Misc. – Page 2 – chelsea's corner

33rd-Rawson St.’s (Line #7)

Alrighty, so this entry (apologies for being late – my mental health and work put this on the backburner a bit!) is one of many elevated stations on line #7. The first of many stations on the line with street names (or second – if you factor in the platforms for line E and M at Court Sq. is “Court Sq.-23rd St.”), and the first of many generic elevated stations along the line. Let’s get into this because this is going to probably get monotonous.

33rd-Rawson is on the edge of LI City (going by Google Maps boundaries here), and is on a concrete viaduct over Queens Blvd. Wait, is this what NYC-area foamers call the “Queens Blvd. Line”?

*does research*

Wait, it isn’t? Damn…

Anyways, the station really isn’t much to ring home about. You have two side platforms with wastebaskets, benches, countdown clocks (which means you will hear “THERE IS AN. UPTOWN. LOCAL. SEVEN TRAIN TO FLUSHING-MAIN ST. APPROACHING THE STATION PLEASE STAND AWAY FROM THE PLATFORM EDGE” about once every other minute. We’ll get to that in a minute. The mezzanine has MetroCard machines and turnstiles, however they’re configured in a way to not allow free crossovers. Boo, that sucks! Well, I lied. Apparently, there’s a part-time exit (presumably closed nights or offpeak) that DOES allow free crossovers. Not sure how anyone would think this though if they’re not from the area. Oh well! I must also remark, the skyline view of LI City is pretty sick from here, too!

View of the other platform and the LI City skyline

Countdown clock! Yes, those headways are ACTUALLY REAL.

Line diagram! Where’s the LIRR at Woodside?

Sunnyside is indeed sunny today! (it’s close enough!)

Right, back about those headways. Those headways are actually real, and the trains run at FULL SPEED with those headways. I decided to railfan here a little bit and, I am genuinely not exaggerating, there were moments where trains were pretty much bunched up to the untrained eye, yet they were running full speed and were not holding. Like, DAMN! I’ll explain how it works. This might go over some peoples’ heads, and I probably won’t do the best job explaining, so I apologize in advance. So, here we go:

Line #7 (& Line L, and some sections of the other lines including the Queens Blvd. tunnel, and more recently line G) operate on a different signaling system that operates considerably different than the rest of the subway system, and is considerably different vs. mainline rail (e.g. Amtrak, Metro-North, NJ Transit, the LIRR) or other subway systems (e.g. SEPTA, the MBTA, the CTA). Most of these systems operate their signals with what are called “blocks”, or sections of track that are protected by signals. If you ever sat trackside, you might’ve seen a tri-color light or a gantry with red, yellow, and green. These operate pretty much like traffic lights, and once you enter the block section, they’re supposed to turn red. However, the signaling system on line #7 doesn’t use traditional blocks. Rather, the system, called CBTC, uses what essentially are an infinite amount of blocks and trains can keep as much or as little space as possible to operate safely and at full speed. Furthermore, this technology also allows for, essentially, fully automated subway lines. However, in the context of New York, odds are the unions wouldn’t let that fly because of job security reasons, so if nothing else the operators are there for emergencies and to operate the doors. It’s a bit hard to explain, so my recommendation is to just see it in action if you’re able to. It really is a sight to behold to see 2 11-car trains back to back without any restricted speeds.

If that was hard to understand, I don’t fault you. Here’s a video that can explain it better than I can.

Bye! (there was another train immediately behind it – out of frame)

The good: It’s a cool railfanning spot and, in my opinion, a good place to see CBTC in action! It also serves the Sunnyside and LI City areas of Queens pretty well! Queens Blvd. is pretty nice with what’s on it, even though it may as well be a stroad that happens to have a subway viaduct in the median.

The bad: Eh, not a lot to say outside the station specifically. Again, Queens Blvd. is a stroad. This station also isn’t accessible. Booooo…..

Nearby points of interest: The station itself is pretty cool for railfanning! There’ a YMCA, a gaming store, and a school nearby.

Transit connections:
Flushing Line (Line #7)
MTA bus (Q32, Q39, Q60)

Overall, it’s a pretty cool station for railfanning, but not much to remark beyond that. Sorry!

Rating: 6.5/10

Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall & Chambers St. (Lines #s 4-6, J)

So, here, we have another station complex, although this one isn’t as bad as the 42nd St. megacomplex in terms of how messy it is for me to cover. However, the station itself is kinda in sad condition, but as a terminal, it’s also pretty unique and is the last of its kind in normal service. Welcome to the Brooklyn Bridge/Chambers St. station complex!

Chambers St., on line J (also served by the Z line during peak hours – however we do NOT speak of the Z) is quite possibly among the most depressing subway stations I’ve ever seen. There’s three island platforms, however only two are in use, and only two out of four tracks are used in revenue service. Sometimes, though, if extra trains have to be sent through the Nassau St. tunnel, they might turn around on the middle tracks. But, generally, Chambers St. is a time capsule – and not in a good way. But, it was historically significant, being meant to be a major transfer point between the IRT and BMT before consolidation into the MTA, but that just never panned out. In terms of the station itself, it is just sad. It’s dingy, quite possibly a sorrier state than anything on the MBTA, and it’s just depressing in vibes. At least there’s elevators to render it an ADA accessible station!

In the mezzanine, is your standard faregates and signage to lines #s 4-6, and an exit out to the Municipal Building. Walking down the passage brings one to the ex-IRT platforms, named Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall. The platforms here, just like the ex-BMT platforms, have wastebaskets and clocks, and signage. However, there’s only 4 tracks and 2 islands, with the outer tracks going to the former City Hall balloon loop. This loop, and the fact one can ride through it, makes this station unique as it’s the only in-service balloon loop on the entire MTA subway. The loop is rideable by normal people, and it’s how line #6 turns around back towards Pelham Bay and Parkchester. However, if you are going to ride the loop, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT TRESPASS OR SUBWAY SURF INTO THE STATION. IT IS DANGEROUS. I DO NOT ADVOCATE FOR SUBWAY SURFING OR TRESPASSING. AND, YOU WILL LIKELY BE ARRESTED. IT IS NOT WORTH IT. If you MUST check out the old City Hall station, the NYC Transit Museum sometimes does tours. With that aside, Brooklyn Bridge is okay. It’s dingy but it’s not as sorry a state of affairs as Chambers St., and plus the fact that line #6 uses the loop here to turn around is cool! And, there’s also bus connections on street level. Neat!

The good: It’s a transfer point in lower Manhattan between lines #s 4-6 and line J! Furthermore, it’s actually pretty useful for people trying to get to the Municipal Building, various federal buildings nearby, and the Brooklyn Bridge itself. It’s also accessible!

The bad: Unless you’re changing between line #6 and line J specifically, I don’t see why one would change here, rather than at Fulton St. (the next stop over heading downtown), which has express service. Chambers St. specifically is also bad with how sorry a state of affairs it is in. 🙁 If my mental health issues manifested as a subway station, it would probably be best described as Chambers St. (Line J). Yeah, sorry!

Nearby points of interest: This is the closest subway station to various municipal and federal buildings, one of a couple stations to serve City Hall, and the closest station to the Brooklyn Bridge. Pace University is also a stone’s throw away.

Transit connections:
Lexington Ave. (Lines #s 4-6)
Nassau St. (Lines J, Z)
MTA bus (M9, M22, M103, BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, QM7, QM8, QM11, QM25, SIM15)

Overall, this station is straight-up depression. Yeah, sorry, but I got not a lot of good to say about it. Sorry! The loop is cool, though!

Rating: 3.5/10

34th St.-Hudson Yards (Line #7)

Hudson Yards is among the newest stations on the MTA subway, having opened almost 9 years ago (as of writing this), with only 2nd Ave.-72nd/86th/96th St. being newer than this. The station is, by Manhattan standards, also located in a transit desert otherwise, with 10th, 11th and 12th Ave.’s otherwise having no subway access. This isn’t too big an issue as 8th Ave. is the next best thing, however this location in particular needed a subway connection. With that, let’s get into the station review.

Hudson Yards is one of those kinds of stations where it’s very deep into the ground. However, unlike stations like the LIRR concourse at Grand Central, the various stations in Washington Heights, or Porter Square in Boston, there’s actually half-decent elevators! If I remember right, it took me about 30 seconds to get to the surface – AND IT WAS AN INCLINED ELEVATOR yhfioedpashifopdhsaioufphdsaiofhawdiop INCLINED ELEVATORS ARE AWESOME, OK?! THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME RIDING ONE. Shit, I should make time to ride the Monongahela Incline some time, now that I think of it. I digress. Hudson Yards is pretty nice, the platform is plain but is serviceable. There’s signs pointing to the next train, however there’s one teensy-weensy but crucial problem: THE DEPARTURE BOARDS DON’T WORK OTHERWISE. IS IT THAT HARD TO TELL WHEN THE NEXT TRAIN WILL DEPART?! Anyways, I digress. Going up the inclined elevator (are these called funny colors? fume colors? funiculars? or just simply inclined elevators? what’s the difference anyways?), the station mezzanine is spacious but pretty normal otherwise. The headhouse looks pretty cool, actually. In terms of importance, this station is very important as it’s the closest thing to the Javits Convention Center. For the MTA employees, this is also one of, if not the closest station to the Michael Quill bus garage, so there’s that. Overall, Hudson Yards seems like a cool area.

THIS IS THE LAST STOP ON THIS TRAIN. EVERYONE PLEASE LEAVE THE TRAIN. THANK YOU RIDING MTA NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT.

The Javits Convention Center (apparently a bid for the 2024 DNC was made using this place!)

The good: It serves the up and coming Hudson Yards development, along with the Javits Convention Center! It’s also pretty nice, and the vibes I get from it remind me of my experiences with WMATA from when I went to DC as a child. The mezzanine is also pretty spacious, presumably to accommodate convention crowds from the Javits Center. Also, THE INCLINED ELEVATOR!!!

The bad: WHY ARE THE COUNTDOWN CLOCKS BROKEN?! JUST FUCKING TELL ME WHEN THE TRAIN IS DUE OUT AND WHAT TRACK!

Nearby points of interest: The Javits Center, duh! Furthermore, you have the High Line Park (a rail trail in NYC’s urban core?!), the Vessel, a concerning amount of parking lots, and the Hudson Yards Mall. Yeah, this place largely is probably most comparable to the Prudential Center and Copley Place in Boston.

Transit connections:
Flushing Line (line #7)
MTA bus (M12, M34-SBS)
Megabus (former, long live THE GUY)

Overall, it’s a nice station. It’s pretty modern, serves an important area of NYC, and has some cool stuff around it. And, inclined elevators are pretty cool! DAMMIT MTA, FIX THE COUNTDOWN CLOCKS THOUGH!

Rating: 8/10

Smith-9th St.’s (Lines F & G)

Smith-9th Streets is the highest station on the MTA subway, with an elevation of 87 or so feet above street level. This height made it the highest-elevated subway station in the entire world for a while, until 2022 when Hualongqiao Station on Chongqing’s Line #9 opened (with an elevation of 157 feet above street level – almost double of Smith-9th!!!). Even then, the reason the station was built so high above the ground was actually a simple one – it was cheaper for the Independent Subway System (aka the IND) to build a stupidly oversized viaduct over the Gowanus Canal, than it was to dig a deep tunnel. With that, let’s look at the station.

Nevertheless, you can get a pretty flippin’ good view of the skyline. The station’s layout is your standard 2x side platform with two express tracks. However, typically, the express tracks aren’t used outside two runs of line FX during peak hours (or, <F> if you prefer, but I prefer denoting express lines and routes with the X suffix typically rather than ASCII art). The platform has your standard wastebaskets, benches, countdown clocks, etc., the usual stuff. Going down, there’s escalators going down to street level, where there’s an information booth. There’s also a bus connection, to the B57 and B61 bus routes. Notably, these buses also go to IKEA – and this station is also the nearest one to the Brooklyn IKEA. Neat!!! Just a fair warning though – line G uses 5-car trains and to board, you HAVE to be at the middle of the platform. So, be mindful! And, yes, this station isn’t accessible. Sad!

Why the fuck does one clock only display the current time?

THERE IS A. DOWNTOWN. LOCAL. F. TRAIN TO CONEY ISLAND-STILLWELL AVE. APPROACHING THE STATION PLEASE STAND AWAY FROM THE PLATFORM EDGE.

This operator jumpscared me with the horn 🙁

The good: It’s a cool station! Pretty damn high up! It’s got a nice skyline shot and presents good train photography opportunities – and, really, city skyline opportunities for that matter! There’s also decent bus connections as well! (at face value, anyways)

The bad: It’s not accessible! WHY?! It’s also not a good station if you’re scared of heights. The area is also pretty industrial.

Nearby points of interest: The Brooklyn IKEA is close-ish! Aside from that, there’s some industrial facilities and shipping ports nearby.

Transit connections:
6th Ave. (Line F)
Crosstown (Line G)
MTA bus (B57, B61)

Overall, Smith-9th is a little unique among NYC subways stations, it’s the highest one. It’s pretty tall, has express tracks, and a nice view of the city. However, the accessibility brings it down a bit. IKEA’s close by, though, so long live BLAHAJ. :3

Rating: 7/10

Marble Hill (NYCMTA)

Marble Hill is an oddball station, and quite possibly the only one where the subway and Metro-North almost directly interface with each other outside Harlem and Grand Central. But even then, it’s not a direct physical connection. With that, let’s look at Marble Hill.

225th St.-Marble Hill is your standard ex-IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit, more commonly the A division/numbered lines) MTA elevated subway station, with a pair of side platforms. There’s no elevators, meaning this station is a fuck you to the ADA. Beneath is US-9/Broadway, and a number of Bronx bus routes run through here….even though legally it’s Manhattan. The downtown side has a small headhouse with MetroCard machines, while the uptown side has nothing at all other than a singular OMNY/MetroCard reader. The drawbridge, however, does make for some nice railfanning shots.

THERE IS AN. UPTOWN. ONE. TRAIN TO VAN COURTLANDT PARK-242ND STREET. ONE. MINUTE. AWAY.

The sole OMNY/MetroCard reader heading uptown

Bus connections can be found on Broadway, with the Bx7, Bx9, and Bx20 bus routes providing service to various places around the Bronx, including Riverdale and West Farms Square. Going a block over brings one to the Metro-North station.

And looking towards Van Courtlandt Park and Yonkers!

The Metro-North station is on 225th St. itself, and is also inaccessible. There’s stairs leading down to a rather small island platform, and in the overpass over the tracks is the ticketing machine. The platform is relatively normal otherwise, with a sheltered waiting area, a sign, a wastebasket, and benches. There’s also a departure board in the overpass and lining the platform. Yeah, not a lot to note here. The Hudson River makes for nice scenery though!

Overpass shot towards Spuyten Duyvil and Poughkeepsie!

And towards Yankee Stadium and Grand Central!

The good: It’s a transfer point between the subway and Metro-North! Furthermore, it’s also a good place for railfanning. It’s also a pretty busy area!

The bad: The stations aren’t accessible! The subway station is also pretty normal otherwise. Throw some elevators or ramps in, dammit!!!

Nearby points of interest: There’s a housing development nearby and a shopping mall!

Transit connections:
Metro-North (Hudson Line)
7th Ave. (Line #1)
MTA bus (Bx7, Bx9, Bx20)

Overall, it’s an okay station. Nothing too special to remark aside from the views of the Hudson and the railfanning potential. Yeah, sorry!

Rating: 6/10

42nd St.-Times Square/PABT/Bryant Park/5th Ave. (Lines 1-3, 7, A-F, M, N, Q, R, W, 42nd St. Shuttle)

Times Square…oh how do I even begin this one? Well, it’s the dog days of summer, and this one’s gonna be one hell of a doozy. That is, a 5 in 1 package. Let’s dig into it: the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the associated MTA subway station, the Times Square subway station, and the Bryant Park/5th Ave. station complex. Yes, all of these are attached to one another. So, buckle down, for this will be LONG.

So, to start with this entry, I was intercepted by someone from the Miles in Transit server (this was before I met up with Miranda for Christopher St.’s entry) at Penn Station. I then took my HRT on line E, and continued to the PABT. Commence review.

The platforms are pretty standard as seen elsewhere, two island platforms (albeit staggered), with benches, wayfinding, and a countdown clock. They are also accessible via ramps. The mezzanine is huge, with access to the PABT, and even has shops lining it. The PABT itself is pretty expansive, and while I didn’t have a lot of time to check it out (I would be here all day!), the bus terminal itself is expansive. Information booths can be found for Greyhound, Peter Pan, among other carriers. There’s even shopping and restaurants in the non-subway section of the terminal. Neat! From what I heard, the bus berths are just oversized parking garages, so I wasn’t bothered. The End!

HA! You thought this was the end? LMAO NOPE! Well, after going through a concourse tunnel, we reach 7th Ave. at Broadway. Welcome to Times Square!

This was written and taken during the 2024 Olympics season!

Times Square has lines #s 1-3, 7, N, Q, R, W, and the Grand Central-Times Square shuttle. But first, a poem. It’s actually kinda dark, reading:
“OVERSLEPT, SO TIRED. IF LATE, GET FIRED. WHY BOTHER? WHY THE PAIN?”
Damn. That’s actually very dark, and in a way kinda relatable. Well, we reach Times Square’s mezzanine and it’s pretty big. There’s restrooms nearby (staffed!!!!!!), and stairs to every which way. The station itself, though, is more on the empty side. Now, if you’re expecting the platforms for each set of lines to be different….you’d actually be wrong here. Lines #s 1-3 use a pair of islands, with line #3 in particular being a shuttle between here and 148th St.-Lenox Terminal overnight. Lines N, Q, R, and W also use a pair of islands, albeit oriented diagonally underneath Broadway, rather than 7th Ave. Then, there’s line #7, which is yet another island platform. Historically, this station was the terminus for line #7 until Hudson Yards opened in 2015, and until then there were some big mean mother bumpers at the end of the track. Lastly, there’s the Times Square shuttle platform. There used to be three tracks, however that changed relatively recently with modifications to widen the platform, so now it’s just two with an oversized island. One of the two tracks happens to connect to line #1 at the Times Square end as well. Neat! In terms of platform amenities, you have the usual signage, countdown clocks (yes, even for the shuttle!), benches, and wastebaskets. Nothing exciting. The station is also accessible by elevators – however, the PABT transfer is not due to a steeper than normal grade. Sorry!

Line R – wait, isn’t it supposed to be yellow?

This is, in fact, the busiest station on the MTA subway

On the surface, Times Square is one hell of a busy place. In fact, it is known to be overwhelming to some. Even I felt mildly overwhelmed but GOOD GOD was it an experience. Many express and local buses can be found here at street level, while some can be found near Bryant Park, with the PABT having a number of NJT and intercity buses. One of the entrances to Times Square, a simple staircase, is also reported to cost $30 million. Yikes! Overall, this place is definitely among the most photographed in the world, and being here was certainly an experience. Furthermore, you also have a number of shops and theaters nearby. Moving on!

BUS connection- wait a second, GET OUTTA THE BUS LANE!

Eventually, going back to the shuttle platform, Bryant Park station can be accessed underground from here. It’s a stone’s throw away again, which means in theory you can walk from one #7 line platform to the other! HA! Nice… Anyways, I digress. Bryant Park isn’t too special, with the connections to lines B, D, F, and M along with line #7. Except for one thing… Line #7’s platform has “platform screen doors” – albeit, better, as platform barriers. THEY SUCK. THEY CALL THESE PLATFORM SCREEN DOORS?! THIS AIN’T THE KIND OF STUFF THAT RMTRANSIT MENTIONS IN LITERALLY EVERY VIDEO!!! GOD FUCKING DAMMIT MTA!!!!!!!! THESE ARE NOT GOING TO DETER A MALICIOUS MALFACTOR OR ANYONE ELSE FROM FORCING A LIVING BEING ONTO THE GODDAMN THIRD RAIL!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! I digress, the mezzanine is your typical ex-Independent Subway mezzanine (the Independent Subway, or IND for short, being one of the three predecessor entities to the modern MTA, forming part of the present-day B division/lettered lines). That’s to say, stupidly overbuilt. That’s it. That’s the entire review. Sorry, no pictures of Bryant Park, but it is a pretty nice place, and I might add pics next time I’m in NYC.

More signage! The fuck is a Culver, though?

Does every subway train in NYC have the US flag on it?

THERE IS A. DOWNTOWN. LOCAL. SEVEN TRAIN TO THIRTYFOURTHSTREET-HUDSONYARDS. APPROACHING THE STATION PLEASE STAND AWAY FROM THE PLATFORM EDGE.

The good: It is HUGE and has connections to almost every line. (it does not connect to lines G, J, L, Z, or the Staten Island Railroad). The areas on the surface are full of activity as well, and the PABT is a major destination. It’s also (relatively) a stone’s throw from Penn Station and Grand Central. There’s also restrooms!

The bad: It can be a little confusing for some! Furthermore, it’s a goddamn sauna during the summer. PLATFORM BARRIERS TOO FHDAIOHFIODPWAYHFIODPASHFA.

Nearby points of interest: Bryant Park, Times Square, the PABT, and the many shops, restaurants, theaters, etc. in the area are the big ones! The main branch of the New York Public Library is at Bryant Park as well. The Rockefeller Center, while not directly here, is a stone’s throw away, as is Grand Central.

Transit connections:
6th Ave. Line (lines B, D, F, FX, M)
7th Ave. Line(lines #s 1, 2, 3)
8th Ave. Line (lines A, C, E)
Broadway Line (lines N, Q, R, W)
Flushing Line (lines #s 7, 7X)
42nd St. Shuttle
MTA bus (M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M7, M20, M34A SBS, M42, M55, M104, Q32, SIM1C, SIM3, SIM3C, SIM4C, SIM6, SIM8, SIM8X, SIM10, SIM22, SIM23, SIM24 SIM25, SIM26, SIM30, SIM31, BxM2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11, BxM18, QM1, QM2, QM3, QM4, QM5, QM6, QM20)
NJ Transit bus (101, 102, 105, 107, 108, 109, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 119, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 144, 145, 148, 151, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 177, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 319, 320, 321, 324, 355)
Bee-Line Bus (BxM4C)
Various intercity buses

Overall, this station complex is the single most important station (or station complex, rather) on the entire MTA subway, connecting almost every line with each other. Just be safe and mindful of pickpocketing people. If you’re ever in NYC as a tourist, I wouldn’t say “don’t come here”, and in fact I say do go for it at least once. But, in terms of the station itself, it’s not too grandiose inside, and the relatively high rating comes from the lively vibes of the surrounding areas. Screw those platform fences on 5th Ave. though.

Rating: 7/10

Penn Station-New York (Amtrak/NYCMTA/NJ Transit)

Penn Station?! Wait, you mean, THE Penn Station?! Penn Sta.-NEW YORK?! Oh yes! Penn Station-New York! Penn Station is, simply put, THE BUSIEST STATION IN ALL OF NORTH AMERICA. Well, there’s a lot to cover here, so buckle up and hold on for dear life!

Alrighty, so there’s a lot to cover, and I’ll be starting from the Amtrak, NJT, and LIRR platforms. The platforms are TINY, to put it lightly! They’re well-lit though, so there’s that, and there’s escalators going straight up. One end will bring you to the old Amtrak concourse (near where the LIRR and NJT concourses are), while the other end will bring you to Moynihan Train Hall. I’ll touch on that later. Going up the escalator to the concourse, it’s……..bad. Uh oh…

I didn’t opt to get many pictures of the old concourse because it was just bad, but rest assured that I was immensely overwhelmed by the low-hanging tight corridors. However, it gets better (I mean this in a genuine manner), as my next stop was the LIRR concourse. And, HOLY SHIT THIS IS AMAZING! This is actually quite nice, and dare I say modern, if I say so myself. You have shopping, an LIRR customer service booth, ticketing machines, a waiting area, a LOT of retail spaces, and entrances to the 7th Ave. Line on the MTA subway. Directly above is Madison Square Garden as well, as a fun aside. Neat! From here, I proceeded towards the NJT concourse. It’s an alright area, though it’s an absolute labyrinth still. Eventually, I reached it, it looked standard with departure boards and there was even a waiting area. I presume there’s also a ticket booth and machines here as well. I then pressed on further to another concourse, presumably for Amtrak. This concourse was also huge, quite open, and was largely similar to the LIRR concourse. It’s here that the 8th Ave. Line can be accessed from within the station, and that was my next stop before heading outside. However, before then, I’ll cover Moynihan.

Amtrak waiting area in one of the concourses

Northbound local tracks for the C and E routes

So, chronologically, I checked out the 8th Ave. Line’s station, walked to Moynihan on the streets, then did the 7th Ave. Line’s station, however I’m saving the subway stations for the end. So, I got out and walked the streets of NYC and it was VERY IMPOSING. Like, I felt SMALL among the skyscraper canyon. I must also note the headhouse I came out of looked pretty freakin’ cool, too. I digress, though, as I ventured out towards Moynihan one block over because I kept getting lost in the many concourses underground. Yikes. The walk wasn’t too bad though, in spite of the cold weather. Eventually, I did make it to Moynihan though, so there’s that!

This, even moreso. (this became my lock screen picture!)

Another subway headhouse. But, just call it “Penn Station” rather than “34th St.-Penn Station”, though! And where’s the 8th Ave. Line?!

HOLY FUCKING SHIT, IT’S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN!

CitiBikes, even though they’re a death trap around here…

Alrighty, Moynihan. It’s alright. It’s actually very beautiful visually. However, there’s one major glaring flaw. The Amtrak facilities are located here (this is the official Amtrak area!), as is quite a bit of shopping and restaurants. However, there’s two, actually, glaring flaws. First, WHERE THE FUCK IS THE SEATING?! HOW DO YOU EXPECT PEOPLE TO WAIT HERE WHEN THE TICKETED WAITING AREA FILLS UP FAST AND THERE’S NO BENCHES IN THE MAIN CONCOURSE HERE?! WHAT THE FUCK, AMTRAK?! Second, the boarding procedures. You can circumvent them using the old concourse, but THAT SHOULDN’T EVEN BE A THING. TO BOARD YOUR TRAIN, EVERYBODY HAS TO LINE UP AT AN ESCALATOR, HAVE THEIR TICKET SCANNED BEFORE GOING DOWN, BOARD THEIR TRAIN, AND THEN HAVE THEIR TICKET SCANNED AGAIN AFTER THE TRAIN IS DEPARTED. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS THIS BULLSHIT?! AND THEN FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND ON THE MAPLE LEAF, THEY STILL HAVE TO CHECK YOUR ID AT THE BORDER ANYWAYS. FUCK YOU, AMERICAN BORDER PROTECTION AND YOUR ARCANE PRACTICES. (do note this is mainly an issue with the Maple Leaf and Adirondack, and is not applicable to anything else, and it probably boils to State Department bullshit than DOT bullshit) FUCK YOU AMTRAK FOR THINKING YOU’RE AN AIRLINE. AND FUCK YOU TO WHOEVER STRIPPED BENCHES FROM MOYNIHAN! Anyhow, now to do the subway stations!

MOYNIHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!!! But, where’s the seating?!

Some businesses and the LIRR departure board

The subway stations are pretty bogstandard. Like, they’re your average underground station with either 2x islands or 2x sides+island setup serving local and express trains. There’s really not a lot to talk about here, in all honesty. You have faregates, MetroCard machines (no OMNY? Really?), and a MTA TPD presence as well. And, with that, finishes up the busiest station in all of North America.

THERE IS A. DOWNTOWN. EXPRESS. THREE. TRAIN TO. FLATBUSH AVENUE. APPROACHING THE STATION PLEASE STAND AWAY FROM THE PLATFORM EDGE.

The good: The station is HUGE and is very major. Like, it’s the busiest station in the country! There’s a lot of retail as well, and is the central hub for NJT and one of the LIRR’s major termini (alongside Grand Central, Atlantic Terminal, and Jamaica). It’s also located in the heart of Manhattan, so there’s that. And, furthermore, there really is no excuse to drive into this station when transit connections are probably the strongest in the country here.

The bad: THERE’S NO FUCKING SEATING IN THE MOYNIHAN TRAIN HALL! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WERE THEY SMOKING?! ALSO, WOULD IT HAVE KILLED THEM TO HAVE A MAP WITH “YOU ARE HERE” IN THE CONCOURSES BELOW?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Nearby points of interest: Madison Square Garden! You also have Hudson Yards, Times Square, Chelsea Park, the Empire State Building, and many other things as well.

Transit connections:
Amtrak (Acela, Regional, Adirondack, Berkshire Flyer, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Silver Services)
LIRR (Port Washington, Hempstead, Port Jefferson, Oyster Bay, Ronkonkoma, Montauk, Far Rockaway, Babylon, West Hempstead, Long Beach)
NJ Transit (Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Montclair-Boonton, Morristown, Raritan Valley, Gladstone)
7th Ave. (1, 2,3)
8th Ave. (A, C, E)
MTA bus (M7, M20, M34 SBS, M34A SBS, SIM23, SIM24, Q32)

Overall, Penn Station is the busiest station in the country and all of North America. I don’t think I’ve done it enough justice in this entry (as with Grand Central there…), however, for being the largest station in North America, it surprisingly sucks. Idk, maybe I’m holding it to too high a standard, but it just….idk. Bleh. But, as much as I hate to do it for the busiest station in North America, I can’t really give it a 10/10 like I was hoping to. Sorry, New Yorkers. It’s a good station overall, but there’s no way it’s a 10/10 as there’s major flaws.

Rating: 8.5/10

Grand Central Terminal (NYCMTA)

Grand Central Terminal was built in 1913 by the New York Central Railroad, at the intersection of 42nd St. and Park Avenue in central Manhattan, New York City. The station is largely timeless and iconic in American culture, to the point where “Meet me at the clock” is synonymous with Grand Central. In the present day, it’s the terminus of Metro-North’s East of Hudson ops. In 2023 (a year ago as of writing this!), the MTA built East Side Access which brought the LIRR about 20 stories beneath Grand Central into a new concourse called “Grand Central Madison”. However, I’m just referring to the whole station (MNRR, LIRR, and subway) as “Grand Central Terminal”. With that out of the way, I present: GRAND! CENTRAL ! TERMINAL!!!!!!!

Station signage at the Flushing Line platform

So, starting off the station review at the Flushing Line platform, the platforms are largely normal, being an island configuration. You, of course, have benches and wastebaskest, usual stuff. The Lexington Ave. Line’s platforms are above the Flushing Line’s, and is the same deal, just with two islands and 4 tracks instead. From there, a very long concourse connects the two platforms over to the shuttle platform for Times Square service, and heading out through the concourses, it can get quite crowded. Bleh.

This was at Times Square, but it’s still a Flushing Line train no less.

Mosaic at the Lexington Ave. line’s platform

Entering the concourses from here, there’s entrances to Summit, TD Bank, and various other things, and at this point I got lost and just exited the station. So, off to the streets of Park Ave. and eventually back into Grand Central! Eventually, I reentered by where the shuttle exit is, and into Grand Central! WOOO!!! From here, I decided to check out the NYC Transit Museum, which was pretty cool, and then commence the full review of Grand Central’s headhouse. It was AMAZING!!! It’s so huge too! There’s shopping everywhere around the station, as if it’s a shopping mall in of itself. There’s a Metro-North ticket office in the center of the concourse, along with the famous clock and departure boards. There’s many other concourses here that are lined with many, many shops and behind the departure boards are the upper level Metro-North tracks. Neat! There’s even an Apple Store exclusive to the upper level! The lower level of Grand Central’s non-LIRR section has the dining concourse and even more tracks. Grand Central North is also pretty average and is much like the rest of the station.

The station headhouse. This is GORGEOUS!

NEXT STOP MELROSE, THE NEXT STOP ON THIS TRAIN IS MELROSE! THE DESTINATION IS NORTH WHITE PLAINS.

Moving on to the LIRR concourse. It’s alright. I mean, it’s clean for what it is, and there’s amenities down there. Among them are your usual restrooms, ticketing office, waiting area, and 4 sets of tracks (tracks 201-204 and 301-304). However, where’s the seating at the tracks and in the concourse itself? Furthermore, the hike down to track level is REALLY REALLY LONG. LIKE, PERHAPS EVEN LONGER THAN PORTER SQUARE. YIKES! But overall, the concourse is alright, there’s signs that Andrew Cuomo was involved (if it says “EXCELSIOR!” it was probably Cuomo!), and there’s art in a couple of places.

Departures. Actually very small vs. in MNRR’s concourse

The good: The LIRR concourse is brand spankin’ new! Furthermore, the station is just outright gorgeous and is probably a 10/10 in appearances alone. The subway station is pretty good as well, even if the MTA prioritizes function over form. Metro-North also frequently departs from here and, at rush hour, it can get REALLY BUSY. Then again, this is also the THIRD BUSIEST STATION IN THE ENTIRE FREAKIN’ COUNTRY. YES, IT’S THAT MAJOR A STATION.

The bad: The LIRR concourse is a mile deep! It’s also a little easy to get lost… But, surely, it can’t get worse, right? Right??????

Nearby points of interest: The station itself! Bryant Park is nearby, and you have LITERALLY ALL OF EAST-OF-HUDSON METRO-NORTH AND MOST ELECTRIC LIRR TERRITORY. The Lexington Ave. Line runs here with the #s 4-6 routes running through as well, and the Flushing Line’s #7 route to Hudson Yards and, well, Flushing. There’s also many a local and express bus connection as well to the other boroughs.

Transit connections:
Metro-North (Harlem, Hudson, New Haven, New Canaan, Danbury)
LIRR (Port Washington, Hempstead, Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma, Far Rockaway, Babylon, West Hempstead, Long Beach)
42nd St. Shuttle
Flushing (7)
Lexington Ave. (4, 5, 6)
MTA bus (M1, M2, M3, M4, M42, M101, M102, M103, Q32, BxM1, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11, BxM18, BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, BM5, QM21, QM31, QM32, QM34, QM35, QM36, QM40, QM42, QM44, SIM4C, SIM6, SIM8, SIM8X, SIM11, SIM22, SIM23, SIM24, SIM26, X27, X28, X34, X38, X63, X64, X68)

Overall, I really like Grand Central. It’s easily got to be the most gorgeous station I’ve reviewed thus far, and is probably a contender for “most beautiful stations I’ll ever visit”. Will anything beat it? I doubt it. Nevertheless, even the LIRR area is beautiful despite its flaws. And with that, that concludes the review of the 3rd busiest station in North America. I mean, it’s a great station, but a part of me feels like I can’t do it enough justice…

Rating: 10/10

96th St. (Line #6)

Next stop on the subway, I decided to deviate to 96th Street-Lexington Avenue. Now, some people will question my sanity and ask “why 96th?” to which I just simply say, “The Google Maps picture looked cool and I wanted to check it out.” I know, lame excuse. But, whatever. Without further ado, here’s 96th Street Station.

96th St. is your standard local station with two sides. In the case of the Lexington Ave. Line, the express tracks are underneath the local tracks, so you won’t really get any express action. The station’s largely standard. On the wall, there’s a mosaic that reads “96TH STREET”, presumably original to the station, and there’s stairs up to the mezzanine. In the mezzanine is an area dubbed “the balcony” where you can look down onto the tracks. Quite truthfully, it’s kinda cool and I’ve yet to find any other station like it. Going up into the mezzanine, you have benches, the windows looking down onto the tracks, the faregates, and MetroCard machines. There are no elevators, and the station isn’t accessible, sadly. For accessibility, one would have to utilize bus connections, namely the M101 or M102 from Harlem-125th.

A Bombardier R62A on the #6 Lexington Ave. Line

The headhouse! Look, Brookie, a Starbies!

The good: It serves the local neighborhood, and it has some standout qualities, namely the window overlooking the platform! It’s also served 24/7 (as is most of the subway network).

The bad: It’s not accessible, and one would have to change for a bus at Harlem-125th for accessibility…

Nearby points of interest: It’s on the edge of the Carnegie Hill neighborhood, and there’s an Islamic cultural center halfway between here and the Q route’s 96th St. station. And, for the railfans out there, Metro-North’s portal at 97th St. is nearby as well. Neat!

Transit connections:
Lexington Ave. (6)
MTA bus (M96, M101, M102, M103)

Overall, it’s a passable station. In the grand scheme of things, it’s about average with little special going for it. Sorry! But at least it’s not dogshit though!

Rating: 6.5/10

Harlem-125th St. (NYCMTA)

Alrighty, Harlem-125th Street! So, while technically this entry is two stations (Harlem-125th on Metro-North, the penultimate stop before Grand Central, and 125th St.-Lexington Ave.), I’m counting them as one and the same on the basis of proximity. They’re pretty much on the same block, and if phase 2 of the 2nd Ave. extension ever comes to fruition, proposals call for the Lexington Ave. stop to connect Lexington Ave.-125th and the Metro-North station physically anyways. So, with that out of the way, here’s the penultimate Metro-North station before Grand Central, and another MTA subway stop.

The subway station is pretty bogstandard with little noteworthiness. You have the usual benches, wastebaskets, and a mezzanine which was relatively crowded. Outside of that, you also have elevators and your stereotypical NYC subway station headhouse reminiscent of Central Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That, actually, probably was inspired by NYC, if anything. The platform setup are an upper and lower level, with the lower level being for southbound trains, and the upper level for northbounds. Above that is the mezzanine with fare control. Pretty normal to me.

Downstairs for the #s 4-6 Lexington Ave. Line southbound

THERE IS A. LOCAL. SIX. TRAIN TO. PARKCHESTER. APPROACHING THE STATION PLEASE STAND AWAY FROM THE PLATFORM EDGE.

So, walking a block over brings one to Harlem-125th St. on Metro-North. The station’s a vibe, honestly, sitting underneath the Park Ave. viaduct. Well, I should describe better. The headhouse is directly underneath the Park Ave. viaduct and is quite the vibe. It feels a little dingy, yet as soon as you go in, it changes drastically. The place, oddly enough, also feels like a time capsule in a way. The waiting area was a bit busy, unsurprisingly given it’s Harlem’s commuter rail station. Furthermore, there’s ticket machines, a ticket office, elevators up to the platforms, and even restrooms! Neat! Going up to the platforms is your standard pair of islands, where there’s also exits straight to 125th St. Heated waiting areas can be found up here too, but they weren’t in use. There’s also modern destination boards similar to those in Port Chester and other stations (I’ve only seen them at Port Chester and in Tremont). Honestly, I like this station, it’s quite the vibe and it’s nice, all things considered, even if 125th St. and Lexington/Park Ave.’s isn’t the best of areas.

Okay, that viaduct actually looks nice with the art.

Entrances bypassing the headhouse – presumably intended for after-hours

Okay, this is an old time-y vibe and I LOVE it. It’s also surprisingly well-lit!

And towards Poughkeepsie, Wassaic, New Canaan, Danbury, Waterbury, and New Haven

The good: The station’s honestly a vibe for Metro-North! Like, I honestly dig the old-school headhouse style and the fact the station’s on a viaduct. The area’s also pretty dense, and the subway station serves both express and local trains towards the Bronx. The M60 towards LaGuardia also stops here. Nice!

The bad: The subway station feels a little dingy, but that’s seemingly normal. Oh well! The subway to MNRR transfer can also kinda suck if the weather’s bad, too…

Nearby points of interest: You have some shops and parks nearby, along with the Harlem River!

Transit connections:
Metro-North (Hudson, Harlem, New Canaan, Danbury, New Haven)
Lexington Ave. (4, 5, 6, 6X)
MTA bus (M35, M60-SBS, M98, M101, M103, M125)

Overall, I really like the Metro-North station, having a lot of charm with the vintage interior and being elevated. It’s probably a personal favorite, if anything. However, the subway connection is average with nothing much to be said. It’s passable and accessible, though!

Rating: 8/10