[3][4] On July 23, 1917, the Queensboro Bridge spur of the elevated IRT Second Avenue Line opened.

[4][5] This station started to be served by BMT shuttles using elevated cars on April 8, 1923.

[11] The platforms at this station, along with six others on the Astoria Line, were lengthened to 610 feet (190 m) to accommodate ten-car trains in 1950.

As part of the MTA Arts & Design program, Maureen McQuillan created an artwork for the station, titled Crystal Blue Persuasion, which was installed in 2018.

The name of the artwork is a reference to Tommy James's song "Crystal Blue Persuasion".

It contains two staircases to each platform, a waiting area covered with transite that allows free transfer between directions, turnstile bank, token booth, and three street stairs going down to all corners of 36th Avenue and 31st Street except the northeast one.