Alrighty, now to various C branch stops! So, what’s on the menu? Let’s see: How about Hawes St., Kent St., St. Paul St., Summit Ave., Brandon Hall, Fairbanks St., Tappan St., Dean Rd., and Englewood Ave.? Yes? Alright, let’s dig into it.
Englewood Ave.!
Now, most of these stops are similar to the B’s median stops, which are copy-pastes of each other. Sadly, that’s also the case here. Some of them happen to have parking, but none of them are accessible. There’s also shelters – on the outbound side. WHY?! Now that I think of it, isn’t St. Paul St. also on the B branch?
*does research*
Huh, there IS one on the B branch! Or, there WAS, before being consolidated into Amory Street (which is half-decent). So, what happened here? I’m not sure, and I don’t want to know. Furthermore, who’s Brandon and what’s his hall? Well, it turns out with THAT one, it’s a former hotel. Nevertheless, these stops are just godawful, too close, and should be consolidated down to 1-2 stops per bunch. It’s at least slightly better than the B branch’s stops, though that doesn’t say too much.
Breda!Another stop!Brandon Hall!WHY IS THERE A SHELTER ON THE OUTBOUND SIDE?!Vleugh!
The good: Well, it’s kinda nice! I mean, you got half of Beacon Street elevated on a hill, with plenty of greenery! However, that’s only true for Summit Ave., Fairbanks St., and Brandon Hall. As for the rest of the stops, it’s still pretty peaceful, and you even get a little bit of metered parking! Neat!
The bad: There’s no accessibility!!! And, WHY ARE THERE SHELTERS ON THE OUTBOUND SIDE?! LIKE, SURE, NOONE WILL EVER WANT SHELTERING GOING INBOUND (WHICH IS A LOT OF PEOPLE!!!) Also, these stops are kinda sorry like the B branch’s street stops, though not to the same degree
Nearby points of interest: Housing, housing everywhere!
Transit connections: Green Line (C)
Overall, they’re alright enough. Serviceable, however not a lot to remark about in general, though a bus connection to Reservoir from one of the underground stations (Back Bay, Copley, or Kenmore, perhaps?) via Beacon Street would be nice.
Alrighty, we’re pretty far out for this one. In fact, we’re so far out, we’re pretty much in MWRTA territory. I repeat, we’re in turf that the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority operates on!!! Yeah, that’s how you know you’re far out, when the MBTA themselves don’t run normal buses out here. Nevertheless, welcome to Woodland!
Helvetica, pretty far out at that!
So, what’s special about Woodland? Well, it’s pretty much one of two stations where MBTA and MWRTA overlap (the other being Waban). Bus connections here include the 1 (MWRTA, not MBTA) and the Catch Connect. As for the Green Line platforms, there’s not a lot, as you have a bus shelter and a heated shelter with a CharlieCard machine. Neat! The area itself doesn’t have a lot going on, just some TOD, a hospital, and a few country clubs. There’s also an unassuming ramp entrance on Washington Street as well. Plus, I’ll have to admit this station felt quite relaxing to be in/around. There’s also a parking garage nearby, neat! So, park & ride, anyone?
Eh, this didn’t come out wellShelters!Nope!We’re REALLY far from the T now!
The good: You got your MWRTA! Also, a copious amount of parking in the offchance Riverside is overflowing. Furthermore, TOD! Woohoo! Also, sheltered area!
The bad: Eh, I don’t have a lot here.
Nearby points of interest: Country clubs and a nearby hospital! Also, MWRTA! Yeah, not a lot of decent land use here.
Transit connections: Green Line (D) MWRTA (1, Catch Connect)
Overall, this is probably one of the best stations on the D branch. Furthermore, it’s got MWRTA!
Wait, didn’t we already do Chestnut Hill? Oh, oh, oh, that’s Chestnut Hill AVENUE! Oh, okay! Well, at least this one is guaranteed to be a better station. Let’s look at this station, I guess.
Bye!!!
Well, there’s not a lot here. You’ve got some parking, a glass heated shelter, and a wood unheated shelter. Countdown clocks also exist! However, no level boarding. Furthermore, it’s nice and quiet as well. It’s also pretty deep in a residential neighborhood, so there’s that as well. Woohoo!
Tracks!Parking!Signage!
The good: Okay, I lied. Technically this station is accessible on paper, somewhat. It’s got a lift! Furthermore, it’s got some parking if (for whatever reason) you drive in. Also, it’s got a heated waiting area in typical D branch fashion. However, there’s no tactile safety strip, so yeah.
The bad: It’s not fully accessible. No tactile safety strip. If there were more snow and it wasn’t clear, I’d probably have a harder time finding the tracks and know when to stop moving towards them. But, mostly accessibility here.
Nearby points of interest: Eh, not a lot here. Route 9 has some stuff, but do you really want to walk there?
Transit connections: Green Line (D)
Overall, I’m indifferent towards this and most of the stations. It’s alright and serviceable, but there’s nothing much that stands out here.
So, from one awful Green Line station to another, slightly worse station. How much worse is the next station southbound from Prudential? Well, let’s take a look, shall we?
See ya!
So, starting off, the platforms are pretty dark-looking but also well-lit. It’s similar to Prudential with the lighting, and someone had fans going down here as well. Might’ve been overkill, but whatever. Going on up, you don’t have free crossovers so, uh, screw you if you enter the wrong way. The mezzanine is a little less dingy than Prudential’s and there’s even art. Oh, how nice, you got Charlie playing what looks to be a cello (please don’t kill me if I’m wrong, band students!)
Helvetica – and HISTORY ABOUT CHARLIE ON THE MTA!The mezzanine!HI CHARLIE!
Whelp, now we know Symphony has bits of MBTA lore within. As for the headhouses, they’re copy-pasted glass/metal on all 4 corners of Huntington Ave. and Massachusetts Avenue. Oh yeah, there’s a bent up T.
One headhouseTwo of the othersBent-up T!This is outdated – lists Wollaston as closed!
The good: You’ve got the Symphony Hall nearby, along with the New England Conservatory!
The bad: Eh, it’s not the best in terms of aesthetics, but it’s not in dire need of a facelift. Also, while it’s not accessible, there ARE plans to actually make it so! So, props to the T for making Symphony ADA compliant! (as of writing this, however, that hasn’t happened yet).
Nearby points of interest: Symphony Hall is the big one! You’ve also got the Conservatory and, oddly enough, the Christian Science headquarters is nearby as well. And, as much as I generally hold a grudge towards organized religions, I’ll have to admit most of their headquarters (e.g. Temple Square in Utah, the Christian Science building, the Vatican in Italy to name a few) are quite beautiful pieces of architecture. But, that’s a tangent for another time.
Transit connections: Green Line (E) MBTA bus (1, 39)
Overall, I would take Symphony any day over Prudential. While it isn’t accessible and lacks free crossovers, at least it’s not as dingy and it’s got plans to be a better station. And, for that, I think it should get a higher rating.
Rating: 6/10
Christian Science ain’t science, but it’s very Christian.
Prudential is a Fortune 500 company that owns various subsidiaries that specialize in insurance , investment management, retirement plans, and other financial services and products to various business customers, primarily in the realm of retail, along with various corporate entities. Various Prudential Centers were erected over time, with one such place being in Boston, and at that became one of the tallest buildings in the entire city. Even features an observation deck on the 50th floor! (which is now sadly closed since the 9/11 attacks)
Now, what the HELL does that have anything to do with what I talk about here? I’ll tell you what: they built a subway station here!
A section of the PrudeI spy a headhouse!
So, the headhouses are alright, you got your standard glass/metal affair outside, while the accessible entrances are within the Prudential Center itself. Going inside, it’s actually a little disgusting. Like, it’s not as bad as Arlington with the slime on the ceilings, but it’s up there for dinginess though. And, why do the lights buzz? Is this the backrooms?
Indoor access!Vleugh!
I’ll at least give it a little bit of credit for having some art, but it’s still pretty dingy down here with the buzzing lights. Also, the pipes. What’s with all the pipes that seemingly overrun all the underground Green Line stops? Yeah, I’m not sure on that. Either way, it’s accessible, has benches and everything. Free fare crossovers too, even. As for buses, the 39 stops outside the station, so there’s that, and one could conceivably do an on-foot transfer to Back Bay from here.
Oh dear godHelvetica!This feels wrongThis feels VERY dingyUMMMMMMMMMMM
The good: There’s art and it’s conveniently located in the Prude! Neat!
The bad: It’s so damn dingy! Like, this place seriously could use a facelift! Furthermore, it’s like it gets worse the deeper in you go, so there’s that too. And, it’s especially evident with the floor being very faded in the mezzanine too! Lastly, fix the elevator!
Nearby points of interest: The Prudential Center, duh!
Transit connections: Green Line (E) MBTA bus (9, 39, 55, 57)
Overall, I can see why some people wouldn’t like this station, and I second that sentiment. However, the convenience of it being in the Prude itself probably helps somewhat. Lastly, give this place a facelift and PLEASE fix the elevator!!!
Oh dear God, more median-centered Green Line stops. Whelp, duty calls I guess. So, to review these, I walked down Huntington Avenue at 6:30 AM. Here we go. And, yes, once you see one you’ve seen all of them.
Helvetica!
Whelp, we start off on the campus of Northeastern University, a short walk from Ruggles. What do we have here? Well, it’s not a lot. You’ve got some benches and some shelters, however there’s nothing spectacular here. And, unfortunately, that’s the same for all four of these stations. With that, let’s walk down to the other stations. Museum of Fine Arts has, you guessed it, the MFA right beside it. It’s also essentially the same as the BU stops, not a lot to comment about. Longwood Medical does not have any medical buildings, instead having the Massachusetts College of Art and Design by it- OH, there’s some medical stuff! The Harvard School of Public Health. Neat! Don’t tell your local Karen that! Lastly, there’s Brigham Circle, which didn’t have a lot at a glance, however it is where the E branch spills into the street towards Fenwood Road.
Northeastern’s platformkinkiMuseum of Fine Arts!More helvetica!And the museum itself!BREDAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!Towards downtown!OH NO DOTS!!!wooooo, faux BRT!EXCUSE ME, I’M IN NEED OF SOME MEDICAL ATTENTION!!!This isn’t medical!Oh, there’s the medical!Last one – Brigham!Helvetica!woooooo, crossovers!oops, the ROW ends and spills into the streetOnwards to Fenwood Road!more kinkiWoooo, bunching!!!!!OH NO MORE DOTS!!!!!!
The good: They’re serviceable, whatever “pros” apply to the BU stops also apply here (shelters, seating), just without countdown clocks
The bad: Good luck with the E branch’s reliability since it spills into mixed traffic past Brigham! Furthermore, the lack of countdown clocks!
Nearby points of interest: You got the MFA, Longwood, Northeastern’s campus, and even the Wentworth Institute of Technology in reach. Yeah. The Back Bay Fens is also close by!
Transit connections: Green Line (E) MBTA bus (39) Orange Line & Commuter Rail (at Ruggles, short walk from Northeastern)
Overall, they’re serviceable. There’s just not much to talk about here that wasn’t already talked about with the BU stops, and there’s only so much I can do milking a dead cow. As such, it gets a similar rating to the BU stops.
So, Eliot isn’t exactly known for being around much. At the station itself, you have some parking (oh my, another park & ride), your usual heated glass shelter, and accessible boarding. There’s also a bike rack on the outbound side (why???), with access from local streets. You’ve also got access from MA-9, but why would you want to cross a wannabe freeway???? Just, why?
Bye!Looking towards Riverside!Parking!
The good: It’s got lots of local access from the immediate area. Plus, the usual pluses of the D branch with heated waiting areas.
The bad: The nearby highway kills it. Also, there’s no accessible boarding – DESPITE THE SIGNS DESIGNATING ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCES/EXITS. WHY, HOW, WHY?! WHO THE FUCK IS GOING TO WALK UP/DOWN THE RAMP ON ROUTE 9?!
Nearby points of interest: Not a lot over here.
Transit connections: Green Line (D)
Overall, this station actually kinda sucks. No accessible boarding and it’s right next to a highway, it’s gonna be pretty bad overall. Ugh.
Bustitutions? What are those? Well, I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter because they never stop here! Welcome to Beaconsfield, children!
See ya!
So, what’s special about Beaconsfield? Well, it’s so small you can’t bustitute it! One side has a heated waiting area typical of the branch, while the other lacks in amenities a bit. Unsurprising, as most people probably aren’t going outbound from here. Well, either way, you got a small amount of parking too making this technically a park & ride! Woohoo!!! Oh yeah, there’s an on-foot transfer to Dean Road on the C branch too. Neat.
Parking!Looking towards Riverside!
The good: It’s a small station primarily for the local residents! Also, it’s nice and quiet, which is to be expected being deep in a residential neighborhood in Brookline.
The bad: It’s not accessible! It also doesn’t help the nearest stations (all on the C branch) aren’t accessible either! Also, it is annoying how D branch bustitutions bypass this station entirely, though to be fair the local streets are absolutely TINY.
Nearby points of interest: Eh, not much. There’s a playground at least.
Transit connections: Green Line (D)
Overall, it’s alright, however the biggest issue I got with this station is the lack of accessibility. In general, I just don’t have a lot to note about it.
Here we go. The south-side terminus. The northern end of the Northeast Corridor and electrification. And, one of the busiest subway stations in the city. So, let’s see what South Station has. Oh, there’s also a bus terminal?! Neat!
The Red Line platform, so it starts…
The Red Line platform is alright, about average with some seating and feeling a little dingy, but nothing too egregious here. However, there are some exits that feel like they shouldn’t be used normally. But, what’s that noise upstairs? Yeah, that ain’t the only rapid transit connection here as the Silver Line also exists. Now, let’s head up and look at it.
OH NO, DIESEL! …at least there’s a bus on catenary here!
So, the T runs two types of buses on the Silver Line. At least three, if you go based on energy source. Typically I just classify as “Neoplans” and “Xcelsiors”, with the Neoplans being dual-mode diesel/catenary, and the Xcelsiors being everything else. However, more specifically you have Xcelsior diesel hybrids and battery-electrics (if you’re lucky). YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT. THEY RUN DIESEL IN THIS TUNNEL. THERE IS NO VENTILATION WHATSOEVER. WHAT THE FUCK?! WHY WOULD THEY EVEN DO THAT?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!? WHAT ARE THEY THINKING, DRINKING, SMOKING?! IF THE SILVER LINE WAS LIGHT RAIL TO BEGIN WITH, YA KNOW, AS “EQUAL OR BETTER” TO REPLACE THE WASHINGTON STREET ELEVATED, THEN MAYBE WE WOULDN’T HAVE PEOPLE PANICKING OVER DIESEL FUMES IN SUCH A FUCKING CONFINED SPACE!!! SERIOUSLY, Y’ALL HAVE CATENARY, AND AS SHITTY AS TROLLEYBUSES ARE, AT LEAST THEY DON’T POLLUTE THE FUCKING BUSWAY!!! THERE’S A GOOD REASON THEY USED THEM ON THE HARVARD-AREA ROUTES FOR SO LONG, DESPITE BEING SHITTY TECHNOLOGY. LIKE, JESUS FUCK, IF I WANT CANCER I’D RATHER GET IT AT BACK BAY AT RUSH HOUR, OR FROM AN ASBESTOS TILE AT HARVARD.
Now, I think they’re supposed to force the hybrids to run on batteries, but of the many times I’ve been down here, I’ve never seen an Xcelsior hybrid running on battery-only. And, now that I think of it, isn’t it bad to force a hybrid vehicle to run on battery-only? I’m not sure, and I don’t want to find out the T is fucking up their brand new toys so soon.
Generic image from Google, I forgot to take a picture .-. (from NBC Boston)
So, coming out of the subway mezzanine, which consisted of a few brochure racks, an information booth, and a shuttered-up food tenant, we reach the concourse. But wait, there’s more! If you go LEFT at the escalator and follow a bunch of convoluted tunnels, you’ll reach the elevator! Yep, the station is accessible but it’s a maze to reach. Good luck!
This feels wrong.This feels REALLY wrongThis gives backrooms vibesSTILL MORE WALKINGAnd finally, the other side and the women’s room.
So, after the long tunnel, the elevator dumps us out at an Amtrak office and the womens room, plus near a Keolis booth. And, HOLY SHIT!
The busiest train station in New England, ladies and gents!The food court and the men’s room.
So, out here there’s a bar, a Dunkin’, an Amtrak and Keolis information booth, with the Quik-Trak machine being by the Amtrak waiting area. You can also find the ClubAcela lounge and the station’s Red Cap agent here. Typically they’re there to provide assistance with anything within the scope of Amtrak (yes, including finding restrooms), be it baggage, accessibility, or navigation. And yes, you’re allowed to tip. There’s also plenty of seating around the main concourse as well. Near the entrance, you also have a CVS. Headhouse for the subway? It’s modern and looks beautiful, in contrast to the old (and still good-looking!) station building.
Commuter Rail & Amtrak headhouse, on Street ViewSubway headhouse!Escalator still broken!Look, brochures!The food court
Heading out to the bus terminal, the Commuter Rail platforms is alright. Average, exposed to the elements, but nothing too crazy. There is construction above, though, which as far as I can tell is for a mixed-use office/residential development. Now, how do you access the terminal from the Amtrak/MBTA station? Well, it’s easy! You walk down track #1!!!
Well, this is modern.
The inside of the terminal is very glass-filled, to say the least. Like, they REALLY love glass. Plus, there’s a lot of stairs to get above the Commuter Rail tracks. The elevator is alright and doesn’t reek of piss at least! Once we made it into the bus terminal, the only real uncharted territory in the station, there’s just not much to it. It’s nice, modern, a little small, and has a domed glass roof, but there’s just not much of note. There’s ticketing booths for popular bus companies including Lucky Star Express and Concord Coach. It’s also pretty busy here, and I’m pretty sure it’s busy even into the night as buses oftentimes get delayed.
Departures!This is nice.Bus system map?!This is nice!REALLY nice!!!Yep, busy.Same as before.The elevatorAtlantic Avenue!
The good: It’s very busy! Most likely, it’s busy because of the Northeast Corridor terminating here. Either way, it’s right in the financial district, and for many people is the gateway to Boston. Take the Silver Line, and you’ll be in the Seaport and East Boston, while if you take the Red Line you can transfer to the other subway lines to head in any of the four cardinal directions. Furthermore, all 14 southside Commuter Rail lines (yes, counting branches as individual lines here) terminate as well. Also, the bus terminal isn’t far away, despite physically being separate.
The bad: The terminals should be connected together directly, rather than just via Track 1. Also, the SL4 is relegated to a curbside stop at the intersection of Essex St. and Atlantic Ave.
Nearby points of interest: Pretty much the entire city, as most people use this as the gateway to Boston. Chinatown is a short walk away, with Downtown Crossing and Cambridge, along with Dorchester, Quincy, and Braintree being accessible on the Red Line. The Silver Line also brings you to the Seaport (which, to be real, is close enough to walk to as well). You also have the Commuter Rail, which can bring you as far out as North Kingstown, RI, about 63 miles out.
Transit connections: Amtrak (Northeast Regional, Acela, Lake Shore Limited) Commuter Rail (Worcester, Franklin, Foxboro, Needham, Providence, Stoughton, Fairmount, Middleborough, Kingston, Greenbush) Red Line (Ashmont/Braintree) Silver Line (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW in Transitway, SL4 on Atlantic & Essex) MBTA bus (4, 7, 11) Various intercity busees
Overall, to be quite truthful, I kinda hold this station in a special regard. Not so much because it’s a decent station (it is though, I’d be full of shit otherwise), but more because of the events that led to me pretty much making some friends, or rather internet friends that I happened to have met once or twice in person (for that saga, see the SLW entry). And, I’d like to shout out everyone who’ve I’ve met and dragged along the way now that it’s the 1-year mark of this blog. There’s several of y’all and I’m having a bit of a hard time remembering names, being on the verge of falling asleep (and admittedly, I’d feel bad if I left some names out). And with that, thank you for tuning in for a whole year straight.
North Station, the north-side terminal for the MBTA, as well as the southern terminus for Amtrak’s Downeaster, stands underneath the TD Garden on the Charles River. Likewise, in recent years, it’s seen heavy development both on street level and inside. Let’s take a look at the rail terminal, shall we?
The Green Line’s northbound platform
So, the Green and Orange Line station opened in 2004, as a replacement for the Causeway St. elevated and an older station for the Orange Line (which, in of itself replaced the Charlestown Elevated with the extension to Oak Grove). Some would even call it a “superstation”, and I’d say that would be a fitting description. I’d argue, the energy this place gives is more akin to your average WMATA station, if anything, but with that MBTA twist. Now, what’s the platform configuration? Well, the southbound Green and Orange Lines facilitate a cross-platform transfer. Meanwhile, the northbound Orange Line and Green Line requires some form of “up and over”, however it’s much more straightforward. Also, for “new”, a tunnel opened up between the Commuter Rail platform and the subway concourse in 2019 to connect the two together (yes, they were separate!). And, while it’s a little dingy, it gets better on either end.
The mezzanine!Woah, it’s got a Commuter Rail departure board! It’s kinda small though!This is a little dingyThe corridor linking the Commuter Rail and subway concoursesWelcome to the North Station concourse!And outside!
HOLY CRAP. This is NICE! The concourse is very, VERY modern, and there’s a few shops located in the concourse as well. Above the station is TD Garden, where the Bruins and Celtics play. On the other end of the concourse is where the Amtrak and MBTA ticket offices are, along with a food court. Outside you have Star Market and a few other shops. There’s also a Quik-Trak machine tucked away in a corner. The fare-controlled section of North Station (yes, there’s faregates!!!) has benches, the Dunkin’, and the platforms. Not much to be said about the platforms, aside from the presence of some helvetica.
The concourse!Commuter Rail ticketboothsThe Quik-Trak machine!Fare controlled!The departure board!Dunkin’!Some trains!Helvetica!
The good: It’s modern! Also, the transfers are probably the easiest on the entire system, boiling to either an easy up/over or across the platform. Furthermore, all the north-side Commuter Rail station terminate here, along with the Downeaster. Also, it’s close to the North End, so it’s also a “gateway” to it like Haymarket. Also, the entrance on Causeway Street is pretty nice!
The bad: THOSE. DAMN. FAREGATES. Best hope you don’t end up like Charlie! Also, where does the 4 board? And, it’s a bit of a nuisance than anything, but why is the subway headhouse a few streets over? And, according to a friend, the women’s room is dingy. (I, however, cannot attest for the men’s room, as I never needed to use it.)
Nearby points of interest: The North End and TD Garden are the big ones! Regina Pizzeria is pretty good if you’re in the area. There’s also a few parks and whatnot, and I think there’s probably a few sports bars, if that’s your thing.
Transit connections: Amtrak (Downeaster) Commuter Rail (Fitchburg, Lowell, Haverhill, Newburyport, Rockport) Orange Line Green Line (D/E) MBTA bus (4)
Overall, this station is probably the definition of a “10/10” station/terminal. And yes, that’s the score. It’s got everything you’d expect, and amenities relating to the building directly attached to it (TD Garden), plus it’s got a modern subway station underneath that feels like it’s befitting for WMATA.
