A and 1 Subway Inwood to Manhattan (Washington Heights: crime, transfer, construction)

[ducboy]

How are the A and 1 Subways btw Inwood (Dykeman) and midtown, especially at night?

Is is something to be concerned about, particularly through the 100s?

[UpsonDowns]

I live below Inwood, in Washington Heights and I take the A alone late at night all the time. (I rarely take the 1 and can't comment on that line.)

The bummer about the A is that it runs local late at night (allegedly starting at 10:30 or 11pm but it seems to vary widely) and it almost always runs local on the weekends due to construction.

I've probably had to move cars 3-4 times due to crazies or other weird situations late at night in the four years that I've lived in the Heights.

There is one particularly pungent homeless guy who lives on the A that I run into a lot when I'm on my way downtown. I just make sure that I pick a spot on the platform where I can pick between cars when the train arrives.

That said, it's pretty safe, but you should still be street smart. Don't flash your cash and minimize eye contact.

[Hustla718]

Robbery, that is the most common crime on the trains (honestly it's either your time or it's not). Unless you get into a serious arguement with some thug or psycho I doubt you will be gunned down. Problem is late at night a lot of those types, especially through the hoods like Washington Heights, Inwood, Harlem.

So basically don't go flashing an iPod or a cell phone (#1 robbery targets in the subway) and don't start a problem unless you are ready to handle it no matter what happens.

[rlrl]

I used to take the 1 from 28th street to the end stop at 242 street many years ago for an internship i was doing. I took the train at 10 PM and never once felt threatened. What I didn't like were the cold nights when the train doors opened at the elevated stations. I would say the wilder stations were between 137th and Dyckman streets but again I can't recall any threatening people.

So much better than the 2 line. I used to take that from midtown to my Wakefield office returning at night, sometimes as late as 10 or 11 PM. Now that was scary, although no one bothered me there either.

[UpsonDowns]

And EVERYONE uses their iPods on the trains in Upper Manhattan. Seriously, no worries.

[thf415]

I would definitly try taking both trains. The 1 tends to be a little cleaner and have less crazies at times.

[StillFreak]

1 Train experiences are all pleasent for me. Never have I been mugged. Never have I seen someone get mugged. Surprisingly enough, it seems to have the smallest amount of homeless psychos out of all Bronx train/subway stations.

[ctman1987]

I take the 1 at least 5 times a week between the last stop (242nd Street/Manhattan College) and midtown or lower manhattan. I have been doing this for the past year and a half and have never had any problems. I came to the city from Connecticut and didnt know what to expect riding the subways basically above 96th street.

With this is mind I feel very safe and have never had any problems. Yes there may be some "characters" on the subway, some homeless people that will hassle you or that you see all the time but I have never personally experienced any problems.

I have also transfered numerous times from the 1 to the A and vice a versa at 168th Street. That station can be a little sketcy (for lack of a better word) but there are usually many people doing the same transfers so your never walking alone and recently there are usually police present which gives you a nice sense of security.

[Dark of the Moon]

Originally Posted by UpsonDowns

There is one particularly pungent homeless guy who lives on the A that I run into a lot when I'm on my way downtown.

Are you talking about the guy who travels with all his garbage bags? I usually catch him on my uptown train. And -- yep -- he's pretty "ripe" .....

[StillFreak]

Hustla is right to an extent. I wouldn't be worried about me having my IPod out during the day, especially commuting hours, but when you're alone late in the night and just revealing it to everyone coming your way, it may be a "recipe for disaster."