Category: Public Transit

OH SHIT, WE’RE IN NEW YORK CITY?! Yes! We’re in NYC! And I’ll be doing not one but SEVERAL station entries on stuff in NYC. Because I’m working my way south down into the core of Manhattan Island (henceforth simply Manhattan), I’ll be starting with Fordham (even though this was in the early afternoon and I did four stations before this chronologically). So, with that out of the way, welcome to the Bronx!

The station is located on its namesake road (Fordham Rd.), and is also named Fordham-East 190th St. on timetables. However, nobody mentions East 190th St. when mentioning this station, not even Metro-North on station signage, so it’s just gonna be “Fordham” for this entry. Naming is gonna get a little messy for NYC, so there’s gonna be an entry about that too. Stay tuned. Anyways, I digress. I walked from Fordham Rd. station (the one at the intersection of Jerome Ave., not at Grand Concourse) and got lunch before coming here, and the area’s pretty freakin’ dense. You have shopping plazas everywhere and in general, it’s just so damn lively. I vibe with it, honestly. You also have Fordham University next door as well. Outside are some BlueBi- oh, they’re called Citibikes here? Sorry, force of habit. Outside are CitiBikes, bus connections to both the MTA bus network and Bee-Line’s 62. In fact, there’s even signage pointing to the “Bronx Zoo Bus” (the Bx9 to West Farms Square)

Anyways, the station itself! The station has a historic headhouse that’s still intact, has a small indoor waiting area with ticket office, vending machines, and ticket machines. There’s also exits to the platform directly from outside. The platforms are also pretty standard, but they go REALLY FAR. Or, at least, they feel very long. In reality, they’re 800ft long like your standard MBTA full high-level platform. There isn’t really much in the way of heated waiting areas down here, but why would you need that when the station headhouse is open? Elevators, of course, also exist for accessibility. Yay! This is actually pretty freakin’ good. I must admit, though, I find it amusing the inbound platform’s signage reads “To New York” as if the Bronx isn’t New York.

The good: It’s in the middle of the freakin’ Bronx! It has all the amenities one would reasonably need (maybe aside from restroom? I didn’t see one…). Furthermore, it’s around a lot of shopping and is next door to Fordham University. Neat! There’s also plenty of bus connections to both Bee-Line and the MTA, and even Select Bus.

The bad: The platforms underneath the headhouse can feel a little dingy… Also, the hike to the subway stations on Grand Concourse and Jerome Ave. can be a bit annoying at times. I also didn’t notice any bus shelters for the bus connections. Boooooo.

Nearby points of interest: There’s a lot of shopping nearby, along with Fordham University! The New York Botanical Garden is also close by, however there’s a stop closer to that.

Transit connections:
Metro-North (Harlem, New Haven)
MTA bus (Bx9, Bx12, Bx12-SBS, Bx15, Bx17, Bx22, Bx41, Bx41-SBS)
Bee-Line (60, 61, 62)

Overall, it’s a really good station in all honesty. Sure, some things could use better signage, but all things considered it’s not bad, and it’s good that I started the NYC section of this blog on a good note. 😀 I also dig the vintage headhouse interior as well.

Rating: 7.5/10

Mt. Vernon East is the last station on the New Haven Line before entering NYC proper. So, is there even anything of note here? I actually don’t know, but let’s look at it, shall we?

The station is your standard 4 tracks/2 sides setup with express tracks in the middle going unserved. There’s a pedestrian overpass with elevator access, but no heated waiting area. Furthermore, you have a lot of parking to go around here, and there’s even a ticket office that was closed. To the west of the station, there’s also a busway (I didn’t know it existed when I came here). Furthermore, there’s ticket machines in the aforementioned overpass. Neat. Just one annoying thing: as I was reviewing this station, I ran into a bunch of teenagers HOTBOXING the station overpass. YES, I REPEAT, THERE WERE A BUNCH OF TEENAGERS SMOKING A BIG FAT DOINK IN THE OVERPASS FILLING IT UP WITH THE FUMES OF THE DEVIL’S LETTUCE! OH DEAR GOD! AND THE SAD PART IS – THIS WAS THE ONLY PLACE ONE CAN KEEP WARM AT THE STATION!

The good: It’s in a pretty dense area and is right next to Mt. Vernon’s town center! While it’s not in a rich suburban area like Mamaroneck or Harrison, it’s still in a pretty major center for activity. Bus connections are also close by!

The bad: THE PEDESTRIAN OVERPASS IS THE ONLY PLACE TO STAY WARM ON A COLD DAY, AND A BUNCH OF FUCKING TEENAGERS WERE HOTBOXING THE DAMN THING. OH GOD….

Nearby points of interest: Mt. Vernon’s town center is next to here. There’s also an industrial area and suburbia nearby too.

Transit connections:
Metro-North (New Haven)
Bee-Line (7, 41, 43, 53, 54, 55 at East Prospect & North 3rd Ave.’s)

Overall, it’s an alright station. However, admittedly, I’m biased against the station because it was too windy and there was nowhere to stay warm when I did this station review. Sorry! On the upside, I kinda want to explore Mt. Vernon some more.

Rating: 6.5/10

Pelham is a station in the namesake village in Westchester County, New York. The station itself is located in suburban sprawl and is largely unassuming. However, there’s something a little special here though…

So, the station itself is pretty bogstandard at face value. You have heated waiting areas outside, benches, wastebaskets, a tunnel to change sides, and a shuttered station house. Much like the rest of the New Haven Line, there’s also plenty of parking to go around. Unfortunately, though, it’s only partly accessible. Pelham itself is also pretty suburban, so sadly it doesn’t really stand out that much either. However, for railfanning, there IS something that stands out. So, Metro-North uses both third rail and overhead catenary for electrification on the New Haven Line. Where does the change-over happen? Well, it actually happens in the Pelham area. Or, rather, the change-over happens anywhere between Mt. Vernon (where the catenary begins) and the curve approaching New Rochelle (about as far as a train can coast without power).

The good: It’s a cool spot to railfan with Metro-North changing power sources here! Furthermore, it’s a decently sized park & ride station and there’s some shopping and restaurants nearby.

The bad: There isn’t as much as around the rest of the New Haven Line stations in New York. Yeah, sorry! It also isn’t fully accessible. 🙁

Nearby points of interest: There’s a 9/11 memorial nearby! Yeah, sorry, not a lot here.

Transit connections:
Metro-North (New Haven)
Bee-Line (53)

Overall, I just don’t have anything special to remark. Yeah, sorry. 🙁 But at least you can railfan a power change!

Rating: 6/10

New Rochelle is one of the busiest stations on Metro-North’s New Haven Line between the city limits and Stamford (this, of course, excludes Stamford, Fordham, Harlem-125th, and Grand Central). Also at the station can be found the bus terminal for Bee-Line and other things. Let’s look at it.

So, New Rochelle is honestly a nice little station. The station house looks unique in the middle of a mini-downtown with high rises and whatnot, for one. The station layout is also unique because of how the interlockings are set up. For context on this, the Northeast Corridor splits off from the line to Grand Central just past here, and the way the interlocking is set up only allows for NEC trains to cross over before the station. The platforms are pretty normal, with departure boards lining them. You also have heated waiting areas – and the station building is OPEN! Sweet! Going inside, you have MTA transit police and a ticket office, the Quik-Trak machine, and a cafe. There’s even some artwork lining the walls and a departure board. Neat! I actually ordered some food here and it’s alright, for what it is. You also have an overpass, which harbors an entrance, and the New Rochelle Transportation Center. This has a busway for Bee-Line buses, a parking garage, and a car rental facility. Why the fuck is there even a car rental facility? I don’t know, but whatever. Moving right along!

The good: The station’s just so charming, being a small station headhouse in the middle of an urban center. Furthermore, even the inside is charming with the artwork being painted on the walls and AAAAAAAA IT’S JUST SO AMAZING. The platforms are also serviceable with the heated waiting areas in the cold, too. Amtrak boarding is also clearly signed, always being tracks 2 and 4. On top of all this, there’s also plenty of parking and even rental scooters from what I was told (though I didn’t see any. Thanks, David, for telling me about this!).

The bad: I can’t help but feel it’s out of place somewhat. Also, it’s up against I-95, though that’s less of an issue here. The busway also feels dingy due to being in a parking garage, so there’s that…

Nearby points of interest: Downtown New Rochelle is close by! Furthermore, you have Bee-Line buses.

Transit connections:
Amtrak (Northeast Regional)
Metro-North (New Haven)
Bee-Line (7, 30, 42, 45, 61, 62, 66)

Overall, I really find this station to be quite charming and a nice place to railfan, and quite truthfully I kinda want to come back and explore New Rochelle further in the future and check out Bee-Line Bus.

Rating: 8/10

Oh fuck, not this again. WAHT? I CAN’T HEAR YOU OVER THE WHIRRING OF THE CARS ON I-95!!! WHELP, GUESS I’LL HAVE TO YELL IN THIS LIKE I HAD TO WITH FREAKIN’ NEWTONVILLE. ANYWAYS, HERE WE GO. HOPEFULLY I DON’T RUN MY MOUTH DRY OR INHALE TOO MANY GASOLINE FUMES!

SO, LARCHMONT IS RIGHT NEXT TO I-95, IN FACT I’D ARGUE IT’S CLOSER TO I-95 THAN THE MASS PIKE IS TO NEWTONVILLE. IT’S SO CLOSE THAT THE STATION PARKING LITERALLY HAS TO REST ATOP THE EXPRESSWAY. ANYWAYS, WHAT IS HERE? WELL, NOT MUCH ACTUALLY. A WHOLE LOTTA SHOPPING BUT IT’S THE ASS SIDE OF SAID BUILDINGS AS THERE’S OOPS! ALL PARKING! YOU ALSO HAVE SOME STUFF LINING PALMER AVE. AND WHATNOT. THERE’S ALSO SOME GREENSPACES NEARBY. NEAT! AS FOR THE OTHER SIDE, YOU HAVE A TUNNEL GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF I-95 AND A TICKET OFFICE. LET’S CHECK IT OUT!

*enters ticket office, is quieter*

Okay, I can actually talk at a reasonable volume here! So, the ticket office is small but surprisingly it’s unlocked. There’s also some seats in here as well, and overpasses. Good Service? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Oh well.

The good: IT’S NEXT TO THE TOWN CENTER, KINDA! THAT’S KINDA EASY THOUGH WHEN THE ENTIRE DAMN TOWN IS SUBURBAN SPRAWL OTHERWISE. THE TICKET OFFICE IS UNLOCKED DURING OFFPEAK HOURS TOO!

The bad: IT’S FUCKING NEXT TO I-95 AND YOU CAN’T HEAR A DAMN THING!

Nearby points of interest: THE TOWN CENTER AND SOME GREEN SPACES. NOT A LOT ELSE, REALLY.

Transit connections:
Metro-North (New Haven)
Bee-Line (60, 61, 66, 70, 71)

OVERALL, DON’T BUILD A STATION NEXT TO THE DAMN INTERSTATE, M’KAY?

Rating: 4.5/10

Next stop on the line is Mamaroneck! Now, this one is pretty popular for Amtrak and Metro-North railfanning because this and Larchmont are on the fastest stretch of track between New Haven and New Rochelle (where the lines split), with speeds up to 80 miles an hour. So, let’s look at this station, shall we?

The northbound platform is the usual, has seating and sheltered waiting areas, but nothing special. The southbound platform, however, has a ticket office – AND IT WAS OPEN! Well, more like a ticket room with vending machines but hey, it counts! Furthermore, there’s a tunnel connecting the two sides and, I think, the Italian restaurant that sits in the old station headhouse. I haven’t had the chance to try it myself personally, but I heard it’s good. Furthermore, the station is in a decent enough area as well with a decent walkshed. Neat!

The good: It’s in a walkable area and there’s an open ticket office! Neat! Furthermore, there’s a restaurant in the old headhouse as well. Aside from that, it’s pretty normal.

The bad: The tunnel feels a little dingy, not gonna lie…

Nearby points of interest: There’s a park nearby and shopping along Mamaroneck Ave.! There’s also a beach somewhat close by.

Transit connections:
Metro-North (New Haven)
Bee-Line (60, 61)

Overall, it’s an alright station. The area itself is nice, and it’s worth railfanning here during the warmer season. However, the tunnel feels kinda dingy though…

Rating: 6/10

Next stop is Harrison! So, like Rye, the walkshed around here is pretty decent, but it’s even better in that you have some TOD as well. Neat! Let’s take a look, shall we?

So, the station is located in the main population center of Harrison, adjacent to the town center and some TOD. There’s a ticket office on the inbound platform, however I didn’t notice if it was open or not. The platforms are still your standard affair with an overpass, parking, elevators, and so on. At the point of me doing this, it was beginning to reach the PM peak and I had to make haste before any weirdness in the timetables kicked in (& peak fares! Yikes!), so I wasn’t here TOO long. However, bus connections are found on Halstead Ave. and NY-127, and plenty of parking can be found. The overpass also serves as an entrance as well. Neat! All things considered, it’s normal.

The good: It has some TOD! Furthermore, there’s plenty of parking and Bee-Line connections! On top of all that, the area is relatively walkable as well! Nice! There’s also nearby green spaces and even the town clerk’s office adjacent to the station as well.

The bad: Eh, it’s about average. There’s nothing wrong that stands out, but the biggest issue boils to the trains terminating here can sometimes create gaps in the timetable that can be annoying to work around if heading north during the PM peak.

Nearby points of interest: The town center looks interesting! Furthermore, you can get to Yonkers from here by bus!

Transit connections:
Metro North (New Haven)
Bee-Line (5, 61)

Overall, it’s an okay station. It’s average at everything, it works, but nothing really makes it stand out too much. There’s TOD though!

Rating: 7/10

Well, I did it. I started to trek deeper and closer to the heart of NYC. This, along with several other entries, are part of an adventure I decided to go on, on my 23rd birthday (happy belated birthday to myself!). So, first stop for this blog is Rye, NY.

The station itself is pretty standard, but slightly unusual in that there’s not one but two overpasses. There’s also heated waiting areas on both sides of the track, which on a cold and windy day is VERY, VERY HELPFUL. There’s also a ticket office that, sadly, like at most commuter stations on the NEC, was closed. However, here, they cited “staffing shortages and a remodel.” but it looked like it wasn’t touched in several months. Uhhhhhhhhh….. At least the station’s fully accessible with elevators, though! Yay! And, there’s a lot of parking and even Bee-Line connections!

The good: It’s got some parking, Bee-Line connections, and a somewhat decent walkshed! There’s plenty of shopping and restaurants to the south, and a residential neighborhood to the north. Unfortunately though that requires crossing I-95.

The bad: Eh, the bus connections are infrequent at the station proper, and you’d have to walk to NY-120 for regular connections to Bee-Line’s 61 to New Rochelle, Fordham, and Port Chester. The 13 only brings you to Ossining, Tarrytown, and Playland at select times. Also, I-95 is literally right next to the station. 🙁

Nearby points of interest: You have the aforementioned shopping area south of the station, along with a country club.

Transit connections:
Metro-North (New Haven)
Bee-Line (13 at station proper, 61 at NY-120)

Overall, it’s an okay station. If anything, I’d say it’s about average with not a lot to make it stand out. Sorry! But, sometimes that’s a good thing.

Rating: 6.5/10