Image via Complex Original
As New York City subway stations go, most are bearable. Sure they are hot, smelly, and full of trash, but it's all part of being a New Yorker — we accept it as par for the course. There are some stops, however, that have seemingly fallen off of the v radar screen; stops that smell of vomit and piss; stops that have massive rat infestations; stops that are, quite literally, a mugger's paradise; stops that look as though a mortar shell somehow found its way below ground. Today, in the name of change (are you listening MTA?), we count down the 10 worst, most horribly deplorable, subway stations in Manhattan.
10. Lexington Ave/53rd Street On The E Line
Ever wanted to ride miles and miles of escalators just for kicks? Didn't think so. The Lexington/53rd street station is so fucking far below ground that the MTA had to install giant escalators - each takes about 4 minutes to ride - to ferry passengers back and forth. Talk about a buzz kill.
9. Canal Street On The J and Z Lines
If you have ever wondered what day-old fried chicken smells like when mixed with diarrhea, rat poison, and bloody tampons, the Canal Street J Line station is for you. Did picking up trash suddenly go out of style? Put on your gas masks, fellas.
8. 6th Avenue On The L Line
Getting to the L is a royal pain. From the F, which is where most people are coming from, you have to walk up 2 flights of stairs, down another, and through a dimly lit concrete hallway that is roughly a quarter mile in length. Can a brotha' get a Gatorade?
7. 215th Street On The 1 Line
If you enjoy freezing your ass off while keeping your eyes pealed for muggers, the 215th station is the spot for you. Platforms are narrow and marked by graffiti, and when night rolls around things get real creepy, real fast.
6. 163rd Street On The C Line
Junkies passed out dreamin' of their next fix, roaches charging towards piles of moldy hot dog buns, angry bag ladies ready to throw a knife, packs of thugs lookin' for wallets: This is 163rd Street on the C line. Avoid at all costs.
5. Dyckman Street On The 1 Line
Robberies are practically a daily occurrence at the Dyckman station. It's outside, above ground, and in a secluded area. To make matters worse, it's clear the MTA has let the once beautiful station fall into serious disrepair; poor attempts at graffiti line the walls and sections of the platform have large chunks of concrete missing. Stay away if you can.
4. Chamber Street On The J Line
Can you say dilapidated? This place is a war-zone. The "Chambers" sign alone is enough to make an out-of-towner cringe with fear. Broken tiles are everywhere, the lighting reminds us of the batcave, and steroidal rats don't seem to be the least bit intimidated by their human counterparts.
3. Canal Street On The Q Line
One Complex staffer summed up this stop in a single searing sentence. "It's like somebody dropped a bottle of diarrhea cologne in there." The scent, possibly a mix of vomit, shit, and testicle sweat, hits hard and doesn't EVER leave. Even the homeless (normally a pretty accepting bunch) seem non-plussed by the stench.
2. Hoyt-Schermorhorn on A/C lines
This station features a rarity among Brooklyn subway stops: the phantom platform, a decommissioned tract of concrete once used for passenger service. Much to the horror of daily commuters, the MTA opted to use the Hoyt-Schermorhorn phantom platform as a temporary trash dump. It's been reported that the smell reaches unbearable levels in the dead of summer when the trash literally begins to cook inside the bags. UGH!!!
1. 191st Street On The 1 Line
New Yorkers call this stop the Tunnel of Doom. To access the station, riders must trudge a quarter mile through a narrow concrete tunnel full of rats and garbage. It's dark, dank, and incredibly creepy. Far and away the worst subway stop in the city.