Like other New Yorkers, you’re likely utilizing the city’s public transportation on a daily basis to get around New York City. One of these options includes the subway system, which runs through the different parts of the city, from the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, to Brooklyn. Folks who need to commute daily to work will often choose to live in a neighborhood that has an NYC subway stop that directly connects to work. During the last few months, we spent time going over the various train routes and neighborhoods along those particular subway lines and covered the G train route in our last article. Today, we’re moving on to the light brown local and express J train train route. We’ll go over each of the subway stations the J train stops at and discuss the best neighborhoods to live in on its route. 

J train stops NYC

There are a total of 8 stops in Queens, 16 stops in Brooklyn, and 6 stops in Manhattan for the J train route. This route starts at the Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer stop in Queens. The J train heads southeast until it reaches 75 St-Elderts Ln stop and then crosses over to Brooklyn at the Cypress Hills stop. From there, the route continues eastward until it reaches the Marcy Av stop. Once the J train crosses over to Manhattan, it continues southward until its terminal station at the Broad St stop.

In order from Queens to Brooklyn to Manhattan is a list of stops that the J train stops at. We’ve specifically pointed out stops that service both the local and express J train. For your convenience, we’ve also marked the stops that are ADA accessible.

Queens Stops:

• Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer (ADA Accessible) (Express) – also services E, Z route
• Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport (ADA Accessible) (Express) – also services E, Z, route and the LIRR
• 121 St (Local) – also services Z route
• 111 St (Local)
• 104 St (Local) – also services Z route
• Woodhaven Blvd (ADA Accessible) (Local and Express) – also services Z route
• 85 St-Forest Pkwy (Local) 
• 75 St-Elderts Ln (Local) – also services Z route

Brooklyn stops:

• Cypress Hills (Local)
• Crescent St (Local and Express) – also services Z route
• Norwood Av (Local) – also services Z route
• Cleveland St (Local)
• Van Siclen Av (Local) – also services Z route
• Alabama Av (Local and Express) – also services Z route
• Broadway Junction (Local and Express) – also services A, C, L, Z route
• Chauncey St (Local) _ also services Z route
• Halsey St (Local)
• Gates Av (Local) – also services Z route
• Kosciuszko St (Local) 
• Myrtle Av (Local and Express) – also services M, Z route
• Flushing Av (ADA Accessible) (Local) – also services M route
• Lorimer St (Local) – also services M route
• Hewes St (Local) – also services M route
• Marcy Av (ADA Accessible) (Local and Express) – also services M, Z route

Manhattan stops:

• Delancey St-Essex St (Local) – also services F, M, Z route
• Bowery (Local) – also services Z route
• Canal St (Local) – also services N, Q, R, W, Z, 6 route
• Chambers St (ADA Accessible) (Local) – also services Z, 4, 5, 6 route
• Fulton St (ADA Accessible) (Local) – also services A, C, Z, 2, 3, 4, 5 route
• Broad St (Local) – also services Z route

You can also locate a J train stops map in PDF format directly on the MTA’s site. Alternatively, you can read through a text format of the J train stops map here. 

Best Queens neighborhoods along J train stops

Richmond Hill

The neighborhood of Richmond Hill is located in the southwestern part of Queens. It’s surrounded by a number of neighborhoods including Kew Gardens, Forest Park, Jamaica and South Jamaica, South Ozone Park, and Woodhaven. A large number of LIRR trains begin to converge within the boundaries of this neighborhood before ending at the stopping at the Jamaica Long Island Railroad LIRR in the neighborhood of Jamaica to the east. Unlike many of the other neighborhoods we’ve covered, Richmond Hill is known for its large-frame single-family houses. Today, the neighborhood has an extremely diverse population of Indo-Caribbean Americans, Sikhs, and South Asian Americans. As such, parts of Richmond Hill are also known as Little Guyana and Little Punjab. 

Woodhaven

Located right next door to Richmond Hill, is the neighborhood of Woodhaven. Funnily enough, the neighborhood was named for having the largest population of trees in the borough of Queens. Its close proximity to Forest Park and its hiking trails, earned the neighborhood its nickname of “Woodyville”. Woodhaven is mostly suburban with most of its commercial businesses located on Jamaica Avenue. Those looking to live in Woodhaven, can access the neighborhood via the J train stops located at Woodhaven Blvd, 85 St-Forest Pkwy, and 75 St-Elderts Ln. It is the last neighborhood in Queens that the J train runs through before heading into the borough of Brooklyn.   

Best Brooklyn neighborhoods along J train stops

Ocean Hill

The triangular neighborhood of Ocean Hill is located in the heart of Brooklyn close to Stuyvesant Heights, Bushwick, Crown Heights, and Brownsville. This neighborhood, like Stuyvesant Heights, is a sub-section of the larger Bedford-Stuyvesant. Named after the small hills in the area, Ocean Hill has become more developed over the course of the last two decades and more people move into the neighborhood to avoid the higher rental prices in other Brooklyn neighborhoods. Residents who commute via the J train, can reach this neighborhood via a number of subway stops at Alabama Av, Broadway Junction, Chauncey St, Halsey St, and Gates Av.

Best Manhattan neighborhoods along J train stops

Lower East Side

Last but not least, renters interested in living along the J train may want to consider the Lower East Side neighborhood in Manhattan. The J train currently physically runs through the boundaries of the neighborhood at the Delancey St-Essex St and Bowery stops. The Lower East Side neighborhood is relatively large and is bordered by Two Bridges in the south, Chinatown and Bowery in the west, and East Village in the north. The neighborhood is vibrant, fun, and home to plenty of restaurants, shops, bars, and museums. Residents will have a plethora of building options to choose from. From co-ops, condos, walk-up buildings, to modern luxury high rises, the neighborhood has it all.