A toothless, oddly euphoric gentleman sat down across from us. The stench was so horrific that we got up and changed cars at the next stop, but not before: 1. It became extremely apparent that there was a large, tattered hole where the crotch of his pants used to be. 2. A fully dressed man came through the car, asking for change. The man without adequate genital coverage stood up, dug through his pockets (surprisingly intact), and handed the panhandler some coins. This man, who stank like Bigfoot's Dick and whose pants were lacking where they were most needed, gave another soul his last bit of change. Thank you, C Train, for teaching me the meaning of generosity. And also for making me 30 minutes late to my soccer game. And for traumatizing my girlfriend. read more

"The waiting is the hardest part Every day you see one more card You take it on faith, you take it to the heart The waiting is the hardest part " read more

Misha was so kind to our family of tourists from the midwest yesterday. She helped us choose the right pass and explained how to order it from the machine. Thank you!!! read more

They should rename the C train the ZZZ train. You will fall asleep waiting for this late train every time. 2.0 Take the E or A train. read more

Yay! We just got the cleanest train award! *The filthiest was the M line, with only 32-percent of cars considered clean. The tidiest were the C and 6 lines with 65-percent of the cars found to be "basically dirt-free." read more

Catching the C train will always hold a bit of nostalgia for me. My very humble beginnings in the Big Apple began riding the C train way down Fulton Street to the Rockaway stop at Thomas Boland Street. That was back before the bodega was replaced by houses. I remember being a fledgling MTA rider and waking up at Rockaway beach. Many a morning found me emerging from the train at dawn's early light after a night at Webster Hall or some other such venue. I wouldn't return to the C train until after living with my girlfriend in Columbus Circle. Don't like living in Manhattan. Again on Fulton Street, but this time the Clinton/Washington stop to Clinton Hill. Loved being on the cusp between Fort Greene and Bed-Stuy. Well before the area got all "organic", and therefore plastic. And point of clarification: by C train I still include late night substitutions by the A train, and rerouted F trains. read more

C Train you have the nosiest brakes that squeaks at least two minutes when pulling into a station! Despite of operating every fifteen minutes as you are local, in conjunction, of pulling into the middle of the track for your four car body are you ever discreet? read more

every c train experience feels like throwback city. I envision folks rocking boomboxes on their shoulders, graffiti on windows, and lots of absurd hairdos. like traveling museums, the c line must recycle the oldest MTA subway cars. they are so poorly designed (many times you find yourself standing without a pole to hold onto) with hardly audible speakers, yet so fun to ride. and they are usually filthy. and filled with odd characters when ridden at off hours. gotta love the c train read more

This line (like all MTA transportation) is absolute trash. Yesterday I ran 10 minutes late to work, today I gave myself 15 extra minutes to get there and I STILL ARRIVED AT THE SAME TIME. Someone tell me how that's even possible? Fix.our.public.transportation. This is absolutely nuts and we pay too much money in city AND state taxes for this level of dysfunction on a daily basis. read more

The C and the E are the same to me. They get me to where I need to be. Though some say the subway smells like pee. I think these trains run as fast as can be. I hope no one is offended by my subway rhyme. Personally, I'm a fan of the ACE. I feel pretty posh when I hop on the Eighth Avenue Line headed downtown. The trains are fast and I usually enjoy the ride, although today I was next to a screaming baby. The C is a fast commute and a great place to people watch. I also appreciate the fact that they're now trying to incorporate art into the subway trains...pretty cool if you ask me. read more

The C Train - Apparently 70s mustard yellow is still all the rage - Trains Near Me - New York, New York

Like the stellar A train, it goes through a vast array of destinations, from rougher East NY's Euclid Av thru downtown Brooklyn, lower Manhattan, meeting up the E line for a bit through midtown and then up to 169 St for its friends A & 1 trains. The cars are either the semi-new R160A's or, as all hate, the rough/jerky R32's (corrugated exterior, dark green steel seats, not to be confused with the retired R38's). The schedule consistency is normal, somehow this one is the stepchild of the E which has superior Queens express access and frequency & the A train which is almighty and important due to its exclusive hold of its southern end. All in all, if I see a C, it's a lucky strike. Not sure what else to write. read more

Ha ha! I feel for all you poor suckers who have to rely on this relic! You're damn straight I give the C-trizzy 5 shining stars. Why? BECAUSE THE TRAINS ON THIS LINE ARE 47 YEARS OLD!!! You can't make that up. The R32s, or "Brightliners" were built in 1965/1965, and are still earning their keep today. Of course they're uncomfortable, creaky, loud and dirty; they were built a year after President Kennedy was assasinated! When they were built Yogi Berra managed the Yankees, and Whitey Ford was pitching. It was Shea Stadium's first season. The World's Fair was in Queens. Seriously; since these chrome dragons were put in service, FIVE different types of subway cars were designed, put into use, and removed from service and scrapped, and the Cs continue to roll on. Whatever this company did when they made these things ought to be replicated in every way possible. These are the VW Beetle of subway cars; no heat and bumpy, but ready to haul you to your stop. Keep it real C-train! i hope I last as long as you do. read more

The C train is my abusive boyfriend that only I see something special in. Sure, he looks, smells, and treats me like garbage in front of everyone else, but when we're alone, he does the sweetest things for me--namely, be located right outside my building. And when I say "right outside," I mean, literally right outside, and when I say literally, I mean literally literally, and not "literally" in the way that stupid people use it (that being, not literally at all)--as in, come up out of the station, turn 90 degrees to your right, and you are staring right at my building's front door. It is awesome. Sometimes I will go well out of my way just to come home on the C train, so great is the feeling of exiting the subway station and just instantly being home. I don't know if you've ever tried living really really really close to a subway stop, but if you haven't, I highly recommend it. So yeah, I know the C train, objectively, is terrible. It's slow, sporadic, seems to only arrive after like a dozen A trains have gone by, and is probably the train I will most likely be stabbed on someday. Certainly it has to be in contention for filthiest subway line; in point of fact, I have personally seen at least two different species casually vomiting on it, usually while sitting directly across from me. And it is absolutely a question of when, not if, I will see a person shitting and/or fucking on it. But like I said. Due to happenstance of location, it is almost like my personal subway line--granted, my personal line that for some reason scads and scads of smelly, loud, annoying, recreationally obese strangers also get to use--and for that, I am willing to forgive a lot. Needless to say, the instant I relocate to a place of residence that ISN'T so conveniently served by the C train, my rating of it will drop so fast it will punch a hole through time. But until then: C train, you are my favorite, and I love you. read more

This is easily the worst subway line in NYC, and I've been on just about every line. The A is also pretty bad, but at least it has newer subway cars and offers express service. The first thing you will probably notice is that the subway cars used on the C are the oldest in the system (The R32 has been in service since 1964). These cars are old, rickety and break down very often, and have the most uncomfortable seating out of all of the cars. I know that the MTA is trying to get these cars replaced, but it's been delayed due to "budgeting reasons". The second is that the C never seems to show up. I don't know how many times I will be waiting for it, and two or three A trains pass by during that time. Unfortunately, I need to take the C in order to get to a certain stop, and can't take the A. However, walking seems to be the better option in some scenarios. Third...I seem to see the most crazies on this line. Maybe it's because the line goes all the way out to some of the worst neighborhoods in Brooklyn, but I've seen some seriously messed up people on the C. This isn't the subway's fault, but after seeing a couple of people publicly masturbating, it definitely does not reflect well. read more

What the frac was up with the C train this weekend? Hello, MTA, its MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!!! that means more tourists will be in the city because its a holiday. Would you not want to have properly running trains? I had to take the C train up to 72nd street this weekend. But of course, it wasn't running this weekend, oh how surprising! the A train was running on local service instead, but running express from 59th to 125th street. but whats even worse than the trains are the MTA employees WHO ARE PAID to provide information to people. This idiot at 59th street is telling people "take the A train express to 125th street, then switch back to the downtown A train because its running local." Well genius MTA dude, why not tell people that they can take the 1/9 train, which is right upstairs, to uptown locations without having to goto 125th street. When the MTA is running smoothly, they have no problem promoting themselves. But when they have screwups, like this weekend, they'll chalk it up to "routine maintenance interruptions". what a bunch of baloney. read more

Ok guys, this train really isn't that bad! - If you're trying to get to UWS from the 168th station, you can avoid the elevator of doom to the 1 train by taking the C - It gets you so much closer to Central Park if you're trekking across to UES - During rush hours, the C actually comes more frequently than the A, so sometimes you can get to your destination faster. - If you're already north of 125th street, the C is no longer necessarily slower than the A, and given the frequency, you're better off taking the C. - This train is never crowded - A local train is a local train is a local train (aka not much difference between this one & other ones) There are bums/homeless and/or the occasional smell of urination regardless of which train you take, and the C train is as ancient as the 1 & A trains, as they all lack the fancy electronic destination grid that tells you how many stops you are from your destination (found on the E, F, M trains). Oh, and nothing wrong with sliding seats. Just stick those ear buds in your ears and the ride experience would be similar, if not exactly the same, as most other trains. read more

The C train is the absolute WORST train in New York City! I've seen it all on this train: people passed out drunk IN THE MIDDLE OF A WEEKDAY, naked homeless people, ghetto Brooklyn kids fighting. 90% of my bad train experiences have happened on the C train and I've never even lived on the C line -- I probably take the C once a month! The C has the oldest subway cars (though, recently a few of them have been replaced by the newer cars with the electronic signs that the E train has had for years). Old cars means there's going to be plenty of times when the air conditioner will be out during the summer. Which means you should probably stand because when the train gets crowded and you're seated, people will be standing over you, holding onto the bar, and exposing you to their armpit funk. *sigh* Also, give yourself an extra half hour if you need to go somewhere on this train. My usual wait time for it is around 20 minutes, even during rush hour! Seriously WTF. I'd rather take the A train and then walk or take a bus to my destination. The C train is pretty much only good if you're trying to travel to certain parts of Central Park and don't want to get on a bus. Otherwise, avoid this train like the plague! read more

I always take the A if I can; the C train is a good place to curl up with a good book--not! The C is like the A's poor cousin, always lagging behind. The only good time to take the C is after midnight and on weekends, when the A goes local. read more

Dear C Train, Where are you? I am waiting. Is that you? No, it's ANOTHER B train. Oh, oh... is that... Nope, it's the 2nd A train that has come and gone. *sigh* Good thing it's not 100F down here with about 95% humidity with some god-awful smells wafting up from the tracks. Oh wait. It is. I think I hate you, but at least you have air conditioned cars. Yours, Andreas read more

The C train is two cars shorter (8 cars) because the MTA simply does not have enough cars to run 10-car trains. It also uses the oldest cars in the fleet, the trusty (and rusty) R-32s built in 1964, which have dim drab interiors and howl and squeal like a million squirrels being tortured when the brakes are applied. The C train runs at pretty lame headways, even during the rush period. At 50th Street downtown, you can pretty much bet your life savings an E train is going to arrive first on the lower level. But it's generally not terribly crowded and when it does come it does so at fairly regular intervals. Here's a tip: there's no signage facing the platform to indicate where the front of the train is going to stop, but if you look at the signs that hang near the edge of the platform facing the motorman, the train will stop at the "8" (as in 8 cars.) If there's no "8" it will stop at the "S" (all trains Stop.) read more

If you're about to move into an area or take a job that's served only by the C train (i.e. large parts of Brooklyn) prepare yourself for the worst, friend. In a system as profoundly mismanaged and infuriating as the MTA, it's hard for me to single out the lowly, hapless C train, but single it out I must. Already dwarfed by the two other trains on the blue line (the A express and the Manhattan-to-Queens-only E, for the uninitiated) the slow, always-a-screechin' C train was recently stripped of a few of its cars, truly making it the runt of the litter. (This means these days you've really gotta bust your hump if you hear it shrieking into the station as you descend the steps.) Now, it'd be unfair to say the C is incredibly filthy, or always late, or always crowded, 'cause it's not. It's just that the C seems to: a) never be running on its actual route when you actually need it to (it skips a distressing amount of stations due to neverending construction) b) "Go express" one station before your stop an exasperating percentage of the time c) follow a "service" pattern that can best be expressed as A, A, E, E, A, E, C, A, E, E, A, A, E, C* (*Did you find a C-train in there? If you did, you're lucky!) And after 10:30PM--when the A-train takes over local service--is when the fun REALLY starts. Ever waited 25 to 40 minutes for a subway back to Brooklyn from Manhattan? How about when you're drunk/need to use the bathroom/are freezing cold/all of the above? Well guess what, neighbors--chances are that'll become a regular part of your "lifestyle" if you decide to go through with the switch to the C. (I swear I know every single tile in the godforsaken Jay Street station; if you take an F-train back from the East Village on a weekend night and transfer into Brooklyn, you'll be amazed at how many F trains pass before a C arrives. The ratio is likely 5:1.) read more

I hate the C train because this is like the lazy train. It refuses to run on weekends. It says once it is Friday night at 10:57 pm. I'M SHUTTIN DOWN SHUN, for the weekend. Then it makes the stupid A do all the work on this bullshit. Fucking lazy ass train yo'. Also, I do see alot of people that look like they smoke crack regularly on here a little too much as well. read more

Is it me or is the C ( & the A) line the oldest, most colorful, dirty, overcrowded and raggedy line of subway trains in NYC? It goes all the way through Brooklyn, Manhattan, and into the Bronx, and that must be why there is a plethora of "differentness" on this train. You see the most amazing outfits, DAILY--from Carnival, to clown suits, to street hooker, to gothic school teacher (wth?), to soccer team, to 80's fan tributes with the big hair and neon colors. And sometimes you find two or three of these styles all on the same person! The train is always over crowded. Don't bother planning to sit down between7-10 and 2-8 PM. The C I was on yesterday was so raggedy that it jerked like crazy and threw people from front to back and left to right. People were falling all over the place. No one was upset or annoyed. It was all normal for the C train. The funny thing is that the wikipedia for the C train calls it a "rapid transit" service. I LMBO at that. Obviously they've never been on one or they would leave the "rapid" part off. You wait 5 years for one as you watch others pass on the express track. I wouldn't call that rapid service at all. I'm just sayin'. read more

I only take this if I have to. Waiting on it to arrive sucks, dealing with all the local stops (especially if yours is on the express part) is even worse & don't get me started on delays. The A, as one reviewer said, is a lot better by comparison. read more

Do you ever find that you have to pee while riding a train? Well I learned on the C Train that the space between cars is intended to be a lavatory. Hell, I see people pissing in there once a week! I love classy New Yorkers. Maybe if they hadn't been waiting an hour for the train to come, they wouldn't have to pee so bad. read more

The C Train is the most worthless piece of junk ever. Here's an incomplete list of reasons why: 1. The trains are barely functional. Half the time, the A/C doesn't work, which is particularly problematic when you're stuck in a tunnel for 45 minutes during rush hour. 2. A lot of the stops were built for A-length trains, meaning that you'll often end up running a quarter of the way into the station just to catch the tail-end of the train (which won't wait for you). 3. Unlike the G Train, which does whatever it wants, the C actually holds itself out as a legitimate train. 4. It refuses to run its normal schedule on the weekends--for some reason, it thinks it's an F train. 5. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/nyc_group_ranks_train_as_the_worst_5NuGFqC8DZCOxkMwB451CM. 'Nuff said. read more

I don't even know why I am reviewing a train but was curious when I saw it come up on a search. The people who gave this train a 5 or even 4 star review are clearly mentally deranged and love misery. This should have less than one star. It is slow and never on time. And it's the New York subway an experience that continues to get worse year after year. The train is function (and even that is in question) so a review for it is worthless. read more

Ok. The C train gets a really bad rep. Yes. MTA gives that line the older trains. Yes. You can slide around on the bench-style seating. But it's faster than most people think. Friends and I have done tests where one of us gets on an A train and the other on a C at the same station...and we have often arrived where we're going within a few minutes, if not at the same time, as each other. And it's rarely as crowded as the A. So it's great when you're hauling groceries or larger items and need space on the train. It's a local. So I can't rate is a 4-star review. But this is not even a bottom five of the NYC trains, y'all. read more

Dear C, I really, really don't like your bench seats. I hate sliding up and down and bumping into random strangers. Also, are you the shakiest train in the MTA system - is your driver a wanna be Michael Schumaker? Does he enjoy speeding up, taking corners on one track and leaving it till the last minute to brake....and then braking REALLY, REALLY loudly?? I'd skip you completely, but since the B deserts my stop on weekends, you are my only option...I guess I'll just have to love the one I've got read more

Why does this fkg train (along with the B) always take FOREVER to come?! Whether I try to take it uptown or downtown from 137th Street, I've learned that I am guaranteed to wait at least 25 minutes for any train to arrive - no matter if it's on a weekend or weekday (non-rush hour). (Actually - I don't think the B runs anymore on evenings or weekends? Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems that way when I try to take a B on non-rush hour times. Guess things have changed in the last 20 years when I last relied on the B (and D) train as transportation.) Maybe I'm spoiled because I'm on the 2/3 line at 135th, which tends to come regularly, quickly, and on time -- but this fkg line is a terrible excuse for public transportation. Every time I've tried to take this line because, for some very strange reason the 2/3 is down, I know that I will likely arrive at my destination 45 minutes after originally planned - or not at all! I feel bad for anyone who HAS TO take the B/C line as their sole mode of transportation. MTA - This dam*ned line should be your reason to REDUCE fares. OR, use all that extra money to fix this line when you increase rates on such a regular basis. I bet no one on the MTA board relies on the B/C line on a daily basis - if so, I bet they would be focusing on the shi*t-show reliability of this line and trying to improve it. read more

Apparently people like to crap all over this train (not literally, but just here on Yelp), but I find it no better or worse than any other train in the NY MTA system in terms of sketchy people, solicitors, or delapidation. That said, the C is obviously not as popular, hence not as crowded, as, say, the E or the 4,5,6 lines.And the real treasure hidden within this line is that it provides a REALLY easy way to get from the hell that is Midtown to the Upper East Side by taking it up to 86th or 96th or whatever, then taking the frequent crosstown M86 or M96 buses across the park to get to Lex. in like three minutes flat. This is at least 1240987235 times more pleasant than going through the rat tunnel from the E or riding the ridiculous shuttle (though we can all be thankful it exists) from the 1,2,3 to get to the 4,5,6...where you then have to endure the whole ride uptown in to the 80s and 90s... read more

Having lived by this sorry excuse for a subway line for a huge chunk of my life, I thought it was only proper to devote my first Yelp review to it. And since I wouldn't want my inaugural review to be such a generic rant, I'm going to do my best to channel this unleashed hostility into something constructive. So here we go: In need of a drinking game that is guaranteed to send you to the hospital with severe alcohol poisoning? Worry no longer! Simply wait on any 8th Avenue platform and take a shot for every A or E that arrives before the C. This is especially effective during rush hour, when 2-3 As and Es per C is the norm and 15-25 minute waits for the C are far from uncommon. I would suggest doing this near a trash can 'cause I think we can all agree that vomiting on the tracks is pretty gross. Need a good excuse to arrive somewhere late but want it to be genuine since you're a terrible liar? Then just hop on the C! For whatever reason, this line is the hospice for train cars; after they've spent their better years on less neglected routes, they come to the C right before they die. This results in frequent breakdowns. Once the train suddenly becomes express or switches routes due to these frequent breakdowns, rest assured that you will hear the announcement in a garbled and incomprehensible form on the train's over-the-hill speaker system and inevitably overshoot your stop. If you want to sweat a little so you look like you hurried to get to this destination you care so little for, there is usually one car on every train that has a disproportionally small number of passengers. Who would have guessed cars from the Kennedy administration have such terrible AC systems? Need a quick buck but are tired of the usual ponzi and pyramid schemes? Today's your lucky day! Simply ride the C train 10 times in a day and bet the guy next to you $100 that you'll see a panhandler within the next 10 stops. The 80%-90% success rate of this bet will net you a cool $600 or $700 with minimal effort! You can also make side bets that you will be able to recite the panhandler's routine word for word -- you'll win that one pretty frequently too. And they said there was no such thing as fast cash! I could go on, but don't want to overload/crash Yelp's servers and then deal with the ensuing pitchfork yielding mob. Bottom line: if you're considering a home on the UWS or Brooklyn that is only served by the C, you have been warned... read more

The C train is the Little Engine That Could! Choo Choo I think I can I think I can I think I can Choo Choo You can't hate it! It's too endearing read more

so slow -- much prefer the express A train would give zero stars if i could thanks for speeding up read more

The cars on the C train are WAY TOO OLD! Upgrade them please. Those gray seats are 20 years or older! Anyway, this train is pretty dangerous along with the A train. Not trains I really frequent. If I'm ever on this train, I'm transferring to the shuttle at Franklin Avenue. When this train is coming to a complete haul, please hold on because when the brakes are slammed, you can be guaranteed to hurt yourself or fall. I updated this line because I waited 30 minutes for ONE C train while four A trains passed me by. That is absolutely ridiculous. This train is also never on time! read more

My only complaint about the C train is its infrequency on the weekends. I usually take it from Shepherd Avenue in Brooklyn into Manhattan because when it is runnning it is more frequent than the J train and less crowded. However, on the weekends, when the C is not in service and the A is running local, the A takes much longer than if the C is running. read more

The C Train - emergency evacuation instructions - Trains Near Me - New York, New York

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One of the turnstiles at the 168th street station is a metrocard killer. You slide the card once, it never works again. You don't get to enter and need to buy a new card. Nice! Conveniently there used to be a booth with an attendant at that entrance, but it was dismantled and removed. So you are left standing there on your own. Any idea what the status is of the issue with my metrocard? I did find an attendant in a booth at another station who looked at the card and wouldn't do anything to help other than to tell me to "mail it in". The 10-digit card number is 2073141233. I mailed it on August 8, 2010 and never heard back (today is September 24, 2014). read more

Worst. Train. Ever. Now, let me start off by saying that I have lived near every subway line in NYC, so this is coming from someone who truly knows the difference between subway lines! I've only lived on this line for 2 months now, and I've already had to take a cab to work *3* times, and been late at least *10* times. That means I've spent $70 on cabs that I wouldn't have had to spend had I lived on another train line. I now have to leave 30 minutes early every day just in case! ugh. It's the least frequent train in the city. Yes, even less frequent than the G and R. Trust me. It's also the oldest train cars. Which, is kinda cool I guess, but still doesn't make up for anything...plus, the conductors on this train will never ever hold doors for even half a second. Not that you should expect that, but most other lines will hold the doors if they see you sprinting. This train is also always delayed. Always. Now, I'm sure someone reading this would say that this could happen to ANY train. The thing is, it doesn't. Sure, I've had a slow 5 ride during rush hour. Sure, I've been re-routed before on another "letter" train, but I can count all of those times on one hand for the last 10 years. This has been less than 2 months of C riding and I've already had more incidents than I've ever had on any other line. To sum it up, the C in "C Train" stands for Cursed. It's the cursed train of the MTA. read more

The "C" stands for crap. Seemingly never around when you need it, or it's just leaving the station as you reach the platform. Weekends are even worse. Two or three express trains pass for every C local. Boo. read more

The C Train - Look at the dismay on this man's face as the A train races past. - Trains Near Me - New York, New York

Honestly, the C train is a necessary evil. It is emblematic of the subpar service of the New York City Transit system, but when it is late at night, I depend on it quite frequently. One thing I will say is how it ironically goes faster than the A train at times. There would be times when the A train would just stop in the middle of the tracks and have multiple C trains pass by. Thus, C train, gotta say that I appreciate you. read more