137th Street-City College

137th Street-City College sits on Broadway in the West Harlem neighbourhood of Manhattan, right at the doorstep of the City College of New York's hilltop campus. Students climbing up to the Gothic buildings of CCNY pour through this stop every weekday, giving the platforms a busy, collegiate feel during term time and a quieter rhythm on weekends and over the summer.

The 1 train is the only line here, but that single local route is a workhorse of the West Side. From this corner of Hamilton Heights you can be at Columbia University in a few minutes or riding all the way down to the tip of Lower Manhattan without changing trains. It is a straightforward station that does one job well - moving a college neighbourhood in and out of the city.

Station Overview

137th Street-City College opened in 1904 as part of the original IRT Broadway line, one of the first stretches of subway ever built in New York. It sits in nominal Zone 1 and is served solely by the 1 train, a local service that stops at every station along Broadway and Seventh Avenue. The stop takes its name from the university campus that rises just to the east.

Lines and Connectivity

The 1 is a local line running the length of the West Side. Heading downtown it reaches Columbus Circle, Times Square, Chelsea and the World Trade Center before terminating at South Ferry near the Staten Island Ferry. Heading uptown it continues through Washington Heights toward Van Cortlandt Park in The Bronx. For express service on the 2 and 3, riders transfer a short ride south at 96th Street or north at 96th toward the shared trunk line.

Station Layout and Structure

This is an underground station with side platforms, one for uptown trains and one for downtown, so make sure you enter on the correct side before you tap in. Staircases lead up to the corners of Broadway and West 137th Street. Because the station is over a century old it keeps its classic IRT proportions, with narrow platforms and mosaic name tablets on the walls.

Accessibility

137th Street-City College is listed as an accessible station with step-free access, so travellers using wheelchairs, strollers or luggage can reach the platforms without stairs. As with any older station it is worth checking the MTA elevator status on the day you travel in case of maintenance.

Travel Tips

• Pay with a single flat fare using OMNY contactless (phone, watch or bank card) or a MetroCard - the price is the same no matter how far you ride.
• The 1 is a local train, so allow extra time if you are heading far downtown - an express change onto the 2 or 3 further down the line is often faster.
• During the CCNY academic year the morning and late-afternoon platforms fill quickly with students, so travel just outside those windows if you want a seat.
• Enter on the correct uptown or downtown side before tapping in, as the two platforms are not connected past the turnstiles.

Nearby Attractions

City College of New York - a two-minute walk uphill. The flagship campus of CUNY, with striking Collegiate Gothic architecture and the free Aaron Davis Hall performing arts venue.

Hamilton Grange National Memorial - about 10 minutes on foot. The restored home of founding father Alexander Hamilton, now a National Park Service site in St Nicholas Park.

St Nicholas Park - alongside the campus. A sloping green space that follows the ridge of Hamilton Heights, good for a break between classes or trains.

Riverbank State Park - roughly 15 minutes west toward the Hudson. Built over a water treatment plant, it offers a pool, skating rink and river views.

Timings and Best Time to Travel

The 1 train runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can catch a train here at any hour, though late-night service (around midnight to 5am) comes less often and you may wait longer on the platform. Weekday rush hours line up with the college schedule, making midmorning and early afternoon the calmest times to travel through 137th Street.