103rd Street

This 103rd Street station sits under Lexington Avenue in East Harlem, the neighbourhood also known as El Barrio for its deep Puerto Rican and wider Latino roots. The streets around here are alive with murals, corner bodegas, salsa spilling from open windows in summer and the smell of Caribbean cooking from local restaurants. It is a working residential district that rewards a wander far more than the guidebooks suggest.

Served by the 6 train, this is a local stop on the Lexington Avenue line, the busiest subway line in the whole country. The station connects El Barrio quickly to Midtown and downtown, and it is a short walk from the cultural institutions clustered along Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile as it reaches its northern end.

Station Overview

103rd Street opened in 1918 as part of the Lexington Avenue line and is served by the 6 train, a local service. It is an underground station beneath Lexington Avenue. Fares are a single flat rate paid with a contactless OMNY tap or a MetroCard, the same price no matter how far you travel.

Lines and Connectivity

The 6 train is the only service here and it runs local, stopping at every station. Southbound it heads down through the Upper East Side, Grand Central, Union Square and the East Side to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall in Lower Manhattan. Northbound it continues up through East Harlem and across the Harlem River into the Bronx, ending at Pelham Bay Park. For the 4 and 5 express trains, transfer at 125th Street to the north or at 86th Street to the south.

Station Layout and Structure

This is an underground station with local side platforms either side of the express tracks that the 4 and 5 use to speed through without stopping. Staircases connect the platforms to the mezzanine and up to street entrances at the corners of Lexington Avenue and 103rd Street. Signs on the platform indicate uptown toward the Bronx and downtown toward Brooklyn.

Accessibility

This 103rd Street station is step-free, with elevator access linking the street and the platforms. Travellers using wheelchairs, or with pushchairs or heavy bags, can use the station without stairs. As always, check the MTA website or app before you travel in case an elevator is out of service.

Travel Tips

• The 6 is a local train, so for a faster ride downtown switch to the 4 or 5 express at 86th Street.
• East Harlem's Latino restaurants and bakeries are some of the best value in Manhattan - explore the side streets off Lexington.
• El Museo del Barrio and the northern Museum Mile are a short walk west toward Fifth Avenue.

Nearby Attractions

El Museo del Barrio - about 10 minutes on foot west on Fifth Avenue. A museum dedicated to Latino, Caribbean and Latin American art and culture, and the anchor of the neighbourhood's cultural scene.

Museum of the City of New York - roughly 10 minutes on foot west. Devoted to the history, people and culture of New York, sitting at the top of Museum Mile.

Central Park - about 10 minutes on foot west. The northeast corner of the park, near the Conservatory Garden and Harlem Meer, is one of its most peaceful sections.

Thomas Jefferson Park - roughly 10 minutes on foot east toward the East River. A neighbourhood park with sports courts, a pool and open green space.

Timings and Best Time to Travel

The 6 train runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, one of the hallmarks of the New York subway. Overnight, between about midnight and 5am, service is less frequent, so allow extra time. The Lexington Avenue line is the busiest in the city, and weekday rush hours are extremely crowded on Midtown-bound trains. Late mornings and early afternoons are the calmest times to travel.