121 Street (J) - The SubwayNut

121 Street is a simple two side platformed Jamaica Avenue elevated line station. The station originally opened on July 13, 1918, as the first intermediate stop on what was a 6 stop extension from 111 Street (which had only opened in 1917) as an elevated subway to 168 Street in Downtown Jamaica. The station became the temporary terminus of all J train service on April 15, 1985 when service was cut back from the now abandoned Queens Blvd Station (where service had been pushed back at the request of Downtown Jamaica merchants in 1997), in preparation for the cut-in of the new tracks for the new Archer Avenue extension that opened on December 11, 1988. The special Q49 bus provided free bus/subway transfers at 121 Street to the abandoned and torn-down elevated stations until the Archer Avenue extension opened.

The station has the older cream colored metal windscreens, and has two exits. The full time entrance is at the southern (western) end of the station: there's a single staircase that leads down from each platform to the standard mezzanine area beneath the tracks, after the turnstiles a pair of staircases leads down to either side of Jamaica Avenue on the west side of 121 Street.

The station has secondary unstaffed exits at the other (eastern/southern) end of the station. These simple exits lead down to the west side of 123 Street and consist of a single staircase down from each platform to an intermediate landing level, where the station house beneath the tracks has been closed to public use. From here there's a High Entrance/Exit Turnstile from the Manhattan-bound platform and only an old wooden High Exit Turnstile (making it an exit only exit) from the Jamaica-bound platform. The station is windscreen and canopied for almost its entire length between the station's two exits.
1 & 2: December 23, 2005; 3-30: July 22, 2009

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A R42 J train begins to leave 121 Street.

A R42 J train has left 121 Street has passengers continue down the platform.

A service sign on the Jamaica-bound platform, telling passengers to take the Z during PM rush hours.

A sign for the two station exits on the platform's windscreen.

Approaching the single staircases down from each platform to the 123 Street exit.

Looking across at the 123 Street exit staircase down from the Manhattan-bound platform.

Looking down the station platforms at 121 Street.

Approaching the High Exit gate, and recently installed panic bar emergency exit from the 123 Street exit.

Looking beneath the el, the side of 123 Street's station house, no longer in public use is visible.

Another view of the side of 123 Street's station house with oddly boarded up windows.

Looking back to the No Entry sign on the street side end of the exit only exit from the Jamaica-bound platform at 123 Street.

The No entry staircase from the 123 Street exit from the Manhattan-bound platform

The enter with a Metrocard entrance street stair to the Manhattan-bound platform from 123 Street.

Looking up at the entrance from 123 Street to the Manhattan-bound platform, the single High Entrance Turnstile is clearly visible.

A Jamaica Avenue street sign is up-side-down.

Approaching the main station house at 121 Street nestled beneath the elevated tracks.

Approaching the full time entrance to 121 Street.

An entrance staircase to 121 Street.

Another view of an entrance staircase to 121 Street with a staircase up to one of the platforms in the background.

Approaching the turnstiles to enter the subway system at 121 Street.

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