By some metrics, this station is the least-used station on the entire system. Located in the neighborhood of the same name, Broad Channel is the transfer point between the A line (to Mott Ave.) and the Rockaway Shuttle (to Rockaway Park-Beach 116th St.), and is one of the weirdest neighborhoods in the entire city.
The station, and the entire section of the subway in the Rockaways, is all ex-LIRR territory, and was handed over to the IND in the 1950s as, at the time, the LIRR had a small problem known as “bankruptcy”. Service was killed initially because of a fire on one of the bridges over Jamaica Bay. But, in 1956, the IND restored service to the Rockaways as an extension of what’s now the A line. With the history out of the way, Broad Channel is relatively pretty normal but also unique. The neighborhood is more or less what you’d expect from a summer getaway village rather than in NYC proper. The station isn’t accessible though, as there’s no ramp or elevator from the platforms to the mezzanine, or a step-free way in or out of the station. Also interestingly, despite being a major transfer station, the station’s actually not located on the main road through the area. As for the platforms, it’s standard with benches and countdown clocks. There’s also a station agent (whom yelled at myself and Honaj for filming and photographing), and OMNY machines in the station mezzanine. In terms of vibes, I’d say it’s like if Narragansett densified and got a subway station, but the subway station was wildly out of place. The station itself though? It’s okay.
The good: It’s the only subway station in this part of Queens – furthermore, it’s the only chance to transfer between the Rockaway Shuttle and the A line.
The bad: Power-tripping station agents aside, it’s not an accessible station. The bus connection to the Q52 and Q53 are a short walk away, but still. And, while not a major issue with the station itself, the headways on the subway out here are BRUTAL. It can also get particularly crowded, especially with summer beachgoers on hot days (where the Rockaways can oftentimes be 15-20 degrees COOLER than Midtown!), so there’s that.
Nearby points of interest: Well, you have a couple of parks and the ocean! There’s also a number of restaurants and the Broad Channel Library as well. Really, most of the things of interest are either parks/beaches on the far ends of the neighborhood, or along Cross Bay Boulevard.
Transit connections:
8th Ave. (A Line)
Rockaway Shuttle
MTA bus (Q52 & Q53 on Cross Bay Boulevard)
Overall, it’s not a terrible station. Am I salty about being yelled at? Yeah, a little. I’m more surprised it happened here rather than on PATH. But, whatever. The area does give off some modest NIMBY vibes, but even then it’s not a bad station whatsoever.
Rating: 7/10
