Good Subway Stops for Bad Weather Days: A List of Stations Near Major NYC Attractions

Let's face the music. On some days, the chilly winds of a cold winter day can make walking in the streets of New York City a painful prospect. The wind chill effect can whip around our tall buildings, having nowhere to go but straight into the bones. People wandering around outside tend to hunch over, wrapping their scarves over their noses, bracing themselves against the fury. Some people even instinctively scream when a strong wind kicks up. It's like a Renaissance painting of hell. Staying indoors then seems like the best of plans. But for those desiring to see the city anyway, no matter what the weather, other means of transportation are, of course, available - hailing a taxi or hiring a car service, for example. The subway, depending upon one's proximity to a station, can be a convenient means of maneuvering New York City in awful weather.

A list of recommended subway stops in or near a major NYC attraction include the following:

• Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum 2, 3: Just outside the Brooklyn Museum.

• Bowling Green Station, 4, 5: Near the main steps of the National Museum of the American Indian (the former Custom House).

• W. 4th St., A, B, C, D, E, F, V: There's always a movie. The IFC Center on 6th Avenue shows the best of independent film. 

• 34th Street-Herald Square, N, Q, R, W: You can go straight to the Manhattan Mall and shop. JCPenney (901 Avenue of the Americas) is now the anchor of this indoor mall, an unusual feature of Manhattan retail. Macy's, via the subway outdoor exit, is very close.

• 34 Street-Penn Station, 1, 2 , 3, A, C, E: Penn Station isn't beautiful, but you'll at least find shopping and food.

• 42nd Street-Bryant Park, B, D, F, V, 7: Just steps from the famous lions gracing the steps of the New York Public Library. Visit the reading room, check out the special exhibits, or bring your laptop to the wi-fi-enabled Edna Barnes Solomon Reading Room. Just to the north, see the ICP (International Center of Photography) a block away at 43rd St. and 6th Ave.

• 42nd Street- Port Authority Bus Terminal, A, C, E: Stores, restaurants, and the Leisure Time Bowling Center and Cocktail Lounge. Yes, hipsters, the Port Authority is your place to be.

• Times Square-42nd Street. The busiest station of all. Artwork by several artists, including Roy Lichtenstein, Jane Dickson, Jacob Lawrence, and others make this subway stop a destination underground. A good play to listen to free live music.

• Grand Central - 42nd St., S, 4, 5, 6, 7: In addition to the amusements of watching people come and go inside a spectacular building, the shopping is convenient. Browse the satellite shop of the New York City Transit Museum, get something to eat in the food mall, or dine at one of the nicer restaurants. If you get really bored, you can take a Metro-North train somewhere, like Beacon (Hudson Line), Croton Falls (Harlem Line), or New Haven (New Haven Line).

• 47- 50 Sts- Rockefeller Center Station, B, D, F, V: Rockefeller Center, Top of the Rock, Radio City Music Hall.

• 5th Avenue, E: The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on E. 53rd St. is less than block away.

• 57th St. - Seventh Avenue, N, Q, R, and W: How do you get to Carnegie Hall? This way. The stop is just outside the famous concert hall.

• Lexington Avenue-59th St., N, R, W  or 59th St-Lexington Ave Station, 4, 5, 6: Bloomingdale's, the famous New York department store.

• 59th St-Columbus Circle, A, B, C, D, 1: The Museum of Arts & Design (MAD) and the Time-Warner Center.

• 81st Street-Museum of Natural History, B, C: American Museum of Natural History. Walk straight from the subway into one of the greatest natural history museums in the world.

The MTA's art in the subway program is one of the great pleasures of the metropolis. See this page on their website, MTA - Arts for  Transit / The Official Subway Art and Rail Art Guide. There, you can download a copy of the guide to the artwork in each station and peruse information and beautiful pictures about the artwork and installations.

See the widget "New York Transit Advisories" in the sidebar of this site for status updates on subway service. The MTA website also provides convenient directions with their Trip Planner.

Image by Walking Off the Big Apple.