Public Transit – Page 4 – chelsea's corner

42nd St.-Times Square/PABT/Bryant Park/5th Ave. (Lines 1-3, 7, A-F, M, N, Q, R, W, 42nd St. Shuttle)

Times Square…oh how do I even begin this one? Well, it’s the dog days of summer, and this one’s gonna be one hell of a doozy. That is, a 5 in 1 package. Let’s dig into it: the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the associated MTA subway station, the Times Square subway station, and the Bryant Park/5th Ave. station complex. Yes, all of these are attached to one another. So, buckle down, for this will be LONG.

So, to start with this entry, I was intercepted by someone from the Miles in Transit server (this was before I met up with Miranda for Christopher St.’s entry) at Penn Station. I then took my HRT on line E, and continued to the PABT. Commence review.

The platforms are pretty standard as seen elsewhere, two island platforms (albeit staggered), with benches, wayfinding, and a countdown clock. They are also accessible via ramps. The mezzanine is huge, with access to the PABT, and even has shops lining it. The PABT itself is pretty expansive, and while I didn’t have a lot of time to check it out (I would be here all day!), the bus terminal itself is expansive. Information booths can be found for Greyhound, Peter Pan, among other carriers. There’s even shopping and restaurants in the non-subway section of the terminal. Neat! From what I heard, the bus berths are just oversized parking garages, so I wasn’t bothered. The End!

HA! You thought this was the end? LMAO NOPE! Well, after going through a concourse tunnel, we reach 7th Ave. at Broadway. Welcome to Times Square!

This was written and taken during the 2024 Olympics season!

Times Square has lines #s 1-3, 7, N, Q, R, W, and the Grand Central-Times Square shuttle. But first, a poem. It’s actually kinda dark, reading:
“OVERSLEPT, SO TIRED. IF LATE, GET FIRED. WHY BOTHER? WHY THE PAIN?”
Damn. That’s actually very dark, and in a way kinda relatable. Well, we reach Times Square’s mezzanine and it’s pretty big. There’s restrooms nearby (staffed!!!!!!), and stairs to every which way. The station itself, though, is more on the empty side. Now, if you’re expecting the platforms for each set of lines to be different….you’d actually be wrong here. Lines #s 1-3 use a pair of islands, with line #3 in particular being a shuttle between here and 148th St.-Lenox Terminal overnight. Lines N, Q, R, and W also use a pair of islands, albeit oriented diagonally underneath Broadway, rather than 7th Ave. Then, there’s line #7, which is yet another island platform. Historically, this station was the terminus for line #7 until Hudson Yards opened in 2015, and until then there were some big mean mother bumpers at the end of the track. Lastly, there’s the Times Square shuttle platform. There used to be three tracks, however that changed relatively recently with modifications to widen the platform, so now it’s just two with an oversized island. One of the two tracks happens to connect to line #1 at the Times Square end as well. Neat! In terms of platform amenities, you have the usual signage, countdown clocks (yes, even for the shuttle!), benches, and wastebaskets. Nothing exciting. The station is also accessible by elevators – however, the PABT transfer is not due to a steeper than normal grade. Sorry!

Line R – wait, isn’t it supposed to be yellow?

This is, in fact, the busiest station on the MTA subway

On the surface, Times Square is one hell of a busy place. In fact, it is known to be overwhelming to some. Even I felt mildly overwhelmed but GOOD GOD was it an experience. Many express and local buses can be found here at street level, while some can be found near Bryant Park, with the PABT having a number of NJT and intercity buses. One of the entrances to Times Square, a simple staircase, is also reported to cost $30 million. Yikes! Overall, this place is definitely among the most photographed in the world, and being here was certainly an experience. Furthermore, you also have a number of shops and theaters nearby. Moving on!

BUS connection- wait a second, GET OUTTA THE BUS LANE!

Eventually, going back to the shuttle platform, Bryant Park station can be accessed underground from here. It’s a stone’s throw away again, which means in theory you can walk from one #7 line platform to the other! HA! Nice… Anyways, I digress. Bryant Park isn’t too special, with the connections to lines B, D, F, and M along with line #7. Except for one thing… Line #7’s platform has “platform screen doors” – albeit, better, as platform barriers. THEY SUCK. THEY CALL THESE PLATFORM SCREEN DOORS?! THIS AIN’T THE KIND OF STUFF THAT RMTRANSIT MENTIONS IN LITERALLY EVERY VIDEO!!! GOD FUCKING DAMMIT MTA!!!!!!!! THESE ARE NOT GOING TO DETER A MALICIOUS MALFACTOR OR ANYONE ELSE FROM FORCING A LIVING BEING ONTO THE GODDAMN THIRD RAIL!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! I digress, the mezzanine is your typical ex-Independent Subway mezzanine (the Independent Subway, or IND for short, being one of the three predecessor entities to the modern MTA, forming part of the present-day B division/lettered lines). That’s to say, stupidly overbuilt. That’s it. That’s the entire review. Sorry, no pictures of Bryant Park, but it is a pretty nice place, and I might add pics next time I’m in NYC.

More signage! The fuck is a Culver, though?

Does every subway train in NYC have the US flag on it?

THERE IS A. DOWNTOWN. LOCAL. SEVEN TRAIN TO THIRTYFOURTHSTREET-HUDSONYARDS. APPROACHING THE STATION PLEASE STAND AWAY FROM THE PLATFORM EDGE.

The good: It is HUGE and has connections to almost every line. (it does not connect to lines G, J, L, Z, or the Staten Island Railroad). The areas on the surface are full of activity as well, and the PABT is a major destination. It’s also (relatively) a stone’s throw from Penn Station and Grand Central. There’s also restrooms!

The bad: It can be a little confusing for some! Furthermore, it’s a goddamn sauna during the summer. PLATFORM BARRIERS TOO FHDAIOHFIODPWAYHFIODPASHFA.

Nearby points of interest: Bryant Park, Times Square, the PABT, and the many shops, restaurants, theaters, etc. in the area are the big ones! The main branch of the New York Public Library is at Bryant Park as well. The Rockefeller Center, while not directly here, is a stone’s throw away, as is Grand Central.

Transit connections:
6th Ave. Line (lines B, D, F, FX, M)
7th Ave. Line(lines #s 1, 2, 3)
8th Ave. Line (lines A, C, E)
Broadway Line (lines N, Q, R, W)
Flushing Line (lines #s 7, 7X)
42nd St. Shuttle
MTA bus (M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M7, M20, M34A SBS, M42, M55, M104, Q32, SIM1C, SIM3, SIM3C, SIM4C, SIM6, SIM8, SIM8X, SIM10, SIM22, SIM23, SIM24 SIM25, SIM26, SIM30, SIM31, BxM2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11, BxM18, QM1, QM2, QM3, QM4, QM5, QM6, QM20)
NJ Transit bus (101, 102, 105, 107, 108, 109, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 119, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 144, 145, 148, 151, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 177, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 319, 320, 321, 324, 355)
Bee-Line Bus (BxM4C)
Various intercity buses

Overall, this station complex is the single most important station (or station complex, rather) on the entire MTA subway, connecting almost every line with each other. Just be safe and mindful of pickpocketing people. If you’re ever in NYC as a tourist, I wouldn’t say “don’t come here”, and in fact I say do go for it at least once. But, in terms of the station itself, it’s not too grandiose inside, and the relatively high rating comes from the lively vibes of the surrounding areas. Screw those platform fences on 5th Ave. though.

Rating: 7/10

301 (Rural Ride, Westerly/Richmond)

Oh, brother, THIS route. I actually haven’t had the chance to ride it. Well, not until today. And this, is the last RIPTA route I actually had to ride. Meet: the 301 Rural Ride Friday Flyer.

Okay, first off, this route uses a RIde van. What the hell?! This…..is unique. Because RIde vans don’t have Wave readers (they wouldn’t – paratransit doesn’t use the standard fare system that relies on the Wave card or app), you can’t use mobile or card payment. You have to PHYSICALLY HAND $2 IN CASH TO THE BUS OPERATOR. THAT’S RIGHT – YOU HAVE TO PHYSICALLY PAY THE DRIVER!!! I genuinely have never seen anything like this before. Secondly, the driver outright asked if I was sure I wanted the 301 because nobody ever gets on in Westerly. Thirdly, as a fun tidbit, apparently I was the first ever person to board the 301 from within Westerly ever since the driver who does it started working the 301. Neat! 9 AM comes around, and we depart Westerly Station.

Eventually, we turned down a series of streets navigating through Westerly, ending near RI-78 and Dunn’s Corner and Walmart. We sat there for 5 minutes. No ons, no offs. And then, the fun began. We started HAULING ASS down Dunn’s Corner Road and into the middle of nowhere! Yeah, we made a couple of stops that got no ons or offs, but that eventually changed after we crossed into Hopkinton and made our second deviation: Saugatucket Springs!

My favorite park – the INDUSTRIAL PARK! (jkjk)

An old lady got on at Saugatucket Springs, was confused as to why it’s $2 rather than $4 (the driver explained $4 was the round-trip cost), and paid both ways at once. Then, after waiting a little more, we continued on back out towards Hopkinton Town Hall and up RI-3. In terms of scenery, it wasn’t exciting – being much of the usual woodland. This route isn’t called the Rural Ride for nothing!

We had two more boardings – an old woman and a man. The man, in particular, was surprised and a bit confused as to why I was riding the 301. He even asked me if I was homeless and I just said “nah, I’m gonna get an Uber to Kingston Station afterwards” (I did actually do this). With the last deviation done, we continued on towards Stop & Shop in Richmond, entering the village of Hope Valley, and passing through it quickly. Eventually, we reached I-95 yet again and, soon enough, the end of the route at Stop & Shop, where everyone got off to do their weekly grocery shopping.

The good: It’s a lifeline for the three people that boarded it!

The bad: The schedule is terrible – 1 and a quarter round trips a week, Fridays only, and it doesn’t run if Friday is a holiday.

Nearby points of interest: Not a lot. Westerly, maybe?

Overall, it’s an important route, yet also one that’s largely useless outside its one very specific usecase. Please, Canonchet Cliffs and Saugatucket Shores, take it off RIPTA’s hands or fund the route further! It’s a very important lifeline for the three people that regularly take it!

Rating: 3/10, 8/10 for the vibes.

With that, that concludes another bus entry. However, I’d like to dedicate this entry to someone special. Namely, I’d like to dedicate this entry to my late maternal grandfather, who instilled my interest in transit into me (though I never acted on it until relatively recently). Rest easy, and may you ferry people on the buses of the high heavens, champ…

Christopher St.-Stonewall (Line #1)

In late June of 1969, a series of police raids happened at the Stonewall Inn bar at the early hours of the morning. In this time, the LGBT community was very much not widely accepted in society at-large, and was oftentimes facing persecution and even death regularly. As a result of the violence ensuing from the riots, the modern fight for LGBT rights and equal treatment began, and in the following years the earliest Pride marches had their origins. Nevertheless, the fight for equal rights, treatment, and acceptance in society is still ongoing, with a number of roadblocks including the AIDS epidemic in the ’80s being used to demonize gay men, and more recently in the present day conservative politicians in a number of countries engaging in political warfare against transgender people (e.g. forcing schools to out kids, using pedophilia as a dogwhistle, banning puberty blockers, sports, banning or heavily gatekeeping HRT, etc.).

With all that history out of the way, here’s the station review part of this entry. Originally named after Sheridan Square, Christopher St.(-Stonewall) is a local station in lower Manhattan, serving line #1 at all times and line #2 at night hours. It’s located in the heart of Sheridan Square and the Greenwich Village, where the modern LGBTQ+ movement has originated, and there’s also a national monument at the Stonewall Inn on street level as well. Furthermore, the area is also pretty busy with businesses lining both Christopher St. and 7th Avenue. And, as a fun aside, you can even see the Freedom Tower from here as well. Neat! As for platform level, you have your usual amenities: faregates, a MetroCard machine (no OMNY!), benches, wastebaskets, and countdown clocks. There’s also no free crossover between sides. Annoying!

Line #1 to South Ferry in 2 minutes. That’s frequent!

The other side through the pylons holding the street up

A podcast! And yes, Bernie Wagenblast (the countdown clock announcer) is, in fact, a trans woman!

The good: It’s historically significant! It’s also in a pretty busy urban area, has basic amenities to make a functional subway station, and has bus connections!

The bad: It’s not accessible! Also, no OMNY machines??? There’s also no free crossover! Goddammit.

Nearby points of interest: The Stonewall Monument and Inn, duh! This area’s literally the origin of the modern LGBTQ+ movement!

Transit connections:
7th Ave. (Line #1)
MTA bus (M8, M20)

Overall, I think my approach for reviewing NYC subway stations are going to be based partly on land use and the quality of the stations themselves since I have a hunch many of them are going to be copy-paste. With that said, here’s my final thoughts on the station. It’s in a cool place. The Village genuinely seems like a cool place that I want to check out further in the future if I ever return to NYC (I will!), and on top of that the area is very important historically, and the events serve as a reminder, at least to me, that while life still sucks as a queer (trans and gay, specifically, in my case) person in the USA, it could be A LOT worse and it was a lot worse historically, and that even in the present day we still have work to do before we’re truly at a point where LGBTQ+ equality is achieved. Lastly, shoutout to Miranda from the Miles in Transit Discord server for tagging along with me for this one, it was nice hanging with you, and hopefully we cross paths again.

Rating: 7/10

Hamilton/Wenham (MBTA)

Alexander Hamilton was the first US Treasury secretary (that’s right – the same position held by, at the time of writing this, Janet Yellen!) and was a very influential person in American history. While I don’t know the full extent of his historical significance, he did have involvement with the American Revolution and the Continental Congress back when those were things. Unfortunately, after an attempt to run for President, his demise came in a duel with Aaron Burr in 1804. His legacy can be seen in many things between modern-day currency and the famous Lin-Manuel Miranda play Hamilton.

Now, what the HELL does this have to do with anything I write about? Well, I’ll tell you: they named a town – and by extension a Commuter Rail station – after the man! Welcome to Hamilton (/Wenham)!

Hamilton/Wenham, as the name suggests, is on the line between Hamilton and Wenham, Massachusetts. The area isn’t bad and is a much better area compared to North Beverly to the south, all things considered. It’s pretty close to the town center (I did not check it out, as I instead got water at the nearby Cumby’s), the station has plenty of parking, there’s plenty of shelter and even a mini-high that, shockingly, HAS STUFF! WOAH! I’m genuinely relieved this is a good station! Yeah, you have benches and everything! There’s also a small walkway and a grade crossing just north of the station as well. Neat! It’s also located next to a small shopping center with a Dunks and a CVS as well, which is nice.

Walkway and crossings looking towards Newburyport!

Some shelter and looking towards Boston!

The good: It’s in the town center, has plenty of parking, and shelters! It’s also got benches and, wouldn’t ya know it, the mini-high isn’t barren! WOAH!!! There’s also stuff nearby!!! And, it’s pedestrian-friendly!

The bad: Not a lot, actually! Would be nice if there was a local bus connection to somewhere.

Nearby points of interest: The town center is close by!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Newburyport)

Overall, I really like this station. I mean, it’s not a personal favorite, but objectively it’s really a good station and the town itself is largely cool. Deducted points for the anti-MBTA Communities Act sentiment, however. Sorry!

Rating: 8/10

North Beverly (MBTA)

This station, like EVERY OTHER STATION IN BEVERLY, absolutely sucks! And, I feel like I’m beating a dead horse on this one, so I’ll probably make this one rather quick. With that out of the way, welcome to North Beverly!

The station, much like Beverly (which, thank GOD is finally seeing a minor rebuild!) and Beverly Farms, has a barren platform and barren mini-highs. No shelter on the outbound side, benches exist on the platforms, there’s a red dot matrix signage, wastebaskets, and crossings to change sides. There’s also a small parking lot and even a connection to the route 451 bus. Neat! In terms of the surrounding area, it’s nothing special, really, as it’s just a normal suburban area with a train platform shoehorned in. It really isn’t anything special. As for the inbound platform shelter, it’s a bus shelter. GODDAMMIT!

The only other “shelter” on the low level section

TRAIN TO NORTH STATION APPROACHING. PLEASE STAND BACK.

The good: It’s in suburbia! It also has a local bus connection and is accessible!

The bad: WHY ARE ALL THESE STATIONS SO DAMN BARREN AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHFIDOPAHFIDOPSHFGIUODYHGUIOFADWHSFIOP THEY’RE LITERALLY COPY-PASTED FROM EACH OTHER AND IN SHIT WAYS

Nearby points of interest: Just a couple of strip malls.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Newburyport)
MBTA bus (451)

Overall, this station sucks, all the other stations in Beverly suck, and thank GOD all I have left in this town are the 451 and the Beverly Local Bus!

Rating: 4/10

Ipswich (MBTA)

Ipswich is a small town in the North Shore. I’ve heard a lot about it in passing but I’ve never thought to check it out until now. Well, I did, and here’s the station entry. All things considered, it’s not bad.

Ipswich was, until 1998, the terminus of the then-Ipswich Line. But, of course, in 1998, the line saw a 2 stop extension through the wetlands to Rowley and Newburyport. As a terminal, I’m sure it was alright. However, I’m not looking it like that, as it’s not a terminal anymore. The station itself is built on a relatively sharp curve with a crossing bisecting Topsfield Road. The station itself is very strongly resembling Hamilton/Wenham, down to the nearby walkable downtown area, and I already liked that station. There’s also a bus connection to the seasonal Ipswich-Essex Explorer ran by the Cape Ann Transit Authority as well. The platforms have signage, the usual red dot matrix signs typical of a Commuter Rail station, benches, and shelters on both the mini-high and the low level platform. Overall, pretty good! Also, the bus connection is SIGNED. YAY!!!

The signal was green before the train pulled in, I assure!

And towards Newburyport with the Topsfield Road crossing!

Parking! The Ipswich/Essex Explorer also picks up here.

The good: It’s in Ipswich’s town center! The platforms are nice, there’s a bus connection, and the area is also rather walkable! There’s also plenty of parking for those opting to drive. However, to my awareness, it’s by permit only, though. Sorry!

The bad: Not a lot. The train does spill into the crossing here…

Nearby points of interest: Wherever the heck the Ipswich/Essex Explorer will bring you, plus Ipswich’s downtown!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Newburyport)
CATA (Ipswich/Essex Explorer)

Overall, it’s also a pretty good station. It’s centrally located and has a decent amount of stuff around it, as well as a decent-ish (I think?) summer bus connection. Definitely better on the system.

Rating: 8.5/10

Rowley (MBTA)

So, I was in the Miles in Transit Discord server and I mentioned I was going to be doing the entirety of the Newburyport Line on the day I came up here, to which someone got excited over Rowley. Well, to that person who was eager to see my take on Rowley (or, I guess as I should dub you, Rowley’s Strongest Warrior), this one is for you. Welcome to Rowley!

Rowley opened in 1998 as part of the Ipswich Line’s Newburyport extension as the sole intermediate station, and it shows. It’s a full-length high platform with shelters and benches and wastebaskets (oh my!), plenty of parking that, when I was here, it barely had anyone parked (it was also after the AM rush), and a whole lot of nothing in the walkshed. Yeah. There really is nothing, and you’d have to walk a mile before reaching much of anything. If anything, it’s a testament to just how not very dense the town is overall. Yikes. There isn’t even a Dunks nearby, which is also just sad. Ah well!

Parking lot signage. No overnight parking?!

The good: It’s a full-length high platform! Yay? There’s also shelter and benches and parking!

The bad: WHY NO OVERNIGHT PARKING?! ALSO, THERE’S LITERALLY NOTHING HERE AAAAAAAAAAAAFHDIOAPHFGDIOAHGIOPASHGAD WAHT THE FUCKING HELL

Nearby points of interest: Nah.

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Newburyport)

Overall, while it’s not bad, it’s just……eh…..there’s nothing really helping it and there’s nothing nearby. This is just depression more than anything else. Pass.

Rating: 5.5/10

Newburyport (MBTA)

Opened in 1998, Newburyport is the end of its namesake line, and is a small seaside town. Unlike Rockport, however, the station is drastically different. Well, here we go.

Newburyport uses an island terminal configuration with big mean mother bumpers at the end of the tracks that used to go all the way to Portsmouth, Kittery, and points north before terminating at Portland, Maine. With that said, terminal ops are rather normal here, with the train dwelling before turning around. Platform amenities are normal, with a yellow dot matrix sign, benches, wastebaskets, and A LOT OF PARKING. One lot’s off Parker St., while the other lot is off US-1. Sadly, the area largely isn’t walkable outside a rail trail. However, MeVa does actually run buses here, namely the 19 to the Costello TC in Amesbury and the 20 to Salisbury Beach. There is also a Mexican restaurant in the station depot building as well, which while I haven’t tried it personally, Google reviews do suggest nothing but good things about it. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten the opportunity to explore Newburyport a bit more, but I have heard it’s a charming little town, so I’ll likely be returning at some point. As another aside, I will say, land use, while bad at face value, does seem to be getting a little better near the station with housing developments going up nearby. Affordable? Well, if it says you have to call for rates, it probably isn’t.

The island, looking towards a pair of bumpy bois

Google says it’s good, maybe I’ll check it out some time?

Outdated map and signage pointing towards US-1

BUILD THE FUCKING NORTH-SOUTH RAIL LINK!

Looking towards Beverly, Salem, Chelsea, and Boston!

The good: It’s a massive park and ride for not just the surrounding rural areas, but also southern NH and Maine commuters (though I think Mainers coming to here might be more on the “extreme commute” side of things?). There’s also connections to MeVa for travel within the region. Also, the platform is fully accessible! YAY!

The bad: The area isn’t exactly walkable… yeah, sorry! The only trace of MeVa stopping here is also a small bus stop sign that’s pretty easily missable if you don’t know where to look. And, there’s also no bus info.

Nearby points of interest: Downtown Newburyport looks cool!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Newburyport)
MeVa (19, 20)

Overall, pretty good, and it’s a pretty decent terminal. The connection to MeVa is a little annoying to find though if you don’t know what to look for, though, especially given MeVa is typically a flag-down system.

Rating: 7/10

Manchester (MBTA)

Alrighty, alrighty, the full name of this station and town is “Manchester by the Sea”, however for simplicity’s sake, I’m gonna just call it Manchester. However, with that said, if the coveted Lowell Line extension to New Hampshire happens, I’ll probably use the full name in the title of this entry. With that said, here’s a very foggy and dreary station – Manchester By The Sea. (it was foggy and dreary when I was here)

So, Manchester is much a copy-paste of the various stations in Beverly – mini high setup, barren mini-highs with nothing, red dot matrix signage, outbound platform having much of nothing on it, and a decent amount of parking. However, this time, the outbound platform DOES have shelter – albeit not on the mini-high. And, for some reason, it’s LARGER than the inbound! Meanwhile, the inbound shelter is just a shed. There is also plenty of parking to go around, and the station is in the town center adjacent to a drawbridge. In terms of nearby stuff in the town center, there’s a grocery store, the local community center, and a waterfront park. Neat! But, the station’s still pretty sad overall. Sorry!

That’s it?! That’s all the inbound side gets?!

WHY DOES THE OUTBOUND SIDE GET MORE SHELTER?!

There’s a drawbridge but it might be hard to see

Maybe old station house? Not sure, but a Google search suggested this was the old B&M station house

The good: It’s in Manchester’s town center! Yay? It also has shelter!

The bad: WHY DOES THE OUTBOUND SIDE GET A LARGER SHELTER? WHY IS THE PLATFORM SO DAMN BARREN FOR A MAJOR-ISH TOURIST DESTINATION?! RAISE THE DAMN PLATFORM! WAHT THE HELL?! The lack of buses here is annoying but that’s hardly an issue.

Nearby points of interest: Manchester is a bustling seaside town during the summer months!

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Rockport)

Overall, yeah this station sucks. The only saving grace vs. Montserrat is that it’s in the town center and that the outbound platform has shelter. But it suffers many of the same issues as the Beverly stations. Sorry!

Rating: 3.5/10

Montserrat (MBTA)

In 1995, the island of Montserrat experienced a catastrophic disaster that rendered its capitol city, Plymouth, uninhabitable. On July 18th of that year, the Soufrière Hills volcano went kaboom, spewing volcanic fallout around the island, and the volcano has been active since. This all has rendered about half of the island of Montserrat uninhabitable.

…wait, what? I’m talking about the wrong Montserrat? Ah fuck. Whelp, Chelsea did the wrong type of research. What is the right Montserrat, anyways?

*looks at pictures and notes*

OH, there’s a neighborhood in Beverly called Montserrat with a T station! Okay! Whoopsies, sorry about the snafu. Here’s Montserrat, the T station. Sorry, everyone!

Anyways, Montserrat is sandwiched between two grade crossings, at Essex St. and Spring St. Essex St. is the more busy of the two streets, with me having to risk my life crossing it. Yikes. There’s plenty of parking to go around here as well, and it being a Saturday meant an empty parking lot. The mini-highs are unsheltered, the inbound platform has a rinky-dinky little shelter, while the outbound has jack shit. There’s benches and wastebaskets though! There’s also a couple of red dot matrix signage. In terms of the area, there’s not much around, as it’s almost fully residential. Oh yeah, there IS a bus connection – the Beverly Local Bus. Stay tuned for that one!

Looking a bit more head on towards Rockport

Why does the outbound platform extend past the Spring St. crossing?

IMPULSIVE THOUGHTS… (i didn’t tamper with it, to be clear)

Before I left, however, I decided to pick up lunch at Nick’s Pizza. Fries were crunchy and salty, and the pizza was pretty good, all things considered. Overall, I give it a passing grade.

The good: It’s in a residential neighborhood! Relatively easy to walk to, at that. There’s also a local bus connection.

The bad: EVERYTHING ELSE. THE STATION ITSELF SUCKS, THE MINI-HIGHS ARE BARREN, THERE’S BARELY ANY SHELTER, AND NOTHING IN WALKING DISTANCE – WAHT THE ACTUAL HELL!!! AND THE BEVERLY LOCAL BUS IS A MESS OF A ROUTE TOO!!!

Nearby points of interest: Just a small plaza with Nick’s Pizza and a convenience store…

Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Rockport)
Beverly Local Bus

Overall, no. Just, god no. Please no.

Rating: 3/10