Briarwood – Van Wyck Boulevard (IND Queens Boulevard Line)

Briarwood – Van Wyck Boulevard (pronounced Van Wike) is a local station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 84th Drive and the Van Wyck Expressway, in Briarwood, Queens, it is served by the F train at all times and E evenings, late nights and weekends (it bypasses this station weekdays during midday and rush hours).

This station has two side platforms and four tracks. The platforms have teal blue columns, yellow tile trim with black borders, and name tablets containing "VAN WYCK BLVD." in white lettering on a black border with yellow trimming.

The full-length mezzanine is directly above the platforms. It is separated into three sections with two black fences. Fare control is in the middle and there is no free transfer between directions. The full time exit is via a long passageway to Main Street and Queens Boulevard.

Just to the compass south (railroad north) of this station, the IND Archer Avenue Line splits from the Queens Boulevard Line in a flying junction; thus, it can be served by trains coming from both lines.

Van Wyck Boulevard was the name of the wide thoroughfare that existed when the station opened in 1937. The Van Wyck Expressway was built over the boulevard in the early 1950s.

To the west of this station, are track connections from both the express and local tracks to Jamaica Yard.

East of this station, two tracks start between the express and local pairs. Until construction of the IND Archer Avenue Line began in the 1970s, a pair of original trackways existed south of this station (at this point was known as the "Van Wyck Stub"). The bellmouths was originally built for the proposed Van Wyck Boulevard Line going towards Rockaway Boulevard as part of a planned system expansion. The bellmouths was built originally south of this station to the middle of the present interlocking just north of Jamaica – Van Wyck. When the Archer Avenue Line was built and extended, the original tunnels was left, but new tiles and tracks were added. These tunnels are now used for the E train going towards Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer.

There are punch boxes on the Jamaica-bound track of this station to allow trains to go to either the Hillside Avenue (F train) or Archer Avenue (E train) Lines.

The provision for the Van Wyck Boulevard Line (later Archer Avenue Line) that existed south of this station was built at the same time as the section of the IND Queens Boulevard Line from Kew Gardens – Union Turnpike to 169th Street.

In the 1988 comedy film Coming to America, Eddie Murphy's character, Akeem, tries to persuade his love interest to marry him and go to Zamunda, a fictional kingdom in Africa. He follows her onto the Briarwood – Van Wyck Boulevard station. When Akeem jumps the turnstile and "Van Wyck Boulevard" can be seen in the background above the toll booth. They board the train which next stops at the Sutphin Bouldevard Station where she gets off. This scene, however, was actually shot at the unused platform and tracks of Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets station in Brooklyn.

The station's original name was Van Wyck Boulevard. It was changed to Briarwood – Van Wyck Boulevard in 1988 to avoid confusion with Jamaica – Van Wyck on the IND Archer Avenue Line.

References

External links

• nycsubway.org — IND Queens Boulevard Line: Briarwood/Van Wyck Boulevard
• Station Reporter — F Train
• The Subway Nut — Briarwood – Van Wyck Boulevard Pictures
• Queens Boulevard entrance from Google Maps Street View