Whether you’re running late to class or sick of walking, nearly all NYU students have used the subway for one reason or another. Each train line and station seems to have its own personality, and not all of them are passing the vibe check. Here’s my definitive ranking of the subway stations around NYU’s Manhattan campus to help you navigate through the good, the bad and the delayed.

5. West Fourth Street

Coming in at last place, to no one’s surprise, is the West Fourth Street station. While this one is the closest to Washington Square Park, I avoid using it at all costs. For starters, the B, D, F and M trains seem to be always running late — and the B train held the highest percentage of delayed trains in 2024. If you have no choice but to use this station, make sure to leave the house 15 — or even 25 — minutes earlier than you normally would. This station’s only redeeming factor is its access to the sleek blue seats and shiny speckled floors of the A, C, and E trains. But it’s still not enough to save the West Fourth Street station — and its creepily barren platform — from its doomed standing.

4. 14th Street-Union Square

Next on the list is the Union Square subway station, which shouldn’t come as a shock to most. Union Square does have its perks — it has the most lines of any station near NYU. But the fact of the matter is that this station is horrendously busy all day, every day. Forget trying to find a seat during rush hour, because you’ll probably find yourself staring at the pit stains of a middle-aged man after scrambling to make your way onto the train. What’s arguably worse is how big the station is. I’ll admit that sometimes I just want to skip the turnstile and hop on the train — but at Union Square, that’s out of the question. Instead, you’ll traverse the station’s strangely long hallways and walk down a couple flights of stairs until finally reaching your train.

3. Broadway-Lafayette Street

Middle of the pack and mid all the way around is the best way to describe the Broadway-Lafayette Street station. There isn’t really much going for this station except that it has the BDFM line — which, as I’ve already established, is consistently tardy. The difference between here and West Fourth Street is that not enough people use this station for the late trains to be an actual problem. If you’re looking for an easy ride on the BDFM line, Broadway-Lafayette Street is a safe bet, as it’s usually not too busy and nestled right on the edge of SoHo. The one issue I do have is that this station advertises that it connects to the No. 6 train — which isn’t technically a lie, but you’ll be taking a frivolous journey through an unnecessary amount of stairs, escalators and subway platforms. If you’re looking for the No. 6 train at this station, you might as well leave and walk yourself over to Bleecker Street.

2. Eighth Street-NYU

The runner-up is Eighth Street-NYU for its centralized location and low-foot traffic. This station is right around the corner from Weinstein Hall and has an exit right in front of the Tisch building on Broadway. It holds the NQRW line, which usually has minimal delays. The station is small, but there’s never enough people there to make it feel claustrophobic. The only downside to the size of the station is the amount of turnstiles available — during rush hours there can be a little bottleneck, but the crowd filters through pretty quickly, making this station a tried-and-true subway staple.

1. Astor Place

As a Gramercy Green resident who frequents the No. 6 train, I might be biased towards Astor Place, but this station is truly the unproblematic one in the MTA friend group. Who doesn’t love that little green gazebo above the station? Astor Place houses the No. 6 and the No. 4 train on late nights. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this station is clean, it’s definitely tidy in comparison to others near NYU. Another plus is that the waiting area between the turnstiles and the ledge of the subway platform is spacious and far from the tracks, meaning that you won’t ever feel squished among the throngs of subway riders. 

Contact Isabel Lesser at [email protected].