85th Street–Forest Parkway station
New York City Subway station in Queens
The 85th Street–Forest Parkway station is a skip-stop station on the BMT Jamaica Line of the New York City Subway, located on Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven, Queens. The J train serves this station at all times. The Z train skips this station when it operates.
History
This station opened on May 28, 1917 under the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad, an affiliate of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company.
From the late-1950s into the 1960s the New York City Transit Authority had a proposal to realign the BMT Jamaica Line between Grant or Nichols Avenue (east of Crescent Street station) and 80th Street and Jamaica Avenue (just west of this station). This realignment would have also included a bi-directional express track. The realignment was never carried out. "85th Street" was added to the name in 1966.
In February 2023, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that this station would temporarily close for renovations as part of a station renewal contract at four stations on the Jamaica Line. On August 12, 2024, the Queens-bound platform closed.
The public source identifies “85th Street–Forest Parkway station” as new York City Subway station in Queens. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around 85th, Street and Forest.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “85th Street–Forest Parkway station”, the useful work is to connect “new York City Subway station in Queens” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2326996. Authority coordinates are 40.692, -73.860. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1917, 1966, 2023 and 2024.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “85th Street–Forest Parkway station”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow 85th Street–Forest Parkway station primary sources, 85th Street–Forest Parkway station archive and 85th research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “85th Street–Forest Parkway station”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “85th Street–Forest Parkway station” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.