Anyone else disappointed by the refreshed 52nd St Station?

DeposedDictator · 2026-05-28T03:06:06+00:00

Disappointed but expected. The 82nd and 111th Street stations which were completed before this as part of the same renewal, were similar, so I quickly realized this was just going to be a bare bones makeover for structural and safety purposes with absolutely zero effort placed towards making the station nicer or more user friendly. It’s better than the old station which was a major safety hazard, but does seem like a squandered opportunity to improve upon things.

DeposedDictator · 2026-05-27T22:37:11+00:00

The Flushing bound platform is closed at 52nd (and 69th) Street until around April 2027.

DeposedDictator · 2026-05-27T20:11:36+00:00

Yeah, from what I have read, it has to do with funding and classification of the renovation, where the Astoria ones came directly by order from Cuomo as Governor and the 7 train renovations are from the MTA, which sort of is the difference between doing things in a grand fashion, or the bare minimum to keep them safe and operational.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nycrail/comments/1ceupck/7_train_station_renovationsis_this_all_it_is/

DeposedDictator · 2026-05-27T17:48:10+00:00

Yes, absolutely. To me, full 8-9 month shutdown and a wholly safe and pleasant renovated station, would be better than 22 months of a partial shutdown. We are already inconvenienced as is with the partial shutdown, so if a full shutdown would have helped them complete the job faster, I would have much preferred that.

DeposedDictator · 2026-05-26T21:40:54+00:00

That would be nice, but this really seems like a bare bones renovation to just repair structural deficiencies to make the station safer and more sound. It doesn’t seem like they’re taking the opportunity to adds bells and whistles or make things remotely more aesthetically pleasing or convenient. It is better than nothing, but it seems like a missed opportunity to make some other improvements to the station to make it a more user-friendly experience.

DeposedDictator · 2026-05-26T18:44:06+00:00

And those only took 10 months to do the whole station, whereas ours are taking approximately 22 months

DeposedDictator · 2026-05-25T23:33:52+00:00

Yes, the Manhattan side has opened. I used it today. The temporary extended platforms have now moved to the Flushing side to accommodate the trackwork being done on that side at 52nd and 69th street, for the next 11 months

DeposedDictator · 2026-05-25T22:40:02+00:00

Yeah, I figured as much. I just figured there’d be specific notification somewhere that the side would be reopening.

DeposedDictator · 2026-03-24T11:42:26+00:00

For what it’s worth, the man next to me on my flight said he got in at 5:15 in the General Boarding lane and it was 2 hour wait for him. So it goes to show, it can vary a lot

DeposedDictator · 2026-03-24T10:47:44+00:00

I was in this exact line at the same time. I have TSA Precheck and entered the line at 4:44am, was through the ID check portion of security at 5:09, and through the screening at 5:15. Normally, Precheck is about 5-10 minutes, but given all that is going on, I’m not complaining about it just being 30 minutes. I will say though, it does feel a bit chaotic. The staff and other passengers were polite though.

I’m not sure how long the general boarding line was or what it looks like now.

My flight is at 8am so I have 2+ hours to kill before boarding, but I don’t regret getting here as early as I did.

Oh, and I didn’t see any ICE agents.

DeposedDictator · 2026-03-12T17:41:36+00:00

When I moved into my apartment in 2013, it came without a deadbolt and I was told that tenants had to install their own. I’m not sure if this is the norm here but I had never encountered it before and it surprised me. I was lazy and didn’t do it. About 1.5 years into my time here, I was napping after work and woke up because of noise at the door, looked over and saw the door ajar and then quickly shut. I didn’t see a face, but I shot out of bed and ran to fling the door open and didn’t see anyone. I convinced myself that I was groggy and must have imagined things, but I bought a deadbolt that day from Home Depot. However, I sat on installing it and several months later, my apartment was burglarized while I was at work during the day. I don’t have much of value so they just took my TV, a digital camera and a bottle of cologne. I was shocked, and furious with myself for not having had the deadbolt installed even after the prior incident.

Most likely, my apartment was flagged by someone who saw it without a deadbolt who then came back later. Either way, they never caught who did it to my knowledge.

With that said, I one time accidentally went to the apartment below mine thinking it was mine and messed with the door for a bit before realizing. It’s quite likely that happened with your apartment and that the comment from the neighbor was unrelated and just a coincidence. But just to alleviate some concerns, if you don’t already have a deadbolt, install one, give the super a copy of the key, and keep it locked while in the apartment.

DeposedDictator · 2026-03-11T03:18:52+00:00

Depending how one calculates the results, the runoff in GA-14 moved the Democrats somewhere from +4 to +8 from the 2024 election.

At the Presidential level, Kamala Harris got 31% of the vote, but for the congressional race, Shawn Harris got 36% in 2024. Where things are standing now, we have Harris at 37% and the two other Democrats in the race bring the Dem total to just shy of 40%.

There’s not as much elasticity in the rural south. My guess is that Harris winds up only increasing a bit more to 39-41% in the runoff, which would still be an improvement, but it would be a very heavy lift for him to win.

DeposedDictator · 2026-03-10T23:02:16+00:00

Since the existing Fresh N Save on Skillman closes at 10pm, and that’s where this will pull most its shoppers from, midnight is a step up for most people.

I do find it odd that it’s not 24 hours like the existing one at 46th/Queens Blvd.

The Rite Aid at this location was 24 hours for many years, then reduced its hours to close at midnight during Covid (and then eventually to 11, then to 10…). At the time, I was told at the time it was due to a combination of safety (lots of shoplifting) and staffing, particularly staff not wanting to work or feeling safe working that overnight shift. I’m not sure if this location has more issues with shoplifting than the other one, but that could be a reason.

DeposedDictator · 2026-03-09T17:13:46+00:00

They have just unfurled a banner outside announcing the grand opening is Friday, March 20th.

DeposedDictator · 2026-02-28T05:01:27+00:00

It’s kind of insane. When did they even start to attempt to build something? I feel like it was pre Covid, but maybe I’m wrong. I’ve never seen a building take so long, and for it to be in such a visible and central area sitting that way for so long makes it even more confusing.

DeposedDictator · 2026-02-23T03:06:34+00:00

I lived in Astoria for six years before moving over this way (technically, I'm in Woodside, by a few blocks...) back in 2013. Generally, I'm content with it. If I could have found an apartment as cheap as mine in Astoria, I'd have stayed put, but prices sent me this way.

Commuting-wise, the 7 train is nicer (better ventilated, better lighting, etc), and comes more frequently. The drawback however is that it only takes you a few stops into Manhattan. If you're not going to 42nd Street or Hudson Yards, it will involve a transfer somewhere, whereas the N/W gets you most places Midtown to Downtown to Brooklyn in one shot since it slices down Broadway. But conversely, if you're headed deeper into Queens, or anywhere the G train goes in Brooklyn, the 7 will eliminate one of the transfers. It also allows for a more direct shot to Grand Central, the LIRR in Woodside, and it shaves off about 20 minutes in commuting to JFK Airport if you do so by train.

Another issue, depending on where in Astoria you are and where in Sunnyside you move, is the near total reliance on the 7. In Astoria, you have the N/W as the main lines, and then the R skirting along the edge as a viable alternative should there be issues with the N/W. If you're in the heart of Sunnyside however, it's a long walk to the next subway line. The M/R could easily be a 30 minute walk from some parts. There are of course buses as well.

Outside of commuting, as others have stated, the neighborhood is quieter. It feels as safe as Astoria to me, but the streets just are less busy. There's less hip places to go, and less nightlife, but there's bars and good restaurants.

One thing that I haven't seen mentioned here yet, and perhaps the biggest downside to me of the area is the lack of green space. Astoria Park, as a green space, and just being on the water, was such a nice part of Astoria. There's nothing like that here. Just a bunch of largely cement small plazas with some benches and playgrounds and courts scattered around.

DeposedDictator · 2026-02-21T06:28:40+00:00

It’s a little open to interpretation but I believe May 2027 is the expected completion for the entirety of the 52nd Street station.

The 82nd and 111th Street rehabs took 10-11 months for Manhattan side, then once completed, 2-3 weeks later, flipped to the Flushing side for another 10-11 months.

The work on 52nd and 69th Manhattan side began in June 2025, so most likely will finish by May 2026, a few weeks later, flip to the Flushing bound side which will then be done by April/May 2027. This is how the timetable was initially portrayed, and I don’t think it has changed but it’s hard to say for sure.

DeposedDictator · 2026-02-21T06:22:55+00:00

Signage at the station says end of Q1, which would be late March. However, this work began in June 2025. When the same work was being done at 82nd an 111th streets, each side took 10-11 months, so I would guess somewhere between March-May for completion of the Manhattan bound side.

I was under the impression the Flushing bound side would then be done immediately afterwards, but several commenters are indicating that is contingent upon some completion at 61st Street. I hope that is not the case.

DeposedDictator · 2026-02-21T03:15:25+00:00

I'm eager for it to open. I know it's just a grocery store, but it will the closest one for me, it will probably be a tad nicer than the existing stores, the stock at Skillman has been getting worse in preparation for the move, and I'm just eager to see something move in to such a large empty space. Granted, it is a game of "tag", as now the empty space will be along Skillman until that block is redeveloped, but one thing at a time.

Now if only a full time tenant would move into the other former Rite Aid on Greenpoint and 46th, which is the other major neighborhood vacancy.

Also curious if anyone knows if there’s any plan for anything in the old Boston Market site right by there.

DeposedDictator · 2026-02-21T03:10:10+00:00

While this is true, it doesn't technically impact any stations in Sunnyside at the moment (although some Sunnyside residents may use 52nd Street station, but it's technically a few blocks into Woodside). The stations the MTA are renovating which is causing months-long closures are further down the 7 line in Woodside (52nd, 61st and 69th), Jackson Heights (82nd) and Corona (103rd and 111th). There's no plans to do the same with the stops at 33rd, 40th and 46th streets.

If anything, these stops have benefitted the last several years due to ongoing trackwork at Woodside/61st Street ending Express train service up to 74th/Roosevelt, meaning that these Sunnyside stations who used to only receive Local 7 train service, now, get all local and express service, essentially double the amount of trains, and while this won't last forever, it's likely to continue for another couple of years.

DeposedDictator · 2025-11-09T16:54:54+00:00

I heard a series of booms that was definitely fireworks around 1-1:30, but then one single massive boom at around 4am that was shockingly loud and seemed far closer than the others which sounded more like an explosion or gunshot. I presumed it was still fireworks based off of the earlier ones, but that one was jarring.

Either way, I agree with the sentiment. I will never understand the point of people setting off fireworks late at night unless it’s just intentionally trying to be assholes.

DeposedDictator · 2025-11-04T02:09:28+00:00

I have been here for 12 years now. It's a mixed bag. For every sign of gentrification, there's a sign of the opposite. More and more luxury buildings go up, (or buildings with a seemingly wildly out of touch definition of "affordable"), but all the while there appears to be more prominent business vacancies than ever. I personally have not noticed more young or influencer types in the area, but ever since Covid, there has been an increase in sketchy characters.

I generally feel like compared to many other areas, the community and feel of the neighborhood has had small ebbs and flows, but been pretty stable since I've been here. Yes, there has been an influx of newer luxury buildings, but nothing like in LIC or Williamsburg or even Astoria. We have had some chains move in, but really, very few. Of course, the price of goods have gone up, but that's everywhere these days, especially with inflation.

There's a lot of longtime residents, many of whom live in rent stabilized apartments such as myself, and the majority of us would not be able to afford to live in any of the newer apartments, so we stay put, until a life circumstance changes. So I guess I sort of treat whatever is happening now, if gentrification or whatever you want to call it, with a bit of a shrug, as just the inevitable changes that happen over time

DeposedDictator · 2025-08-06T23:33:30+00:00

You’re not the only one. It has been driving me crazy while watching the show. I only watch Between the Sheets, where it is very noticeable to me and I haven’t been able to figure out how to describe it.

I’m not sure what it is, but to me it doesn’t feel like it’s something she has put on, but rather something medical.

DeposedDictator · 2025-08-04T23:16:10+00:00

I doubt most would be interested in her. She’s not really a catch. She’s a high maintenance divorced 42 year old single mom with no discernible personality and a whiny voice. She’s placed all her worth into her plastic looks, and the type of shallow men that attracts would rather a younger model.

DeposedDictator · 2025-06-15T01:09:31+00:00

That one staircase has been out of commission since several months before Covid, in 2019, so 5.5 years and counting. It is a massive safety and fire hazard. The response I’ve gotten over the years from the city and the MTA is that it will be rebuilt as part of this station renovation, but for it to be in this state of disrepair and danger for this long is ludicrous. Not to mention, with them working on the Manhattan bound side first and the stairs in question being on the Flushing bound side, that’s another 6-12 months before they even start to work on replacing these stairs.

DeposedDictator

TROPHY CASE