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So I've been thinking about this for a couple days. I work next to Grand Central Station and have a lot of co-workers who live in Westchester and Fairfield Counties. I already posted this question in the Connecticut forum as well - but I wanted to get a sense of which Metro-North line you guys think is the best and which is the worst: Hudson, Harlem, or New Haven?
So I've been thinking about this for a couple days. I work next to Grand Central Station and have a lot of co-workers who live in Westchester and Fairfield Counties. I already posted this question in the Connecticut forum as well - but I wanted to get a sense of which Metro-North line you guys think is the best and which is the worst: Hudson, Harlem, or New Haven?
As always, lemme know your thoughts. Thanks.
It is funny to me to think about your question comparing the lines. I do not know very many people who have used all three lines with any regularity. While I have used the Harlem and New Haven lines fir various reasons over the year, in total its a handful of times for each line. I have taken the Hudson line, with brief off periods, for over 20 years and feel I know it well. I first took the Hudson line to commute in 1993. It has not changed much since then, other than the trains themselves improving. I like the Hudson line. I take it from Croton to GCT, and for the most part, my trains are always on-time. The conductors are respectful, the trains are in generally good shape, and the stations clean. I wish it was cheaper, but that is not going to happen. I give the Hudson line a thumbs up, but can really not compare it to other lines I barely have ridden.
It is funny to me to think about your question comparing the lines. I do not know very many people who have used all three lines with any regularity. While I have used the Harlem and New Haven lines fir various reasons over the year, in total its a handful of times for each line. I have taken the Hudson line, with brief off periods, for over 20 years and feel I know it well. I first took the Hudson line to commute in 1993. It has not changed much since then, other than the trains themselves improving. I like the Hudson line. I take it from Croton to GCT, and for the most part, my trains are always on-time. The conductors are respectful, the trains are in generally good shape, and the stations clean. I wish it was cheaper, but that is not going to happen. I give the Hudson line a thumbs up, but can really not compare it to other lines I barely have ridden.
Agree with this I have used the Hudson and Harlem lines maybe ten times each over the last two years. It's really hard to find any meaningful distinction that is related to the line itself. My bigger impressions of differences are of individual stations. As someone who uses a smaller station on a daily basis, I really appreciate the bigger stations with their abundant parking. Just today I had to park in a lot that I am not permitted for because of a lack of spaces in my regular lot. That doesn't seem to happen in the bigger stations like New Rochelle and White Plains.
It’s an interesting question and I’d like to make the argument for the Harlem line.
First I should point out that I no longer commute daily on the train, nor did I ever commute daily on the Hudson or New Haven lines, although I ride both a couple of times each year. On the Hudson I’m most familiar up to about Croton, although I’ve ridden as far as Beacon a few times. On the New Haven really only as far as Port Chester.
Anyway, I think we can all agree the New Haven line is the worst. I work on this line now, and have many co-workers who commute on it, and it’s more often than not delayed, especially outside of normal commuting hours or on the reverse commute. Sharing the lines with Amtrak creates issues with scheduling. And from Port Chester south, there isn’t much to look at out the window aside from urban / suburban sprawl.
The Hudson line will probably win this poll, and I agree that looking at the river is quite nice. And many will contend the express trains, the size of the stations, the accessibility and so on are superlative. BUT, while I concede the view as you swing around the corner into Spuyten Duyvil is really neat, the rest of the trip is a bit like a Rothko painting – kind of a small horizontal strip of land down low, the tall blue of the river occupying most of the picture, and the mountains and sky on the far side… kind of unchanging (although spectacular in fall). Looking at boats in summer is pretty cool too, I guess.
But the Harlem offers much more variety! I love riding down along the Bronx River, watching the the river meander and people meander along it. Lots of hawks, turkeys, other interesting birds, the occasional muskrat, etc. In Valhalla the cemetery offers an interesting manicured landscape with nice ornamental trees. That stretch up between Chappaqua and Mt. Kisco is kind of a neat swampy area, feels very remote, like the trans Siberian express through the taiga, however briefly. And then you get up along the reservoirs and it’s again very interesting, different flora and fauna the whole way.
And more than which is the best to ride, which is the best to live along? The Harlem line feels so much more “local” to me- the stations are smaller, and there’s generally only two tracks. The stations are generally right in town, as opposed to down at the bottom of the hill in the “industrial waterfront” area. It’s quaint – we’ll often take the train up the line or down the line a stop or two to go out to eat, go to the Valhalla dam, go shopping in White Plains or Mt. Kisco, etc. Not to say that I wouldn’t if I lived on the Hudson but it’s a slog down the hill, then back up.
I love that the station in my town is below grade. The train rolls right through the middle of town but it’s so unobtrusive. And there’s no diesel, no freight, no Amtrak Acela speeding by. I can see the train from my house (over the river and through the woods) and it’s just quaint and pleasant, a series of gentle lights riding gently by in winter. I can also see the train from my desk in Harrison and it’s noisy, speeding, obnoxious in a way. Hard to explain but it’s much more intrusive, especially when Amtrak comes flying by; or worse, sits here for twenty minutes. It’s loud.
Now of course the downside of that is that you can’t get to Albany or Boston from my house, or anywhere in between, without going back through the city. It’d be cool to hop on the train Saturday morning for a trip to the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium for the day or even eastern CT beach for an overnight. But as a counterpoint, the White Plains station is right next to both the Bee-Line central hub which offers surprisingly good access to the rest of Westchester (I often take from Port Chester to WP) AND busses to the Catskills, upstate, etc. (I’m much less familiar but have seen signs and college kids taking them).
The Hudson line seems to have the least amount delays. Harlem is very reliable but bad weather severely effects it. The New Haven line seems to have a lot of delays in its Connecticut stations. That's a very raw assessment of the lines.
There are two other lines? This is, after all, the Westchester County Forum.
Yes there are - Port Jervis and Pascack Valley are the two lines west of the Hudson that originate out of Hoboken. 987ABC didn't see the title of the thread, where it specifically says "east of the Hudson".
It’s an interesting question and I’d like to make the argument for the Harlem line.
First I should point out that I no longer commute daily on the train, nor did I ever commute daily on the Hudson or New Haven lines, although I ride both a couple of times each year. On the Hudson I’m most familiar up to about Croton, although I’ve ridden as far as Beacon a few times. On the New Haven really only as far as Port Chester.
Anyway, I think we can all agree the New Haven line is the worst. I work on this line now, and have many co-workers who commute on it, and it’s more often than not delayed, especially outside of normal commuting hours or on the reverse commute. Sharing the lines with Amtrak creates issues with scheduling. And from Port Chester south, there isn’t much to look at out the window aside from urban / suburban sprawl.
The Hudson line will probably win this poll, and I agree that looking at the river is quite nice. And many will contend the express trains, the size of the stations, the accessibility and so on are superlative. BUT, while I concede the view as you swing around the corner into Spuyten Duyvil is really neat, the rest of the trip is a bit like a Rothko painting – kind of a small horizontal strip of land down low, the tall blue of the river occupying most of the picture, and the mountains and sky on the far side… kind of unchanging (although spectacular in fall). Looking at boats in summer is pretty cool too, I guess.
But the Harlem offers much more variety! I love riding down along the Bronx River, watching the the river meander and people meander along it. Lots of hawks, turkeys, other interesting birds, the occasional muskrat, etc. In Valhalla the cemetery offers an interesting manicured landscape with nice ornamental trees. That stretch up between Chappaqua and Mt. Kisco is kind of a neat swampy area, feels very remote, like the trans Siberian express through the taiga, however briefly. And then you get up along the reservoirs and it’s again very interesting, different flora and fauna the whole way.
And more than which is the best to ride, which is the best to live along? The Harlem line feels so much more “local” to me- the stations are smaller, and there’s generally only two tracks. The stations are generally right in town, as opposed to down at the bottom of the hill in the “industrial waterfront” area. It’s quaint – we’ll often take the train up the line or down the line a stop or two to go out to eat, go to the Valhalla dam, go shopping in White Plains or Mt. Kisco, etc. Not to say that I wouldn’t if I lived on the Hudson but it’s a slog down the hill, then back up.
I love that the station in my town is below grade. The train rolls right through the middle of town but it’s so unobtrusive. And there’s no diesel, no freight, no Amtrak Acela speeding by. I can see the train from my house (over the river and through the woods) and it’s just quaint and pleasant, a series of gentle lights riding gently by in winter. I can also see the train from my desk in Harrison and it’s noisy, speeding, obnoxious in a way. Hard to explain but it’s much more intrusive, especially when Amtrak comes flying by; or worse, sits here for twenty minutes. It’s loud.
Now of course the downside of that is that you can’t get to Albany or Boston from my house, or anywhere in between, without going back through the city. It’d be cool to hop on the train Saturday morning for a trip to the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium for the day or even eastern CT beach for an overnight. But as a counterpoint, the White Plains station is right next to both the Bee-Line central hub which offers surprisingly good access to the rest of Westchester (I often take from Port Chester to WP) AND busses to the Catskills, upstate, etc. (I’m much less familiar but have seen signs and college kids taking them).
So there’s my vote.
Wow, I never even thought that the post might be talking about the visual and spiritual pleasantness of the ride. I tip my hat to you for your thoughts. While I am partial to the Hudson line, the Harlem line does have some visually pleasing points. I think is a fantastic post from that point of view.
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