Briarwood station

Construction

The Queens Boulevard Line was one of the first built by the city-owned Independent Subway System (IND), and was planned to stretch between the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan and 178th Street and Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens.^[5][6] The line was first proposed in 1925.^[7] Construction of the line was approved by the New York City Board of Estimate on October 4, 1928.^[8] Approval of the section of the Queens Boulevard Line between the intersections of 137th Street (now the Van Wyck Expressway) and Hillside Avenue was held up by a month during late 1929 because of a dispute over a spur that would run south to Rockaway Boulevard. Some property owners wanted the spur to run under Van Wyck Boulevard, while others wanted it to run under Sutphin Boulevard to the east.^[9] On December 23, 1930, the contract for the construction of the section between 137th Street and 178th Street—Route 108, Section 11—was let. This section included the stations at 169th Street, Parsons Boulevard, Sutphin Boulevard, and Van Wyck Boulevard.^[10] As planned, Parsons Boulevard was to be one of the Queens Boulevard Line's five express stops, as well as one of 22 total stops on the line between Seventh Avenue in Manhattan and 178th Street in Queens. Parsons Boulevard would be the only express stop built as part of Section 11.^[11] The contract for this section was awarded to Triest Contracting Corporation.^[12] The line was constructed using the cut-and-cover tunneling method, and to allow pedestrians to cross, temporary bridges were built over the trenches.^[13]

The first section of the line opened on August 19, 1933, from the connection to the Eighth Avenue Line at 50th Street to Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights.^[14] Later that year, a $23 million loan was approved to finance the remainder of the line, along with other IND lines.^[15] The remainder of the line was built by the Public Works Administration.^[16] In summer 1933 work on this station and 169th Street were completed, far ahead of schedule.^[12] In 1934 and 1935, construction of the extension to Jamaica was suspended for 15 months and was halted by strikes.^[17] Construction was further delayed due to a strike in 1935, instigated by electricians opposing wages paid by the General Railway Signal Company.^[18]

In August 1936, tracks were installed all the way to 178th Street, and the stations to Union Turnpike were completed. However, the stops to the east, including Van Wyck Boulevard, still needed to be tiled and did not have stairways, turnstiles and lighting installed.^[17] Two additional contracts remained to be put up for bid, both the results of last minute changes; one such contract involved moving the eastern terminal from 178th to 169th Street.^[19] In addition, a new tunnel roof and new side supports had to be constructed.^[20] A 3.5-mile (5.6 km) extension from Roosevelt Avenue to Kew Gardens opened on December 31, 1936.^[21] In March 1937, the extension to 169th Street was expected to be opened on May 1, requiring work to be finished by April 3, and fully approved and tested by April 20. As of this point, minor station work remained, including the installation of light bulbs, with the only major work left to be completed being the final 200 feet (61 m) of track in the 169th Street terminal.^[20]

Opening

On April 9, 1937, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia announced that the operation of the $14.4 million extension to Jamaica and express service would begin on April 24.^[22][23] The extension to Hillside Avenue and 178th Street, with a terminal station at 169th Street, opened as planned on April 24, 1937.^[24][2][25] Service was initially provided by E trains, which began making express stops from 71st–Continental Avenues to Queens Plaza during rush hours on the same date, and by EE local trains during non-rush hours. The express service operated between approximately 6:30 and 10:30 a.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.,^[16][26] and ran every three to five minutes.^[27] This extension was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Parsons Boulevard station and with a parade along Hillside Avenue.^[28] On December 15, 1940, F trains began running via the newly opened IND Sixth Avenue Line and along the Queens Boulevard Line's express tracks; they skipped the Van Wyck Boulevard station.^[29]

Changes

In 1953, the platforms at several IND stations were lengthened to allow eleven-car trains; originally, service was provided with ten-car trains.^[a][31] The lengthened trains began running during rush hour on September 8, 1953. Eleven-car trains would only operate on weekdays.^{[32]: 37–38} The extra car increased the total carrying capacity by 4,000 passengers.^[31] The operation of eleven-car trains ended in 1958 because of operational difficulties. The signal blocks, especially in Manhattan, were too short to accommodate the longer trains, and the motormen had a very small margin of error to properly platform the train. It was found that operating ten-car trains allowed for two additional trains per hour to be scheduled.^[33]

In early 1982, in an attempt to cover up empty advertising panels that had been vandalized, students at the nearby PS 117 painted 14 murals at the Van Wyck Boulevard station. After the murals themselves were destroyed by June 1982, the students reinstalled the murals in 1985 and covered them with Plexiglas. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) provided funding for the newer murals as part of its Adopt-a-Station program.^[34]

Archer Avenue changes

Before the Archer Avenue lines opened on December 11, 1988, all Queens Boulevard express trains (E and F trains) ran to 179th Street. The E ran express east of 71st Avenue during rush hours only, and the F ran local east of 71st Avenue.^[35]

In conjunction with the opening of the Archer Avenue lines, service patterns were changed. E trains were rerouted via the new line, running to Jamaica Center, via the Queens Boulevard Line's express tracks, and began running express east of 71st Avenue.^[35][36] However, some E trains continued to run from 179th Street as expresses during the morning rush hour.^{[37]: 9–10} Service at local stations, such as Briarwood–Van Wyck Boulevard, was replaced by the R, which was extended to 179th Street from Continental Avenue. The R extension allowed F trains to continue running express to 179th Street.^[38][39] The changes in subway service angered riders at local stations east of 71st Avenue because they lost direct Queens Boulevard Express service. Local elected officials pressured the MTA to eliminate all-local service at these stations.^[40] On September 30, 1990, the R was cut back to 71st Avenue outside of rush hours. Local service to 179th Street was replaced by F trains, which provided Queens Boulevard Express service, during middays, evenings, and weekends, and local G service during late nights.^[41] In 1992, the MTA decided to have F trains run local east of 71st Avenue on a six-month trial basis to replace R service, which would be cut back to 71st Avenue at all times.^[42] The test started on October 26, 1992, and was implemented on a permanent basis six months later, eliminating express service along Hillside Avenue.^[43][40]

In the late 1990s, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority proposed constructing a ventilation shaft near the Van Wyck Boulevard station.^[44]

2010s renovations

The station's exits were rebuilt during the 2010s as part of the Kew Gardens Interchange reconstruction project, which includes replacement of the Queens Boulevard overpass over Van Wyck Expressway.^[45] Ecco won the contract for reconstructing the station's entrance at a cost of $9.9 million.^[46] In 2011, the north entrance was demolished as part of the interchange-reconstruction project, leaving the southern exit bordering Maple Grove Cemetery as the sole entrance and exit.^[47] A new entrance was built next to Archbishop Molloy High School on Main Street, replacing an exit that had been closed since 2010.^[48] Another entrance was built on the south side of Queens Boulevard between the Van Wyck Expressway's service and main roads, across from Maple Grove Cemetery.^[49]

The project started in 2010 and was originally supposed to have been completed by 2016, with a new elevator entrance and rebuilt, widened mezzanine corridors.^[48] However, delays abounded, including the fact that the new Main Street exit was delayed, having been pushed back from August 2012, to October 2013, and then again to March 2014; lead paint needed to be removed, costing $300,000; and plans were changed during construction, costing $1.7 million.^[50] The opening of the new Main Street exit was subsequently pushed forward to February 2014, then back again to May 2014. Work on the elevator was to begin after the new entrance opened; the elevator was to be complete by late 2014 or early 2015.^[51] A new staircase entrance, on the northwest corner of Queens Boulevard and Main Street, was opened in December 2014.^[52][53] After the new Main Street entrance opened, the MTA added landscaping, pavement, and sidewalks next to the entrance, and it began constructing an elevator entrance.^[53]

The elevator was supposed to have been completed in late 2016,^[54] but the MTA also missed this deadline.^[55][56] The delays were caused by the need to install emergency systems; in the meantime, some riders chose to travel 0.5 miles (0.80 km) away to the nearest wheelchair-accessible station, Union Turnpike.^[56] The elevator finally opened in May 2017.^[57] The elevator runs only between the street and mezzanine, so the station is not ADA-accessible;^[57][55] MTA officials had said that the platform was too narrow to accommodate an elevator.^[54] In 2019, the MTA announced that the Briarwood station would become fully ADA-accessible as part of the agency's 2020–2024 Capital Program.^[58]

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IND Queens Boulevard Line

IND Queens Boulevard Line

The IND Queens Boulevard Line, sometimes abbreviated as QBL, is a line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan and Queens, New York City, United States. The line, which is underground throughout its entire route, contains 23 stations. The core section between 50th Street in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, and 169th Street in Jamaica, Queens, was built by the Independent Subway System (IND) in stages between 1933 and 1940, with the Jamaica–179th Street terminus opening in 1950. As of 2015, it is among the system's busiest lines, with a weekday ridership of over 460,000 people.

Independent Subway System

Independent Subway System

The Independent Subway System, formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System (ICOSS) or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad (ICORTR), was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of the New York City Subway. It was first constructed as the Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan in 1932.

IND Eighth Avenue Line

IND Eighth Avenue Line

The IND Eighth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line in New York City, United States, and is part of the B Division of the New York City Subway. Opened in 1932, it was the first line of the Independent Subway System (IND), and the Eighth Avenue Subway name was also applied by New Yorkers to the entire IND system.

New York City Board of Estimate

New York City Board of Estimate

The New York City Board of Estimate was a governmental body in New York City responsible for numerous areas of municipal policy and decisions, including the city budget, land-use, contracts, franchises, and water rates. Under the amendments effective in 1901, to the charter of the then-recently-amalgamated City of Greater New York, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment was composed of eight ex officio members: the Mayor of New York City, the New York City Comptroller and the President of the New York City Board of Aldermen, each of whom had three votes; the borough presidents of Manhattan and Brooklyn, each having two votes; and the borough presidents of the Bronx, Queens, and Richmond, each having one vote. The La Guardia Reform Charter of 1938 simplified its name and enhanced its powers.

169th Street station (IND Queens Boulevard Line)

169th Street station (IND Queens Boulevard Line)

The 169th Street station is a local station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of 169th Street and Hillside Avenue in Queens, it is served by the F train at all times, the train during rush hours in the reverse peak direction, and two E trains to Jamaica–179th Street during p.m. rush hours.

Parsons Boulevard station

Parsons Boulevard station

The Parsons Boulevard station is an express station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Parsons Boulevard and Hillside Avenue in Queens, it is served by the F train at all times, and the train during rush hours in the reverse peak direction. Limited rush hour E service also stops here due to capacity constraints at its primary terminal of Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station, located four blocks south.

50th Street station (IND lines)

50th Street station (IND lines)

The 50th Street station is a bi-level station on the IND Eighth Avenue and Queens Boulevard Lines of the New York City Subway, located at 50th Street and Eighth Avenue in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. The lower level, on the Queens Boulevard Line, is served by the E train at all times, and the upper level, on the Eighth Avenue Line, is served by the C at all times except late nights and the A during late nights.

Jackson Heights, Queens

Jackson Heights, Queens

Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. Jackson Heights is neighbored by North Corona to the east, Elmhurst to the south, Woodside to the west, northern Astoria (Ditmars-Steinway) to the northwest, and East Elmhurst to the north and northeast. Jackson Heights has an ethnically diverse community, with half the population having been foreign-born since the 2000s. The New York Times has described Jackson Heights as "the most culturally diverse neighborhood in New York, if not on the planet." According to the 2010 United States Census, the neighborhood has a population of 108,152.

Public Works Administration

Public Works Administration

The Public Works Administration (PWA), part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression. It built large-scale public works such as dams, bridges, hospitals, and schools. Its goals were to spend $3.3 billion in the first year, and $6 billion in all, to supply employment, stabilize buying power, and help revive the economy. Most of the spending came in two waves in 1933–1935 and again in 1938. Originally called the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, it was renamed the Public Works Administration in 1935 and shut down in 1944.

General Railway Signal

General Railway Signal

General Railway Signal Company (GRS) was an American manufacturing company located in the Rochester, New York area. GRS was focused on railway signaling equipment, systems and services. The company was established in 1904 and became part of Alstom Transport in 1998. GRS was a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average from 1928 to 1930.

E (New York City Subway service)

E (New York City Subway service)

The E Eighth Avenue Local is a rapid transit service in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is blue since it uses the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan.

Forest Hills–71st Avenue station

Forest Hills–71st Avenue station

The Forest Hills–71st Avenue station is an express station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway, located on Queens Boulevard at 71st (Continental) Avenue in Forest Hills, Queens. It is served by the E and F trains at all times, the train during rush hours in the reverse peak direction, the R train at all times except late nights, and the M train on weekdays except late nights. It serves as the terminus for the latter two services.

G	Street level	Exit/entrance
M	Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent, MetroCard machines Elevator at northwest corner of Queens Boulevard and Main Street. Note: Platforms are not accessible
P Platform level	Side platform
	Southbound local	← toward World Trade Center evenings/nights/weekends (Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike) ← toward Coney Island (Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike)
	Southbound express	← does not stop here weekdays
	Northbound express	→ does not stop here weekdays →
	Northbound local	→ toward Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer evenings/nights/weekends (Jamaica–Van Wyck) → → toward Jamaica–179th Street (two p.m. rush hour trips) (Sutphin Boulevard) → → toward Jamaica–179th Street (Sutphin Boulevard) →
	Side platform

Tile caption below trim line

This local station, which is located directly under the Van Wyck Expressway's southbound service road, has four tracks and two side platforms.^[59] The F train stops here at all times, while the E train uses the two center tracks to bypass this station weekdays (Manhattan-bound from approximately 6:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Jamaica-bound from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.).^[60][61] The platforms have Slate blue I-beam columns, a Jasmine yellow tile trim with black borders, and name tablets reading "VAN WYCK BLVD." in white sans-serif lettering on a black background with a Jasmine yellow border. Small panels reading "BRIARWOOD" in white Copperplate font are centered underneath each name tablet; they were placed over the original directional exit tiling (in place at other IND stations) that pointed to Queens Boulevard or 85th Avenue, the latter of which has never existed. The small tile captions running below the trim line retain the original "VAN WYCK" name.

The full-length mezzanine is directly above the platforms; however the northern half was closed, and the station mezzanine has hosted the NYPD Transit Bureau's District 20 station house since the mid-1990s. The open southern half is separated into three sections with chain-link fences; fare control is in the middle due to the need to have a pedestrian underpass under Queens Boulevard. As a result, there are no free transfers between directions.^[62]

Exits

Former southern stair, demolished in 2011

Current northern stair and elevator on the same site

The full-time exit is via a long passageway to Main Street and Queens Boulevard, where there is an escalator and elevator to the north side of Queens Boulevard.^[62] The elevator leads only to the mezzanine level.^[57] Another pair of exits exists at the southwestern corner of Queens Boulevard and the Van Wyck Expressway service road: one on the west side of the service road next to Maple Grove Cemetery, the other on the east side of the service road adjoining the Van Wyck Expressway.^[62]

Track layout

To the west of this station are track connections from both pairs of express and local tracks, which lead to Jamaica Yard.^[59]

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; trains to/from the Archer Avenue line can serve the station as local trains or bypass it as express trains. At the split, the Archer Avenue tracks split from both pairs of express and local Queens Boulevard tracks. The connection uses trackways that were constructed at the same time as the station, part of the section of the Queens Boulevard Line from Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike to 169th Street.^[59]

Police station

The provision (then known as the "Van Wyck Stub") was intended to be built as part of the IND Second System in the 1920s and 1930s. The original plans had a line diverging south of Briarwood, running down what is now the Van Wyck Expressway to Rockaway Boulevard near modern John F. Kennedy International Airport. The extension was never constructed due to lack of funding.^[63] The current Archer Avenue plans emerged in the 1960s under the city and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s Program for Action. It was conceived as an expansion of Queens Boulevard service to a "Southeast Queens" line along the right-of-way of the Long Island Rail Road Atlantic Branch towards Locust Manor; a two-track spur from the Queens Boulevard Line would use the original Van Wyck Boulevard bellmouths.^{[64][63][65][66]} However, the line was only completed to Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer, and opened several years behind schedule in 1988.^[67] There are punch boxes on the Jamaica-bound track of this station to allow trains to go to either the Hillside Avenue or Archer Avenue lines.

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MetroCard

MetroCard

The MetroCard is a magnetic stripe card used for fare payment on transportation in the New York City area. It is a payment method for the New York City Subway, New York City Transit buses and MTA buses. The MetroCard is also accepted by several partner agencies: Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE), the PATH train system, the Roosevelt Island Tramway, AirTrain JFK, and Westchester County's Bee-Line Bus System.

Side platform

Side platform

A side platform is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms, one for each direction of travel, is the basic design used for double-track railway lines. Side platforms may result in a wider overall footprint for the station compared with an island platform where a single width of platform can be shared by riders using either track.

E (New York City Subway service)

E (New York City Subway service)

The E Eighth Avenue Local is a rapid transit service in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Its route emblem, or "bullet", is blue since it uses the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan.

Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike station

Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike station

The Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike station is an express station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Union Turnpike and Queens Boulevard on the border of Kew Gardens and Forest Hills, Queens, it is served by the E and F trains at all times, and the train during rush hours in the reverse peak direction. Despite the station's name, Union Turnpike forms the border between Kew Gardens and Forest Hills, and the station straddles that border, with multiple entrances located in each neighborhood.

F (New York City Subway service)

F (New York City Subway service)

The F and Queens Boulevard Express/Sixth Avenue Local are two rapid transit services in the B Division of the New York City Subway. Their route bullets are colored orange, since they use and are part of the IND Sixth Avenue Line in Manhattan.

Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station

Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station

The Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station is the northern terminal station of the IND and BMT Archer Avenue Lines of the New York City Subway, located at Parsons Boulevard and Archer Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. It is served by E and J trains at all times, as well as Z trains during rush hours in the peak direction.

Jamaica–Van Wyck station

Jamaica–Van Wyck station

The Jamaica–Van Wyck station is a station on the IND Archer Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, located on the west side of the Van Wyck Expressway between Metropolitan Avenue and 89th Avenue on the border of Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill, Queens. It is served by the E train at all times.

Jamaica–179th Street station

Jamaica–179th Street station

The Jamaica–179th Street station is an express terminal station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located under Hillside Avenue at 179th Street in Jamaica, Queens, it is served by the F train at all times, the train during rush hours in the reverse peak direction, and a few rush-hour E trains. The station has 15 entrances, including two at Midland Parkway in Jamaica Estates.

Sutphin Boulevard station (IND Queens Boulevard Line)

Sutphin Boulevard station (IND Queens Boulevard Line)

The Sutphin Boulevard station is a local station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Sutphin Boulevard and Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, it is served by the F train at all times, the train during rush hours in the reverse peak direction, and two E trains to Jamaica–179th Street during p.m. rush hours.

Name tablet with panel covering original directional tiles

The station was originally known as Van Wyck Boulevard, for the wide thoroughfare that existed when the station opened. The Van Wyck Expressway was built over the boulevard in 1949.^[68] As early as 1997, the Briarwood Community Association had been pushing to rename the station to "Briarwood" or "Briarwood–Van Wyck" since it better reflected the fact that the station served the Briarwood neighborhood.^[68][69] Furthermore, the existing name memorialized Robert Anderson Van Wyck, the first mayor of the City of Greater New York, who had been accused of corruption.^[68][70] Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer supported the proposed renaming.^[71] The name was changed to Briarwood–Van Wyck Boulevard in 1998^[72] to avoid confusion with Jamaica–Van Wyck on the IND Archer Avenue Line.^[73] The mosaic tilework remained unchanged.^[69]

By 2008, community members were advocating for the "Van Wyck" name to be dropped entirely, since "Van Wyck Boulevard" does not characterize the area well (the now-expressway runs through several other neighborhoods in Queens).^[72] State senator Tony Avella and local community groups pressed for the name change. The legislation, proposed in January 2013, was passed in the New York State Assembly on June 19, 2014.^[74] In August 2014, it was announced that the station would be renamed Briarwood.^[75] The station was formally renamed on April 17, 2015.^[76][77]

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Briarwood, Queens

Briarwood, Queens

Briarwood is a middle-class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is roughly bounded by the Van Wyck Expressway to the west, Parsons Boulevard to the east, Union Turnpike to the north, and Hillside Avenue to the south.

Robert Anderson Van Wyck

Robert Anderson Van Wyck

Robert Anderson Van Wyck was the first mayor of New York City after the consolidation of the five boroughs into the City of Greater New York in 1898.

City of Greater New York

City of Greater New York

The City of Greater New York was the term used by many politicians and scholars for the expanded City of New York created on January 1, 1898, by consolidating the existing City of New York with Brooklyn, western Queens County, and Staten Island. The section of the Bronx west of the Bronx River had been annexed to the City and County of New York in 1874 and was known as the Annexed District. The section of the Bronx east of the Bronx River had been annexed to New York City, and New York County, in 1895.

Fernando Ferrer

Fernando Ferrer

Fernando James Ferrer is an American politician who was the borough president of The Bronx from 1987 to 2001. Ferrer was a candidate for mayor of New York City in 1997 and 2001 and was the Democratic Party nominee for mayor in 2005, when he was defeated by Michael Bloomberg. Ferrer served on the New York City Council in the 1980s and has served as chairman and vice chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Tony Avella

Tony Avella

Anthony Avella Jr. is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the New York State Senate's 11th district in northeast Queens from 2011 to 2019. The district included the mostly affluent neighborhoods of College Point, Whitestone, Bayside, Little Neck, Douglaston, Floral Park, Beechhurst, Malba and Auburndale. Avella also served as a member of the New York City Council from 2002 to 2009, representing some of the same Queens neighborhoods in District 19. Avella is a former member of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), a group of Democratic state senators who allied themselves with Senate Republicans. He was also a losing candidate in the 2009 New York City mayoral election, the 2013 Queens Borough President election, and the 2017 New York City mayoral election.

New York State Assembly

New York State Assembly

The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits.

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 station. When Akeem jumps the turnstile, "Van Wyck Boulevard" can be seen in the background above the token booth. They board the train which next stops at the Sutphin Boulevard station where she gets off.^[78] This scene, however, was actually shot at the unused platform and tracks of Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets station in Brooklyn.^[79]

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Coming to America

Coming to America

Coming to America is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed by John Landis and based on a story originally created by Eddie Murphy, who also stars in the lead role. The film also co-stars Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Shari Headley, and John Amos. The film was released in the United States on June 29, 1988. Eddie Murphy plays Akeem Joffer, the crown prince of the fictional African nation of Zamunda, who travels to the United States in the hopes of finding a woman he can marry and love for who she is, not for her status or for having been trained to please him.

Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy

Edward Regan Murphy is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has also worked as a stand-up comedian and is ranked No. 10 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. Murphy has received a Grammy Award and Emmy Award and was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015 and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2023.

Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surface area. With 1.4 billion people as of 2021, it accounts for about 18% of the world's human population. Africa's population is the youngest amongst all the continents; the median age in 2012 was 19.7, when the worldwide median age was 30.4. Despite a wide range of natural resources, Africa is the least wealthy continent per capita and second-least wealthy by total wealth, behind Oceania. Scholars have attributed this to different factors including geography, climate, tribalism, colonialism, the Cold War, neocolonialism, lack of democracy, and corruption. Despite this low concentration of wealth, recent economic expansion and the large and young population make Africa an important economic market in the broader global context.

Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, behind New York County (Manhattan). Brooklyn is also New York City's most populous borough, with 2,736,074 residents in 2020.