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I decided to ask 50 people what train they take in the three train stations I personally visit the most; grand Central, Union Square, and Broadway-Lafayette Street.

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I decided to ask 50 people what train they take in the three train stations I personally visit the most; grand Central, Union Square, and Broadway-Lafayette Street.

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I chose to research the NYC subway as just like many New Yorkers, I use the train everyday. I specifically use the 4, 5 most as they connect many important places in my life such as my home and my school. The stations I frequent the most are usually extremely full, to the point where the train I use, the 4, 5, is so full I'll have to wait for the next one. This can be a nuisance especially after-school when I'm trying to get home.  Something I noticed, however, was that other trains that stopped  at the same station were not as full. This made me wonder; How many people take other trains compared to the ones I frequent such as the 4, 5. I found the best way to go about collecting this data would be to survey people in train stations about what train they take the most.

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I chose to research the NYC subway as just like many New Yorkers, I use the train everyday. I specifically use the 4, 5 most as they connect many important places in my life such as my home and my school. The stations I frequent the most are usually extremely full, to the point where the train I use, the 4, 5, is so full I'll have to wait for the next one. This can be a nuisance especially after-school when I'm trying to get home.  Something I noticed, however, was that other trains that stopped  at the same station were not as full. This made me wonder; How many people take other trains compared to the ones I frequent such as the 4, 5. I found the best way to go about collecting this data would be to survey people in train stations about what train they take the most.

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Serves: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island through MTA Staten Island Railway (SIR). Ridership:: In 2016, average weekday subway ridership was 5.7 million, the highest since 1948. Annual ridership was 1.757 billion.…

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The value of a property is determined by a lot of things. As any real estate agent will tell you, the most important variable is "location, location, location." Location strongly influences property values because while some aspects of the property - such as its physical structure or features - can be changed, location is something that is permanent.

But what does it mean for a property to have a "good" location? Is it in a high-demand neighborhood or city? Is it close to shops, parks, good schools, and other desirable amenities? Does the property itself offer its inhabitants breathtaking views?

As you'd probably expect, having each of these desirable features can cause a property to increase in value. But one component of location that is often overlooked is access to infrastructure. And in New York City, there are few components of the city's vast infrastructure that are more vital than the subway.

According to a study conducted by Urban Studies, the leading international journal for urban scholarship, "empirical results indicate that the direct savings in commuting costs have been capitalized into housing values." Even without looking into this study, this makes sense: when people can easily get to other parts of the city and when people can eliminate transportation costs (such as owning a car), the property will be intrinsically more valuable.

Recent data indicates that less than halfof New York City households own cars. In fact, less than 1.4 million households have a car, out of a total population of 3.1 million households. The car-free lifestyle is especially common in Manhattan and South Bronx, where car ownership in some neighborhoods is as low as twenty percent. Unsurprisingly, these are also the neighborhoods where the use of the subway and other types of public transportation are highest.

When you compare a map of New York City property values to a map of the subway system, the correlation between access to transportation and property is clear. Keeping this in mind, many real estate investors will look for properties near the busiest subway stations. Below, we will take a look at the ten busiest subway stations in New York, using data gathered by the Metro Transit Authority ( MTA).

Times Square and 42nd Street

Times Square has been dubbed "the heart of civilization" and, though the highly visited neighborhood is often avoided by some locals, there is no denying that the neighborhood plays a critical role in New York City's cultural scene. In 2020, this station experienced a ridership volume of 20,341,240, which was far more than any other station. In addition to the stop's centralized location, its popularity is also driven by the fact it features many different lines, including the N, Q, R, W, S, 1, 2, 3, 7, and A, C, E. By boarding the subway here, you can reach almost any part of New York City with ease.

Grand Central and 42nd Street

Grand Central Station isn't just a beautiful work of architecture-it also plays a very significant role in the city's transportation infrastructure. Located near the Chrysler Building and just South of Midtown, the station plays a vital role in connecting Manhattan to the other boroughs. Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx can all be directly reached via this station, making it particularly common among daily commuters. The station allows access to the S, 4, 5, 6, and 7 lines. In 2020, its ridership was 13,162,826. Grand Central also provides relatively easy access to LaGuardia airport.

34th Street and Herald Square

The 34 th and Herald Square station-located south and a bit more central than the stations mentioned above-enjoyed a ridership volume of 12,826,841 over the course of 2020. The station is not only located near the very middle of South Manhattan, but it also connects to some of the most popular Brooklyn-bound routes. As the western neighborhoods of Brooklyn continue their ambitious development-with Downtown Brooklyn currently booming-having a reliable connection between the city's two economically active boroughs has proven to be vital.

14th Street and Union Square

In 2020, the subway station located at 14 th Street and Union Square experienced a ridership volume of over 10.8 million. Located further south in Manhattan than any of the busier stations, the station is situated at the intersection of two of the city's busiest subway lines: the green line and the yellow line. From a single location, riders can access the L, N, Q, R, W, 4, 5, and 6 lines, making it easy to access almost anywhere on the east side of Manhattan, as well as nearby Brooklyn. Additionally, property values in the neighborhood are kept high due to the stop's proximity to Greenwich Village and other desirable locations.

Fulton Street

The Fulton Street subway station is the busiest station in Downtown Manhattan. Last year, it experienced a ridership volume of 8,855,302-a figure that, interestingly, is very close to the total population of New York City. The station is located near the World Trade Center, Wall Street, and the rest of the financial district. Use of Fulton Street is heavily dependent on weekday commuters, meaning that it might be able to climb in the rankings once COVID shutdowns have fully subsided.

34th Street and Penn Station (1, 2, 3)

Penn Station effectively has two subway stations in one location, allowing it to claim both the sixth and seventh spots in the MTA's annual report. Were Penn Station to be counted as a single station, it would rank second overall. The 1, 2, 3 lines extend north into the Bronx and south into Brooklyn, allowing for easy movement between boroughs. In 2020, this station had a rider volume of 8,103,809.

34th Street and Penn Station (A, C, E)

Like its nearby counterpart, the A, C, E lines coming out of Penn Station offer riders easy access to areas both outside and within Manhattan. The station, which experienced a rider volume of 8,010,472 last year, has also benefited from the development of Hudson Yards-the most expensive real estate development ever to occur in the United States. As the project progresses over the next decade, ridership will likely increase further.

59th Street and Columbus Circle

Last year, the subway station at 59 th Street and Columbus Circle experienced a rider volume of 7,618,925. The station is located right near the southwest corner of Central Park, a blended-use neighborhood where the extremely commercialized Midtown meets the much more residential Upper West Side. Proximity to several museums, shops, and restaurants helps maintain consistent ridership, even on the weekends.

74th and Broadway

The 74 th and Broadway station, located in Queens (near the Brooklyn border), was the busiest New York subway station found outside of Manhattan. Last year, the station witnessed a ridership volume of 7,523,538, largely due to the fact it was commonly used by individuals heading to LaGuardia or looking to transfer between lines. The presence of the 7, E, F, M, and R lines have made this station become one of the city's most important.

Flushing and Main Street

Though the Flushing and Main Street station is served by just one line-the 7-the fact this station is a terminal has caused it to rank among the city's busiest. The station is a frequent destination for individuals living in Queens, along with those living beyond city limits on Long Island. As you will find with many terminal stations, there are many parks and ride options nearby. Were the line to ever be extended further-an idea that has been floated around MTA-the values of properties further down the line would likely increase.

Notes on Our Analysis

This list contains the ten busiest NYC subway stations from 2020, a year that was much different from almost anything we have ever seen before. Last year, subway ridership was much lower than it was the year before. Many of these stations experienced rider volumes up to three times higher in 2019 ( MTA). However, even keeping this in mind, the list of the ten busiest stations was relatively unchanged. These stations play a very critical role in New York City-New York's subway system is the largest and busiest in the country. By taking the time to understand the complexities of this city's massive subway network, you can improve your outcomes as a property investor (or, at the very least, find a better route to work). Check out our annual subway rent map to find out how much you can charge or have to pay in rent by your subway stop.

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A Look Inside the Ten Busiest Subway Stations in New York City | RentHop

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The value of a property is determined by a lot of things. As any real estate agent will tell you, the most important variable is "location, location, location." Location strongly influences property values because while some aspects of the property - such as its physical structure or features - can be changed, location is something that is permanent.

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The first station I chose to conduct my experiment on was Grand central. Grand central is a station I visit almost everyday as it's right near my house and connects me to many places like school and my friends homes. What I learned from the data I collected was that most people who visit the Grand Central Subway Station use the 4, 5, 6 line as 28 of the 50 people I surveyed said so. 14 of the 50 people I surveyed said they took the 7 train and only 8 people claimed they rode on the S. This didn't exactly surprise me as I know first hand how packed the 4,5, 6 is. On top of this, the 7 and S trains are not nearly as long as the 4, 5, 6 line since the S only has two stops and the 7 passes through only two boroughs. This doesn't compare to the three boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and The Bronx that the 4,5,6 line connects.

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The second station I chose to run my experiment at was Union Square. I chose Union Square because its a station I pass through several times through out the week as its the station I must get off at in order to reach my school. What I found from my research is that the amount of riders on the 4,5, 6 and N,Q, R, W was nearly equal. only 1 more person claimed they took the 4, 5, 6 compared to the N, Q, R, W. Compared to green and yellow lines, the L train was taken significantly less as only 9 of the 50 people surveyed answered with the L line. I predicted results like these because the green and yellow lines are similar in size. On top of this, the L line is relatively short and only works to connect Brooklyn and Manhattan making it clear as to why more people use the 4,5,6 and N, Q, R, W over the L.

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The third and final station I chose to research was Broadway-Lafayette. I wanted to perform my experiment on the Broadway-Lafayette street station because it's another station I use frequently as it connect me to my place of work and my sisters home. On top of this, I was fascinated with the design of the station and how it was only recently connected to the Bleecker Street Station which exists directly next to it. What the data conveys is that almost all visitors of the station take the orange line since 20 people claimed to take the F, M and 11 claimed they took the B, D. Based on previous data, it may come as a surprise that the orange line beats out the green. However, considering the fact that the express trains of the green line don't stop at the station, it's not all too surprising.

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I conducted my experiment by waiting out front the entrance of the three stations. Because of this, my data wasn't entirely accurate. This is due to the fact that subway stations have multiple entrances and are designed in a way that makes it easier to access certain trains from certain entrances. If I was to conduct the same experiment at the same station but a different entrance, it's very possible I could get different results as more people from one train could be coming out said entrance. Another way my data may have been inaccurate was through the time of day I conducted my experiment. I chose to run my experiment at noon, however, if I had ran it at a earlier or later time, I may of found different results. It is likely that stations with multiple lines could see a spike in ridership on one line at a certain time compared to another line at another time. Finally, my data could be skewed because I only asked 50 people. I chose to survey a limited amount of people as I was working alone and knew I didn't have the time to ask everyone. But millions of people pass through subway stations everyday and asking 50 people doesn't give enough data to accurately depict which trains are used the most. If I were to run this experiment again, I would survey people at each entrance to a station. On top of this, I would run my survey at different times through out the day and I'd ask many more people in order to get an even more accurate set of data.