Ocean Parkway station Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Ocean Parkway

New York City Subway station (rapid transit)

Station statistics

Address

Ocean Parkway & Brighton Beach Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11235

Borough

Brooklyn

Locale

Brighton Beach

Coordinates

40°34′35″N 73°58′07″W / 40.576252°N 73.968587°W

Division

B (BMT)

Line

BMT Brighton Line

Services

Q alltimes (all times)

Transit connections

New York City Bus: B1, B68

Structure

Elevated

Platforms

2 island platforms

Tracks

4 (2 in regular service)

Other information

Opened

April 22, 1917; 108 years ago

Station code

056

Opposite-direction transfer available

Yes

Traffic

Passengers (2019)

1,033,340

1.4%

Rank

357 out of 425

Station succession

Next north

Brighton Beach (local): Q alltimes
Brighton Beach (express): no regular service

Next south

West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium: Q alltimes

Location
Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York

Street map

Station service legend
Symbol	Description
	Stops all times

Ocean Parkway Station (Dual System BRT)

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

MPS

New York City Subway System MPS

NRHP reference No.

05000749

Added to NRHP

July 29, 2005

Ocean Parkway is an express subway station in Brooklyn, New York City. It is part of the New York City Subway's BMT Brighton Line. You can find it at Brighton Beach Avenue and Ocean Parkway in the Brighton Beach neighborhood. The Q train stops here all the time.

History of the Station
Station Layout and Features
- Station Entrances and Exits
Images for kids
See also

History of the Station

Southern stair at Ocean Parkway station.

The Ocean Parkway station first opened on April 22, 1917. Back then, only a single-track shuttle train ran from here to Brighton Beach. Brighton Beach was the last stop for all trains on the Brighton Line.

In 1919, the West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium station opened. This meant all four tracks from Ocean Parkway were extended further west. The local tracks stayed at the same height and connected to the lower part of the new station. The express tracks went up higher and connected to the upper part. After this change, all Brighton Line trains could go all the way to Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue.

Later, in 1954, some changes were made. Brighton Line trains stopped using the lower level at West Eighth Street. Also, express trains no longer stopped at Ocean Parkway. West of this station, the local tracks now join the express tracks. These combined tracks continue to the upper level of West Eighth Street.

The station was closed for a while in August 2002. This was because the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue terminal was being rebuilt. The station reopened for service on May 23, 2004.

Station Layout and Features

Northern stair at Ocean Parkway station.

This station is built above the street, which is called an "elevated" structure. It has two "island platforms." An island platform is like an island in the middle, with train tracks on both sides. There are four tracks in total, but the two middle "express" tracks are not usually used by trains stopping here.

The station is built on a special decorated stone structure called a "masonry viaduct." This design matches the look of Ocean Parkway, which is a city parkway. Both platforms have red roofs with black frames and support poles.

This station is very close to the beaches of Brighton and Coney Island. The beach is only about 500 feet (150 meters) away!

You can see some cool art at the station. The artwork is called Coney Island Reliefs by Deborah Masters. It was put up in 2009 and includes 128 carved pictures on the station's concrete walls.

Between this station and Brighton Beach, there are two extra tracks. These are called "layup tracks" and are used for trains to wait or be stored. This part of the subway system is special because it's the only place with six elevated tracks!

Station Entrances and Exits

The Ocean Parkway station has two ways to enter and exit. Both are elevated station houses located underneath the tracks and platforms.

The main entrance is at the east end of the station. From each platform, stairs lead down to a waiting area. Here, you'll find "turnstiles" that let you enter or exit the station after paying your fare. There's also a ticket booth and machines to buy MetroCards. Two staircases go down to the street, one at each eastern corner of Brighton Beach Avenue and Ocean Parkway.
The other entrance is at the west end. It also has stairs from each platform and a waiting area. Two staircases go down to the northwest corner of Brighton Beach Avenue and Ocean Parkway. This entrance is not staffed, but it has special "High Entry/Exit Turnstiles" that you can use to enter or exit.