The 7 Subway Train

I’ll start off by saying that I pretty much only take the 7 to Citi field, and it’s usually the express. I’ve probably taken the 7 only a handful of times during rush hour, and I feel for those people, but lucky for me, I don’t have to!
I haven’t yet been to the hudson yards station yet, so I usually get on at 42^nd street. I won’t comment on how much I hate 42^nd street and it’s the bane of existence and I avoid it like the plague. But, I’m ONLY going to 42^nd street to get on the 7… but 42^nd is usually the worst part of my trip. 7 express to willets point! Get on, [hopefully] get a seat, and next thing you know, I’m there! Baseball! And then, 7 express back!
Since you are above ground for most of queens, you have phone service, always a nice thing. It’s also one of the cleaner trains I ride on.
*Disclaimer: My brother in law would probably disagree with this entire review, as he hates the 7.

I’ve been riding this train for years in Flushing. This train is vital for all my food quests because if it does not run, then I’m screwed and hungry. No one wants me hangry. I don’t want me hangry.
Like any MTA train, there are delays and signal malfunctions but I honestly give them lee way since it is an above ground train and prone to the elements. Over the years there has been a handful of incidents where I couldn’t get home because the 7 train wasn’t running after a certain point due to inclement weather. Mostly blizzards. Freaking Mother Nature ya’ll.
Why would I give this 4 stars? In comparison to the other MTA trains, the 7 train is one of the few highlights in the MTA. The 7 train, we’ve had good and bad times together. We’ve gone to the far reaches of the city to cure my cravings of doughnuts, ice cream, and practically everything else. You’ve tested my patience with all the weirdos who somehow flock to sit next to me despite there being so many empty seats in the subway cart. Stupid weirdos. But 95% of the time, you’ve gotten me right where I needed me and that’s all I needed :).
Happy eating and remember: Don’t deny, satisfy!

The bane of my existence. I HATE IT SO MUCH.
This is the embodiment of obnoxiousness.
Everyone rides the 7 train because they have to, not because they’d like to. I’ve considered taking the Chinatown bus instead of this dump often, but I don’t trust them either.
Queens is clearly the purgatory of the MTA. Once upon a time, this is where all the hopes and dreams of the MTA died, so it hates us too much to even consider improvements in this borough. Instead, it punishes us by screwing up the service as much as it can. Purgatory to hell are the best ways to describe this line.
WHY DON’T WE HAVE AN EXPRESS TRAIN GOING TO MANHATTAN, HUH?
Dear MTA, you are such a bitch.
You could seriously walk faster than the 7 train is going at times.
Sometimes you don’t even get service from Manhattan to Main Street because they make you take a gross shuttle from Mets Pt. Ewww.
Ugh 7 train. I can’t even.

The 7 train is probably the train I hate the least out of every train I’ve ridden.
I’ll list the positives now:
1. Nice view of the unisphere, stadiums and hall of science (and formerly 5 Pointz before gentrification/​the man/​the establishment/​hipsters killed it) when you get above ground.
2. Almost guaranteed seats at Main St. (and formerly times square)
3. In the past, before express service got tons of cuts, it was the best. If you got on at Bryant Park or Times Square in the afternoon you were guaranteed a seat, and could relax all the way back to Main St.
4. I still have nostalgia for when this train didn’t suck as much as it does currently.
Now I’ll list everything that’s wrong with this damn train:
1. Express service became practically non-​existent around 2009. Most times you are forced to use the local.
2. The local 7 is the slowest train the MTA has to offer. It will go slow for no reason and they won’t tell you why.
3. It’s always insanely crowded during rush hour, even at Main St.
4. The crowds get really bad during the US Open and Mets games.
5. They (like the E train), are always doing construction or some bullshit during the weekend of NYCC, don’t expect them going to 34^th street now to make a difference.
6. On that note, it’s usually screwed up on the weekend regardless.
7. Seats are no longer guaranteed at Times Square. That station now officially has NOTHING to offer anyone except misery and sadness.

I used to frequent the 7 subway line when I attended Laguardia for a short stint. There was always traffic, delays, and roadwork. Every single day, no matter what time of the day something was going on. Now traveling on it doesn’t seem so bad nowadays. I take it maybe 3 stops the most.

The flushing 7 train station has become overcrowded during rush hours. I am thankful they have finally installed access points for cell towers and free wifi. But the overcrowded station is still a pain.
Sometimes it takes 10 minutes to even get to the stairwell due to the overcrowding of people exiting the train. I fear for something to happen one day as the means of egress is not sufficient during rush hour times.
Despite the overcrowded subway. The station is sufficiently clean. I’ve had no problems with the machine terminals.

In the summer it feels like they put the heat on throughout the platform. Its actually made me feel dizzy it was so hot. Then the cars themselves are freezing cold. Share the love!
Station Manager, it’s called a fan (or two).

This train isn’t AS BAD as everyone makes it out to be and I would know better than anyone because I take it pretty much everyday because I live in Flushing and it’s literally the only train by me, however it is PRETTY BAD. The trains, even on the weekends now (there was construction on the weekends for many months but that has seemed to stop in the summer months) are usually reliable and comes pretty often. Except later in the evening.
However, there have been times when the 7 train has stopped running to certain stops and when it has been shut down completely due to signal problems, train delays, police activity, weather (especially since it’s a mostly above ground train — which is actually one of the perks since you get a nice view of Queens, you have cell service and you’re not stuck underground).
A few weekends ago, I went to the Main Street 7 train station and it was roped off, police were standing by talking to each other, being totally not helpful at all! I asked them what was going on and was told I would have to take the shuttle bus to Mets-​Willets Point where the 7 train is running. I hurried out and the subway shuttle bus line was 3+ full blocks long and when I finally got on the bus, it drove incredibly slowly with many stops just to get to Mets-​Willets Point, which should have been a 5 minute drive. More confusion at Mets-​Willets Point since it seemed like the train there was going back to Main Street, however there was finally an announcement that the train was heading to Manhattan. Back in business. I found out later that a crane fell on the Main St tracks and hit the third rail, which made me worried about how long there would be no 7 train at Main St, considering that the MTA takes months to fix any problem, as well as many much lesser problems than the one that happened that afternoon. Fortunately, when I went to take the 7 train the next day it was completely fine.
Over the winter, during one of the snow storms, the 7 train shut down completely and it was handled extremely poorly. I was at 74 St– Broadway Jackson Heights at the time. The MTA workers didn’t seem to know what was going on at all and kept telling us to wait at different tracks to get the next 7 train then after awhile they finally announced that it wasn’t running at all. The MTA made absolutely no accommodations for the hundreds, probably thousands that had to get to Main Street to go home, after that. No shuttle bus, nothing that could take us to Main Street. They told us to take a city bus, which was actually not accurate because I was then told by other people that there was no 1 city bus that goes directly to Main Street so we would have to take more than 1 and it really didn’t look like there were any buses coming anyway. Luckily, I became friendly with a couple people and we shared a taxi back to Main Street.
And then there are the tracks and stations… Many of them are worn down and look like they could use an upgrade. Sometimes I’m worried that the 7 train will veer off the tracks or the tracks will deteriorate while the train is in motion above ground and am afraid for my life! Perhaps that’s just me and my over active imagination being paranoid though!
The other thing I hate is that at times I feel like the train is inching along so slowly, I feel like screaming, and it takes forever to get to Manhattan. Other times, it feels like a much quicker ride, though I don’t really feel that the Express 7 is that much faster than the regular unless it’s the morning Express train. The Express 7 in the morning runs pretty well, but it is not fun to try to get on the Express 7 during AM rush hour because people are always pushing, shoving, racing to get a seat and sometimes it turns violent.
But there are some positive points (besides the frequency and mostly above ground ride). I’m either on the first or last stop so I always get a seat, but it does get quite crowded as the train continues on and sometimes the crowd is not the nicest. Also, we have gotten some nice new subway trains with nice shiny purple seats and generally it is kept pretty clean.

I love this train station! Takes me to the heart of Flushing.
There are multiple platforms and trains and at the top of the steps, there are signs telling you when trains are arriving and when they are departing so you won’t wait on the wrong platform.
There are multiple exits but everyone seem to only get out from one exit.
A clean station.
Not much to complain.

The 7 is disappointing considering it serves a huge number of daily riders who don’t have other options. Perhaps the most frustrating part is the fact that it never seems to have priority in the Grand Central and Times Square tunnels. It’s delayed outside of these stations virtually every morning; the earlier one takes it, the longer (and more annoying, because you’ve lost sleep and you’re trying to get somewhere on time) the delays. I still hope to see some improvements after all of the upgrade work MTA has done to the line, though I haven’t noticed any differences. Sometimes, I wonder if the 7 is neglected because the riders are mostly new immigrants who don’t complain enough.
Oh, and why is it that there are always more trains going to Queens than to Manhattan in the mornings? For every packed Manhattan-​bound train, there seem to be two or three empty Flushing-​bound ones. I would really like to know, as it seems illogical for a shuttle line (whatever goes to Manhattan must return and vice versa).

The 7 train used to be my train to go home because I lived between Roosevelt and 37 avenues. My stop was 74 street Roosevelt, and sometimes 82^nd street.
I took one star because 82^nd street and junction blvd should fix their stairways. I almost fell off the stairs when I got out the 82^nd street station, no joke. Also, the 82^nd street metro card booth and the waiting room should be updated because when a train arrives, the station started to shake like an earthquake.
Another disadvantage of the 7 train is the weekend schedule. I don’t have a problem with that because I don’t usually go to grand central on the weekends, but other people yes. I only go to 59^th street to take the R train to Roosevelt ave or 51^st street to take the Jamaica bound E train. I don’t know why they been doing this for 8 or 10 years, but a little bird told me that the 7 train is about to extend west to Javits center, easiest way to go to the Comic Cons… I believe that this is the reason why there’s no 7 train running from Queensboro plaza and Times Square due to the train extension towards Javits center.

I have a love and hate relationship with the 7 line but it’s the only train that I can connect to from my bus. There are always really bad issues with this train in the am when I am going to work and pm when I am heading home. Sucks for me that Main St. is my stop to get off and the 7 express is reliable at times. I really hope the new improvements are good especially towards the services.

7’s cool.
It’s yet another resource to Manhattan, Corona and Flushing. I utilize it’s convenience to leave the city rather than go into it. Why? The view.
I like taking the 7 to Queens after a long day. Sometimes i’ll go all the way to Flushing’s Main Street when necessary. Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Unisphere, The Pavilion, Citi Field are all visibly appealing during the ride.
Most of the train riders are relatively normal, hard working, affable. Not like the «E» with the «pole» dancers, candy sellers, homeless air refreshers and random crazies roaming the countryside.
This train has delays as any line does. Some MTA incompetence has given it a bad name. Get over it.
Weather is a factor due to the train being elevated/​outdoor. During the winter, when those doors open, OMG!!! I like to sit in the corners where the heat blasts out. During the summer its the inverse. *Corner spot’s
Overall, ridership is pleasurable and I have no complaints off/​on peak hours. Even at 3:30am, it’s a cool ride.

Today, I had to take care of some business in Flushing. I was impressed with how fast the 7 express is. It took less than a half hour to travel from 42^nd-​Grand Central to Main Street, and that’s including the fact that it crawled a little as it approached the last stop. The R188 (new cars) have such a smooth ride.
I’m not the biggest fan of the MTA. It seems like they raise the fare every 2 weeks. However, the 7 train is the cream of the crop. During rush hour, it comes back to back to back. Yes, sometimes it does get crowded, but almost every line gets crowded during rush hour. Since the 7 is mostly elevated and exposed to the elements, you rarely see bums on the line (though you may see a performer). The stations and trains are generally clean. The 7 express isn’t much slower than the LIRR (and even with the fare hikes, it’s much cheaper).
Many people have complained about the weekend construction. I won’t disagree with them, but the work is a necessary evil. And at least with the construction, there are tangible improvements, like the new cars, the extension to the West Side, and generally reliable service on the weekdays. I don’t mind construction IF it results in better service (conversely, after all of the «Fast Tracks» on my home line, the E, it still sucks ass. Main Street-​Flushing terminal is MUCH cleaner than Jamaica Center).
Like I said in my previous review, the 7 has a scenic ride beginning in Midtown Manhattan, traveling through many ethnic neighborhoods, passing by Citi Field where you can see Matt Harvey and (overrated) David Wright, and ending in the Queens version of Chinatown.

Shit, didn’t realize so many people reviewed this train, might as well give my two cents. So this has always been my train, since I have lived in the neighborhood my whole life, I even remember when the train was red (if you want to see the original color, they have an actual train car displayed by the Queens Criminal Court in Kew Gardens) So I happen to live by an express stop so that is a perk and the train is given the nickname the «International Express» because you pretty much have people from every country who live in a neighborhood that the 7 passes. The times I take the train is not either of the rush hours, so my experience might differ from others. I only take the train during the off hours when I go to Flushing because finding parking in Flushing makes me want to punch myself in the face or going to the city during the day because finding parking and traffic in the city makes me want to punch myself in the face. The time that I really adore the 7 is going to the Mets game, it’s so convenient taking the train, yes it’s crowded but it is a better suck than waiting and trying to drive out of that insane parking lot. #GoAmazins Also, rumor has it that they are looking to expand it down the West Side towards the Javits Center. Fun fact, during the 2000 Subway World Series between the Mets and Yankees, some trains were painted Yankee colors and some trains were painted Mets colors.
Tip 1: The 7 Triangle means express, the number 7 circle means local, but still pay attention to what the conductor says.
Tip 2: At the Main Street Flushing station when you are on the platform, you look for the signs above that say «next train.» You do look look for the train that got there first. Pay attention to the sign only.
Tip 3: Very similar to tip 2, at the Times Square stop, you focus on the sign and not which train got there first.

Our Little Flushing Train
Since Flushing is one of my favorite destinations the 7 train is perfect to get there since it drops you off in the middle of one of the most crowded sections of New York (Times Square just as crowded).
The 7 train, no matter the hour is always crowded. Riding the train at rush hour? Good luck getting on, let alone finding a seat. Even at 2am finding a seat is a difficult task.
The biggest flaw about the 7 train is weekend construction. Entering the city is impossible. On good weekends you can transfer to the R/​N train at Queensborough plaza. On bad weekends they have shuttle buses from Roosevelt Avenue running along Broadway/​Roosevelt stopping at each of the stop along the way.
I don’t understand why they still have the express train pass by 74^th Street and Roosevelt since it is the biggest MTA hub in Queens.
Despite all the flaws it is one of the most consistent trains when it is running. It is one of the cleanest trains as well. The crowds, while pushy are some of the more lenient and friendly (ish) among all the trains in the city.
3.49 Stars

It useto be the best train in the city. This is the best train from April to October during daytime hours on the weekdays. Trains are fast and comes often and you get a great view of queens. Outside of those time frame, its just horrible. Service changes and construction pretty much every weekend to the point it’s not worth going out. Construction for the last 3 years or by nyc standards forever. Service drops off by a huge amount after 9pm. C’mon mta, people work late or just finishing off happy hour. Its unbearable cold in the other months since most of the stations are above ground.
The 7 line needs to be upgraded. Some of the station are crumbling. Why is there no estimate time of arriving train on Junction blvd, queensboro plaza, 74^th street and woodside. It would solve thousands of commuter headache of guessing when trains are coming. Havent seen any station upgrade since court square or main street.

Known as the «international train» for the variety of ethnic groups that populate the neighborhoods along its path, the 7 train is one of the more reliable subway lines in NYC. The one bad thing recently is all the work they have been doing on the signal systems and the Steinway tunnel, which leads to plenty of weekend and overnight shutdowns. Word of advice, if you can avoid the shuttle buses, and use another subway line, do it.
Major attractions along the line include the bar/​restaurant areas near Veron-​Jackson in LIC, the 46^th street station in sunnyside, and the Woodside Station in Woodside. Also on the line are Citi-​Field, and the US Tennis Center. At the end of the line is Main St. Flushing. All of the stops usually have an assortment of unique ethnic cuisines and local stores.

I hate this train…
…too bad it’s the cheapest way to get to Manhattan from Flushing…

The 7 train is owned and operated by the lovely and effervescent folks over at the MTA. If there isn’t a train delay, switch or signal problem, police activity at another 7 stop, heavy snowfall, torrential downpour, a hurricaney hurricane, someone jumping onto the tracks, someone popping a bun out of the oven, «Fast Track» construction, train traffic, a holiday (seriously ANY holiday or a Sunday — DAMNIT SUNDAYS!!!), free Dunkin Donut munchkins in the MTA staff recreational room or a swarm of killer bees then it will be running smoothly, on schedule and with very few interruptions. Clearly.
If I’m in Manhattan and am lucky enough to be close to a 7 station then this sucker takes me straight to my hood and leaves me only a few short blocks away from home sweet home — so I’m biased and to be frank, the 7 train is still light years more reliable then some other trains (*glares at the F, N, L and G trains*) and it (as the MTA loves to spew) «gets me to where I have to go».
Red light trains are express and green light ones are local — mix them up and you’re potentially screwed if there isn’t a way to simply cross the platform and take the 7 going in the opposite direction. If you are confused then ask someone — most people don’t bite and confirming a train stop is how my life totally improved for the better. Trains with a RED DIAMOND around the 7 are EXPRESS and trains with a GREEN CIRCLE make LOCAL stops — You’re welcome and happy travelling! :)