The Avenue J station is a local
station on the
BMT Brighton Line of the
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the New York City boroughs, boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. It is owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Tr ...
, located on Avenue J between East 15th and East 16th Streets in
Midwood, Brooklyn. The station is served by the
Q train at all times.
History
The station was opened around 1900 as a two-track surface station and named Manhattan Terrace. It was renamed "Avenue J" in 1907, the same year the railroad line was grade separated. Vestiges of the spur built to reconnect the
Brighton Line and
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...
's
Bay Ridge Branch after grade separation still exist to this day.
On August 1, 1920, a tunnel under
Flatbush Avenue
Flatbush Avenue is a major avenue in the New York City Borough (New York City), Borough of Brooklyn. It runs from the Manhattan Bridge south-southeastward to Jamaica Bay, where it joins the Marine Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge, which ...
opened, connecting the Brighton Line to the
Broadway subway in Manhattan.
At the same time, the line's former track connections to the
Fulton Street Elevated were severed. Subway trains from Manhattan and elevated trains from
Franklin Avenue served Brighton Line stations, sharing the line to
Coney Island
Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...
.
This station underwent reconstruction from September 2009 to December 2011. Both platforms were rebuilt with new windscreens, canopies, and
tactile strip edges. A temporary platform over the express tracks was used to provide service on the side that was under rebuilding. The new windscreens were controversial with nearby community members, since the windscreens contained gaps that allowed trash and noise through while causing privacy issues for residents whose backyards faced the station.
Station layout
The station is on a raised earthen embankment. There are four tracks and two
side platform
A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms, ...
s. The two center tracks are used by the
B express train on weekdays.
The 2011 artwork here is called ''Bird Laid Bare'' by Rita MacDonald. It consists of murals and mosaics on the walls of the Coney Island-bound platform's main staircase depicting various species of birds.
Exits
The station's main house is located underneath the
right-of-way on the south side of Avenue J and has a full-time turnstile bank and token booth. There is a double-wide staircase facing north going up to the Coney Island-bound platform and one narrow staircase facing south going up to the Manhattan-bound platform. The Coney Island-bound staircase's landing has two exit-only turnstiles leading directly to the street.
Both platforms have an unstaffed bank of turnstiles leading to a staircase that goes down to the north side of Avenue J. The Coney Island-bound one is double-wide.
[
]
Gallery
File:Avenue J - Exit.jpg, Exit on platform
File:Avenue J - Exit from Exit.JPG, Exit-only turnstile and gate at Avenue J
File:NYC Subway Avenue J (BMT Brighton Line) Temporary platform - Northward.jpg, Temporary platform during the reconstruction in 2011
See also
* Manhattan Beach Branch
* Bay Ridge Branch
References
External links
*
* Station Reporter â€
Q Train
* Art's Archives – Manhattan Beach Branc
(''Original photos of the Manhattan Terrace station, signal houses and track diagrams of the LIRR connection'')
* The Subway Nut â€
Avenue J Pictures
Avenue J entrance from Google Maps Street View
Platforms from Google Maps Street View
{{NYCS stations navbox by line, brighton=yes
J
New York City Subway stations in Brooklyn
Railway stations in the United States opened in 1908
1908 establishments in New York City
Midwood, Brooklyn