Ah, W. 4th, or I guess operationally, the heart of the IND network. (as all the ex-IND lines aside from the G and the far-flung shuttle converge here). So, surely this would have to be some big, grandiose station, right? Well…
The station is located along 6th Avenue, spanning between West 3rd and West 8th Streets, and is REALLY close to PATH’s 9th St. station. With that in mind, and with this being the beating heart of the IND (if something goes wrong here e.g. a switch or signal dies, then the entire IND network is functionally knocked out – essentially, the IND’s version of DeKalb. I could not find a comparison for the ex-IRT lines), surely it is grand, no?
WRONG! It’s just about as standard of an express IND station as one can get. I mean, you have elevators. And, the layout is unique with the mezzanine sandwiched between the ACE above and the BDFM below. This is also the point of no return for trains that need to be re-routed (e.g. E via F, or D via A) before meeting back up with their respective original routes. But, for the platform, it’s standard with all the amenities. Sometimes, it might reek of piss though, however out of the handful of times I actually used this station, I have not encountered such a problem. But, sometimes, being a normal station, if important, is a good thing.
The good: It’s literally the heart of the IND. Every IND line converges here except for the G and the shuttle, and it’s got various buses as well. Furthermore, it’s in a pretty lively part of Manhattan that isn’t as swarming with tourists (but I’d argue is still worth visiting as one, as a personal suggestion). It’s also accessible!
The bad: I mean, it blends in with the rest of the IND, but that isn’t always bad. Its’ importance as the heart of the IND network means one failiure here and the A/B/C/D/E/F/M are handicapped severely. (or in the case of the F, rerouted via the G sometimes). It’s important but fragile as far as infrastructure goes.
Nearby points of interest: Many of the same places as noted on the 9th St. PATH entry, and for Christopher Street apply here too, however this station is a little closer to NYU than 8th St. is on the BMT. Furthermore, you have Washington Square Park, various entertainment venues, and whatnot.
Transit connections:
8th Ave. IND (lines A, C, E)
6th Ave. IND (lines B, D, F, M)
MTA bus (M8, M55, SIM7, SIM33, SIM33C, X27, X28)
At 9th St.: PATH (JSQ-33, HOB-33)
Overall, it’s not a bad station. I’d probably give it an average-ish score that I give to stations that aren’t awful, but don’t have much to remark. But, this is one case where its usefulness elevates the score a bit.
Rating: 8/10
