platforms/ Fulltime side has 1 wide set of street stairs, 2 escalators, one on each side on Archer Ave, an elevator, newsstand, 1 escalator and stair to upper level, 2 escalators directly to lower level from mezzanine, and one elevator from mezzanine to both platform levels. The elevator and south escalator leads to an outdoor intermodal bus terminal which serves several NYCT bus routes to most of southeastern Queens and one LI Bus line (Route N4) to Freeport, Long Island. Many other bus routes from various companies are a short walk away from this station. The Part time side at 153^rd Street has 3 street stairs, one escalator to the same bus terminal, 1 set of escalators to each level from the mezzanine area, and 1 staircase from upper to lower level.

According to the MTA Web Site "... Sam Gilliam. Jamaica Center Station Riders, Blue, 1991.Painted aluminum sculpture on wall above entrance. The wall sculpture consists of two elements, a large ellipse and an armature that holds it, constructed of aluminum plate with deep welds. Gilliam's has long been interested in sculptural and theatrical work that interacts with the space it inhabits. He began draping his canvases and this led to his public sculpture such as this piece, where aluminum has taken the place of a canvas. In the artist's words, the work "calls to mind movement, circuits, speed, technology, and passenger ships...the colors used in the piece... refer to colors of the respective subway lines. The predominant use of blue provides one with a visual solid in a transitional area that is near subterranean."

Sutphin/ Archer/JFK ( formerly Sutphin Blvd/Archer Ave, Archer Ave at Sutphin Blvd) Opened 12/11/1988: This station has the same bi-level setup as Jamaica Center (2 tracks on each island platform level), and is an important feeder connection to the LIRR’s Jamaica Hub station, Airtrain, as well as numerous local bus routes in the area. Though the station is young, it already is in dire need of a little bit of TLC. The platforms are extra wide on the upper level. Station has 4 street stairs, 1 stair/1 pair of escalators fro mezzanine to upper level, 2 stairs/2 escalators from upper to lower levels. Newest exits are 2 escalators leading to the LIRR and Airtrain stations on the southeastern end of the circular mezzanine.

We now rise upward and curve unto Jamaica Avenue. To the right are the LIRR Main Line Tracks to Penn Station. This is the newest section of the BMT and replaces the old Jamaica El from north of 121^st Street to 168^th Street which was demolished. For a discussion of these stations please see the JJ Line Page.

121^st Street (on Jamaica Avenue at 121^st Street) opened 12/12/1916 and has two tracks and two wall platforms. The north exit leads to 123^rd street and is open via high exit on the northbound side only. The north Mezzanine is closed and has a ghost booth. The south exit has a crossunder and leads to 121^st street.

111^th Street (on Jamaica Avenue at 111^th Street) opened 6/11/1917 and has three tracks and two wall platforms. The center track is used for storage and was used to turn trains while the El was being torn down north of 121^st and the Archer Avenue subway line was being built. The north exit is sealed and is used for storage and offices. It probably had a crossunder and a ghost booth. The South exit leads to 111^th street and has a crossunder.

According to the MTA Web Site  " ...

111th Street-104th Street-Woodhaven Boulevard - 75th Street - Cypress Hills. Kathleen McCarthy. Five Points of Observation, 1990-93. Wire-mesh sculpture in platform windscreens. Five Points of Observation, sited on the platform walls of five adjacent subway stations in Queens and Brooklyn, is composed of five colossal six-foot heads made of copper mesh positioned at different angles and inserted in specially cut openings in the windscreen walls that otherwise would block views from the platforms to the streets below. Positioning themselves in the heads, subway riders can look out onto the world literally through the eyes of the sculptural forms. The artist created faces both multiethnic and androgynous, leaving room for viewers to construct for themselves stories of who these haunting forms might be and what they might signify. The faces are constructed with steel armatures and a grid of wire mesh, which serves a protective as well as expressive function. The positioning of the forms varies from station to station, giving them further variety and expressiveness.

104^th Street (on Jamaica Avenue at 104^th Street) opened 6/11/1917 and has two tracks and two wall platforms It was formerly known as 102^nd-104^th Street but renamed when the south exit to 102^nd street was sealed. It probably had a crossunder but no formal proof is available. The north exit has a crossunder and leads to 104th street. This station has an artwork entitled "Five Points of Observation and was installed in 1990 to 1993. It was designed by Kathleen McCarthy and affords a view of the street from the platforms and resembles a face when seen from the street

Woodhaven Boulevard (on Jamaica Avenue at Woodhaven Boulevard) opened 6/11/1917 and has two tracks and two wall platforms. This station has an artwork entitled "Five Points of Observation and was installed in 1990 to 1993. It was designed by Kathleen McCarthy and affords a view of the street from the platforms and resembles a face when seen from the street. The north exit leads to 95^th street and has a crossunder and a ghost booth and the south exit with a crossunder leads to Woodhaven Blvd.

85^th Street Forest Parkway (on Jamaica Avenue at Forest Parkway) opened 6/11/1917 and has two tracks and two wall platforms. This station has an artwork entitled "Five Points of Observation and was installed in 1990 to 1993. It was designed by Kathleen McCarthy and affords a view of the street from the platforms and resembles a face when seen from the street. The north exit, which is open leads to 85^th street and has a crossunder. The south exit, if it exited is closed. The dual name has recently been restored to station signage.

75^th Street Elderts Lane (on Jamaica Avenue at Elderts Lane) opened 6/11/1917 and has two tracks and two wall platforms. The dual name has recently been restored to station signage. The north exit leads to 75^th street and has a crossunder. The south exit, if it existed, is sealed. The station is in two Boroughs—the north end is in queens and the south end is in Brooklyn. This station has an artwork entitled "Five Points of Observation and was installed in 1990 to 1993. It was designed by Kathleen McCarthy and affords a view of the street from the platforms and resembles a face when seen from the street.

Cypress Hills (on Jamaica Avenue at Hemlock Street, Autumn Avenue and Crescent Street) opened 6/11/1917 and has two tracks and two wall platforms. This station has an artwork entitled "Five Points of Observation and was installed in 1990 to 1993. It was designed by Kathleen McCarthy and affords a view of the street from the platforms and resembles a face when seen from the street. Northbound has a high exit at the north end. The southbound north exit has been removed, The Mezzanine is closed and probably had a crossunder.. The South exit, which leads to Hemlock Street, Autumn Avenue and Crescent Street, has a crossunder. Leaving here we enter the oldest section of the system dating to the 1890s and a highlight of the line- The S Curve unto Crescent Street.

Cypress Hills Terminal (on Crescent Street South of Jamaica Avenue) was the former end of the line before the Jamaica Avenues line was opened. It had an island platform and stub ended past the station. All that remains is the girders once holding the platform and a short stub near the cemetery. Most of the crescent street section has three tracks with the center track used to short turn trains from either end. The curve end near Crescent Street Station has been eased. A careful examination of the structure shows the original track locations. We are now over Fulton Street in Brooklyn. According to various sources the line had wall platforms originally. All 5 have been renovated The contractor is Ahern Painting Company.

Crescent Street (on Fulton Street at Crescent Street) opened 6/12/1893 and has two tracks and an island platform. The mezzanine is a platform level at the North end. The Mezzanine has a wood floor and walls and is quite small. The canopy is short and has arched supports. Between here and the next station a careful examination reveals a turn off for the former Chestnut Street Incline which lead to the Long Island Rail Road. It was abandoned a long time ago because federal regulation prohibited allowances of a commuter railroad (LIRR) to share tracks with a subway or elevated line company.

"...Jung Hyang Kim. Wheel of Bloom-Soak up the Sun, 2007. Faceted glass in platform windscreens. Jung brightens the commuter's environment with happy expressiveness in her art. While standing on the platform, Jung was struck by the view of the vast blue sky. Designs that symbolize the sun and the wheel of the trains feature a series of circles and vibrant colors that add complexity. The colors reflect the cycle of the day, beginning with yellow for morning and blue for night. The circular shapes also reflect the movement and life of the neighborhood."

Norwood Avenue (On Fulton Street at Norwood Avenue) opened 6/12/1893 and has two tracks and an island platform The Mezzanine is at platform level at the north end The Mezzanine has a wood floor and walls and is quite small. The canopy is short and has arched supports

"... Margaret Lanzetta .Culture Swirl, 2007. Faceted glass in platform windscreens. Using design, patterns, and color as cultural expression, Culture Swirl links the early 17th to 19th century Dutch and English history in the area with the current vibrant culturally rich community. Drawn from historic Dutch and English sources combined with curling, swirling patterns of African textiles and ornate wrought iron doors and gates, the bold, colorful artwork features bright, sun-filled colors to reflect tropical climates and traditional cultural heritage. The sequence of windscreens create a dynamic progression and sense of movement as viewed by passengers riding on passing trains. "

Cleveland Street (on Fulton Street at Cleveland Street)) opened 6/12/1893 and has two tracks and an island platform The Mezzanine is at platform level at the south end The Mezzanine has a wood floor and walls and is quite small. The canopy is short and has arched supports The Mezzanine has a wood floor and walls and is quite small. The canopy is short and has arched supports. The Mezzanine has a wood floor and walls and is quite small. The canopy is short and has arched supports.

"...Amy Cheng. Las Flores, 2007. Faceted glass in platform windscreens. Located within the platform windscreens, colorful floral patterned glasswork embellishes the Cleveland Street station. The artist combines her swirling patterns, bright and radiant pastel tones with traditional folk decorative motifs to create her unique compositions. She hopes they convey positive thoughts of peace, prosperity and stability to the neighborhood."

Van Siclen Avenue (on Fulton Street at Van Siclen Avenue) opened 6/12/1893 and has two tracks and an island platform. The canopy is short and has squared off, flat roofline. There is a center Mezzanine under the tracks with wood floor and walls. This mezzanine is actually to the geographic south of the Jamaica bound track.

" ...Barbara Ellmann. THE VIEW FROM HERE, 2007. Faceted glass in platform windscreens. Barbara Ellmann created colorful geometric patterns abstracted from the landscape and elements within the surrounding neighborhood. Through site visits, Barbara documented intersecting buildings, and various intersections and patterns to create her compositions, which were fabricated into 21 faceted glass panels and installed in windscreens on the station platforms. The works fill the platform with jewel-like color while protecting transit customers from the wind."

Alabama Avenue (On Fulton Street at Alabama Avenue) opened 2/2/1885 and has two tracks and an island platform. To the geographic north is a view of the East New York Bus depot and complex. The Mezzanine under the platform is metal and has a wood floor. The station has flat roof canopy which source suggest supported a planned express track. All that remains or was built is a track which rises East (system North) of Broadway Junction and ends at the south end of this station. Joe Cunningham states that the BRT had poor records and no hard evidence is known to him. Leaving here is a maze of tracks leading to yards and we enter our next station. He thinks the next stop would have been Woodhaven Blvd. The line is now located over Broadway.

"....Scott Redden. Untitled, 2007. Faceted glass in platform windscreens. Images of rural America evoke a nostalgia past in Scott Redden's tranquil counterpoint to the bustle of a city at the Alabama Avenue platform. The colorful glass windows take the commuter on a visual journey through idealized landscapes with blue trees, red barns, and roosters, and even an archetypal yellow truck traveling a country road."

Broadway Junction (Entrance at Van Sinderen Avenue between Fulton Street and Eastern Parkway) opened 9/9/1885 as Eastern Parkway and is discussed on the Complexes Page

The following stations up to and including Hewes Street were all renovated by M.A. Angeliades.

Chauncey Street (on Broadway at Rockaway Avenue) opened 9/4/1885 and has three tracks and two wall platforms. The north exit leads to Marion and Chauncey Streets and is closed except as emergency exit. The south exit has a crossunder, metal Mezzanine and leads to Rockaway Avenue and Broadway. A new art glass installation in this renovated station and features scenes of neighborhood life.

"...Maria Dominguez. El Views, 2002. Faceted glass in mezzanine windows and platform windscreens. Maria Dominguez created the paintings upon which El Views were based and these were then translated into 16 panels of brilliantly colored faceted glass. In order to capture the area's spirit and energy the artist spoke with dozens of people and took numerous photos of their neighborhood. The final result transforms daily activities into striking images - people arriving home from school or work, tree buds in springtime, and lights from the businesses surrounding the elevated structures. El Views is embedded with the sensibility and humanity of the people and place that were its inspiration."

Halsey Street (on Broadway at Halsey Street) opened 9/4/1885 and has 3 tracks and two wall platforms. North exit leads to Halsey with a crossunder while the south exit leads to Jefferson Street. No art glass is present as of 8/29/04 although plywood panels could be where it will be placed.

"...SOL'SAX SOL'SCRYPT, 2008. Faceted glass in mezzanine windows and platform windscreens. Based upon African and African-American culture and history and fused with the contemporary music and pop culture from his Brooklyn neighborhood, SOL'SAX's faceted glass project addresses in visual form the layers of memory and culture that influence and inspire his work. The vibrant colors and intricate designs in the art panels represent the artist's creative explorations. Images of city life are melded with symbols of ancient African cultural influences and relics. The compositions are intended to provide guidance, and protection, inspiration for all traveling through the station."

Gates Avenue (on Broadway at Quincy Street) opened 9/4/1885 and has three tracks and two wall platforms. The north exit leads to Howard Avenue is an emergency exit only. The south exit leads to Quincy Street and Broadway and has a crossunder. Art glass is a subway (J train) theme.

"...Chris Wade Robinson. Dream Train, 2002. Faceted glass in mezzanine windows and platform windscreens. In Dream Train, Chris Wade Robinson pays tribute to the spirit of the subway in his 16 panels of faceted glass that narrate the daily motions of residents interacting with the movement of trains through the urban landscape. Robinson says, "A simple subway ride is a cultural exploration, a cross-section of a city as it moves from past to present and on to tomorrow. All races, creeds, and colors interconnect on a common path to an endless variety of destinations. Each rider is enriched by daily discoveries of new faces, places, and things....They are vignettes made of memory and experience, an ode to a lifetime spent riding in and dreaming on the train, as it speeds through the darkness and into the light."

Kosciuszko Street (on Broadway at) opened 9/4/1885 and has three tracks and two wall platforms. The north exit has a crossunder and leads to Kosciuszko Street and has a crossunder. The south exit is an emergency exit and leads to DeKalb Avenue. Art glass is a floral theme.

"...Ron Calloway. Euphorbias, 2002. Faceted glass in mezzanine windows and platform windscreens.In Euphorbias, the artist used botanical imagery as a metaphor for life and growth in the communities that surround the elevated Kosciuszko Street station. The artwork consists of 16 faceted glass panels and creates the sensation of growth, as if energy is radiating outward from the center of the images to the tips of the forms. Brightly colored plants, some of which resemble the sun and its rays, are in full bloom on the platform."

Myrtle Avenue (on Broadway at Myrtle Avenue) opened 9/16/1888 for the J and has three tracks and two island platforms. There is a crossunder at the center along with one stairway on the southbound platform which is for access to the tower and once accessed the upper level platform which served the MJ Train which used to run further south on Myrtle Avenue to Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The line in even earlier times ran over the Brooklyn Bridge to Park Row (City Hall Park) in Manhattan. For further info on the torn down M Sections see www.nycsubway.org and old M Train The M now runs with the J train from Here to Manhattan and queens Blvd. and ends on the middle track late nights, weekends and holidays. Art glass here is entitled "Jamaica under the El" by Verna Hart and was installed in 1999. This station is renovated. Across the mezzanine area and underneath the Manhattan bound track is another mezzanine with ghost  booth and one staircase to the Northeast corner on Broadway by Myrtle Avenue. This area was abandoned and later removed during the renovation, however you can see this abandoned exit in the film "Ghost"(1990 where Patrick Swayze exits Myrtle Avenue station via this abandoned staircase.

Flushing Avenue (on Broadway at Flushing Avenue) opened 9/16/1888 and has three tracks and two wall platforms. The north exit leads to Marcus Garvey Blvd and is an emergency exit. The south exit has full ADA and leads to Flushing Avenue. The elevators are cantilevered over the sides of the structure.  Sections of windscreen have mesh panels to allow a view of the streets.

"...Robin Holder. Migration, 2006. Laminated glass in mezzanine windows and platform windscreens. This extensive artwork contains 34 panels of laminated glass, that focus on the artist's exploration, in her words, of "spatial relationships, color, and movement as well as issues of humanity, culture, and identity." The imagery is abstract, with precision in the quality of line and forms, which was a particular challenge since the medium is glass. Robin Holder says images "incorporate symbols from various cultures that relate to the theme of: interaction, movement, and society in motion. I hope that this work promotes a sense of celebration and reflects the vivacity, energy and liveliness of my fellow New Yorkers who use the Flushing Avenue Station."

Lorimer Street (on Broadway at Lorimer Street) opened 9/16/1888 and has three tracks and two wall platforms. The north exit has been reopened (with no crossunder) to Wallabout Street while the south exit leads to Lorimer Street with a crossunder. The art glass features a floral and vines theme. Some sections of the windscreen features mesh to allow a view of the streets below.

"...Annette Davidek. Roundlet Series, 2002. Faceted glass in mezzanine windows and platform windscreens. Annette Davidek's murals at Lorimer Street in Brooklyn illustrate the fractured and fragmented language of nature in a medium well-suited for her expressive work. Roundlet Series reveals the countless varieties of organic forms in botany. At times the murals recall blossoming flowers, twisting branches, or meandering patterns that mimic genetic elements. The challenge in translating the artist's work-on-paper into the faceted glass murals was to capture the detail and complexity of the compositions while maintaining their captivating qualities. Faceted glass delivers a striking quality of translucency, texture, and range of color. Dramatic contrasts between the contour and the content becomes apparent against the background and the result adds vibrancy to the station platform."

Hewes Street (on Broadway at Hooper Street) opened 9/16/1888 and has three tracks and two wall platforms. The north exits leads to Hewes Street and is an emergency exit. The south exit leads to Hooper Street and has a crossunder.

"...Mara Held. El in 16 Notes, 2002. Faceted glass in mezzanine windows and platform windscreens.Artist Mara Held's El in 16 Notes is a meditation on variations in pattern caused by differing qualities of light and the creation of overlapping forms and layers. The inspiration for the imagery of the piece was originally derived from cut-out dress patterns. Through the minimal yet elegant shifts in color and pattern that are occasionally pierced by playful curving lines, the work enables the viewer to witness the light and the neighboring skyline as it emerges through the glass planes. Held played particular attention to the colors and role of natural light to animate and illuminate the work, which graces the platform with light and color."

Marcy Avenue (on Broadway at Marcy Avenue) opened9/16/1888 and has three tracks and two wall platforms is in the final stages of renovation which extended the platform level station houses over the street, added south exits on the northbound platform and added HEETs to the southbound south exit. The station is now full ADA. Leaving this station we see a short section of track continuing straight which once lead to the Broadway ferry Spur. The line now runs over the Williamsburg Bridge via a separate bridge between the two roadway bridges. Sources with the NYC DOT indicate that this bridge is really three bridges in one: The Brooklyn bound bridge (4 lanes), the subway structure, and the Manhattan bound bridge (4 lanes). The bridge has two ADA walkways over the subway tracks until the Manhattan Anchorages when it merges into one walkway. The subway tracks descend into the subway and we enter our next station. For a discussion of the spur see the JJ page

"...Ellsworth Ausby. Space Odyssey, 2004. Faceted glass in mezzanine windows and platform windscreens. Ellsworth Ausby created eight triptychs for the station's platform windscreens that explore the relationship of man to the universe. In a subtle way, the brilliantly colored forms evoke the feeling of the swirling cosmos. For this commission, the artist produced a series of drawings later translated into a faceted glass. According to the artist, he is particularly attracted by "the idea of traveling in infinite space, which is as a passenger on the Earth Express line, experienced through the cycle of the seasons." He was particularly pleased to work with faceted glass windows, "a new and exciting medium for me to work with, ... These windows have allowed me to expand my understanding of the possibilities that this concept has as public art,....It is my hope that these windows express what I feel is the spirit of New York, the hustle and bustle, the fast pace of the city."

Essex Street opened 7/4/1908 and has been renovated by Cab Associates and is discussed on the complexes page

Bowery opened on 3/14/1913 and has two island platforms and four tracks but has been reconfigured to use only the southbound island and pair of tracks. As of 10/04 the reconfiguration is in use and the northbound island is now sealed and abandoned.

Canal Street opened on 3/14/1913and is discussed on the Complexes Page

Chambers Street opened on 3/14/1913 and is discussed on the Complexes Page. This was the end of the  brown M line during mid day hours Monday to Friday.

Fulton Street on the J opened on 3/14/1913 and is discussed on the Complexes page

Broad Street opened on 11/26/1931 and has been renovated and has two wall platforms and two tracks with a crossover at the north end leading to Broad and Wall Streets. It has vent chambers. An exit to Broad Street, Beaver Street and Exchange place is open on the southbound platform only with the northbound exit here being closed. A Far south exit has been closed. The tracks continue past the station and lead into the tunnel from Whitehall Street to Brooklyn during rush hours the M uses this section to connect to the D Line. The south end has two more fare control areas, one for each platform. The southbound side has a ghost booth and two street stairways and northbound has a booth open during the PM rush hour. Both sides offer HEET access from 7AM to 8:45PM.