Next stop on the line is Massachusetts Avenue, and thank GOD it’s the last bastion of the brutal hellscape known as the Southwest Corridor!!! So, any keen-eyed reader would’ve noted that I got a message asking my whereabouts on the Southwest Corridor. So, who, exactly, would be inclined enough to tag along with me for any given amount of time???
I’ll tell you who: Brooke, the resident board meeting watcher on the Miles in Transit Discord server!
Yeah, a little surprising. She and I all did a little bit more in the way of foaming at Roxbury Crossing before proceeding on to Massachusetts Avenue. So, how IS Massachusetts Avenue? Well, it’s actually kinda decent!
So, the platforms are pretty much the same things as usual: benches, wastebaskets, but no shelters. Also, Brooke pointed out something I otherwise wouldn’t have noticed: WHY ARE THE SIGNS IN HELVETICA BOLD GROSSLY INCONSISTENT?! It’s not so much the typeface itself that irks me, but WHY ARE THEY ALIGNED DIFFERENTLY?! One is center-aligned as normal, but then you have a few that are left-aligned, and one’s even JUSTIFIED ALIGNED. WHY?! GOD, WHY?! Anyways, I digress. There’s also an exit to Camden Street, but there’s no fare control so screw you if you want in.
As for the mezzanine, it’s pretty standard. But, hey, you have a glass overlook towards the tracks. Also, there’s a Subway! Neat! Furthermore, there’s another entrance across the street in a small mini-park, which is always nice! And, yes, there’s fare control! As another aside, if you’re into railfanning and photography, you have a nice vantage point with the stairs to Camden Street.
The good: You’ve got a lot of ways in and out! Furthermore, there’s a park across the street and also BlueBikes! Neat! Lastly, you have an on-foot transfer to Symphony on the Green Line, woohoo! It’s also a little more modern-feeling than the other stations, so there’s that as well.
The bad: Camden Street needs faregates!
Nearby points of interest: There’s the park across the street! Also, Symphony is close by so pretty much everything close to there is close to here too. Furthermore, you have Northeastern’s sporting arenas for college sports fans. Also, Matthews Arena in particular is the oldest ice hockey arena still in use as such. Neat!
Transit connections:
Orange Line
MBTA bus (1)
Green Line (E, via short walk to Symphony)
Overall, this station’s pretty much peak Southwest Corridor. For what it is, it does the job and does it very well. Now, if only we had faregates for the Camden St. entrance, IT’D BE PERFECT!!!
Rating: 9.5/10
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