Updated fall 2021
The DL: New York Subway – When people come to visit us we always get the same comments about how navigating the subway can be super challenging. Ohhhh the New York Subway system, I think all locals have a love-hate relationship with it. Is it gross? Yes, for the most part. Is it efficient, cheaper, and faster than taking a taxi/uber? Yes, for the most part. Below is a guide created to give you everything you need to know about the New York subway:
1. MTA Card | OMNY
Now that all stations have touch and go pay, I would recommend using OMNY (Apple Pay or tap card) at each of the stations so you can pay as you go. If that is not an option for you and you plan to use the subway for most of your trip or at least more than 12 times, look into getting the week unlimited plan on your MTA card. It’s the best bang for your buck (around $33) and you don’t have to keep up with how many rides you have left or pay for any mistakes if you do mess up! You can buy a metro card at pretty much any subway station, just go down the steps and look for the machines or talk with someone at the booth. The cards also work on the bus, which can be nice to ride above ground but can be much slower due to traffic and you cannot buy a card
OMNY – there is no app, just tap your card or tap your phone/Apple Watch. After you have spent $33 or 12 rides over a 7-day period, every trip thereafter during that period is free.
Tip: Don’t put your metro card next to a cell phone it can deactivate. Also, if you get a 7-day pass, your pass will start right away so technically if you get it on a Monday it will end Sunday since it includes Monday as the first day.
Tip: When buying your card it will ask you to add value or time. You will add time if you are doing the 7
2. Helpful Apps.
Download the NYC subway app, it works whether or not you have wifi and can help you make a quick decision (see image).
- Download an app like transit – this tells you how long you have until your subway will arrive if there are no monitors in the station.
- Google and Apple maps work pretty well for the most part if you just want to stick with those but you won’t know how long you have until your subway arrives. Use them
like you wouldnormaly but just click the transit button at the bottom.
3. Know the difference between Uptown vs Downtown.
When you get to a subway station, it is either designated as a downtown or uptown entrance, if it doesn’t say – you can usually get to both from that entrance. Uptown means you are going north on the map and downtown means you are going south for the most part. If you look at the map of NYC see where you are and see where your destination is… if its south of your current location then you probably need to take a downtown subway.
Need to go east or west? This can be tricky, since many subways don’t run that way except for a few exceptions like the 7 or the L, you most likely need to take a bus, car, transfer at a station, or walk to get there, especially if you are trying to get from the Upper West to the Upper East.
4. Know the difference between Express vs. Local.
When taking a subway that says express, that means that it’s making fewer stops meaning it will be skipping a lot of stops (potentially including the one you need). You can look on the subway map and if the stop has a white circle that means it is an express and will stop at the white
Tip: Always listen to the announcement on the intercom of the next stop on the subway, especially on weekends because changes can take place due to track maintenance all the time.
5. Colors Don’t Matter.
When looking at subway lines colors do not play a part in them at all, everything goes by numbers or letters. The color for the most part just shows similar lines together. So when asking for help, refer to the number or letter, not color!
6. Elevators and Restrooms.
They are about impossible to find in the subway stations, especially the stations that aren’t hubs, so keep this in mind when planning your route. You will end up walking up and down lots of stairs.
Tip: When riding an escalator in the subway system always stand on the right side since the left is used for passing.
7. Sister Subways.
Many of the lines go to the same main places in Manhattan so odds are you can get to your destination by taking its “sister” subway, the A and C, the B and D, etc. they are usually paired together by color and the pick up is on the same platform, just beware of local vs express or where the line splits and goes different directions.
8. Plan Time.
There is a good chance that on your trip, you will have a subway car with a delay or re-routing due to a mechanical error or maintenance, especially when traveling on the weekends. So, it’s always good to plan for extra time if you have to be somewhere by an exact time, just in case you need to transfer at a different
9. The Negatives.
- With over 5 million people using the subways a day, you can expect it to be pretty dirty, especially small stations, on top of the fact they are underground and hundreds of years old.
- There is a good chance there could be a homeless person or subway car performer asking for money, some of the performers can be actually pretty entertaining. If you don’t want to be bothered just put on headphones and look at your phone/read a book and you’ll be good. They tend to hop on trains with lots of tourists and avoid the work crowd trains, so most likely they will hop on popular stops like 59th st, 42nd st, 34th st, and Fulton center that tend to be more touristy.
- The wifi is not great so plan that your service will be spotty in-between spots and don’t plan to be able to talk on the phone.
10. The Positives.
- You get to where you want to go quicker than driving and you don’t have to sit in traffic.
- You also have the luxury of being able to travel and move across the city and at the same time, you can read, listen to music, podcast, talk with a friend, plan your next stop, decide on dinner plans, etc. without having to pay to much attention.
- It’s the cheapest option. You can go a hundred blocks for under $3.
- You don’t have to worry about a designated driver when you are out with friends and most of all, you don’t have to worry about finding or paying for parking, which is a literal nightmare in the city.
Other Tips:
- Nicer stations to check out: Hudson Yards (7 line), Oculus/World Trade stop (E trains), Fulton Center, Grand Central, Upper East Q train on 2nd (72nd and 96th)
- When you think of subways you might think of rats, don’t look at the tracks or else you might spot one. I have only seen a few in my whole time living in New York because I don’t look.
- In the summertime, bring a small fan it gets HOT.
- Again, don’t keep your metro card by your phone it can deactivate it.
- As soon as you get above ground look for the street signs on the next block so you can find where you need to walk to and avoid walking a whole block to then just turn around and walk again.
- It is easy to spot a subway station on the street, just look for the little green lamp posts which means a station entrance is nearby.
- Lastly, have your card ready, swipe, and keep walking… nothing is more annoying to a local who is trying to get to work, than a tourist who doesn’t know how to use their subway card.
- Most New Yorkers take the subway to get anywhere and everywhere, so to be like a local all things said, you should at least try to take the subway once on your trip, especially when you need to get somewhere you can’t walk to or at least for an entertaining experience!
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