Metro-North Railroad – 125th St Station

I don’t have much to say about this place. I got off on this stop because I was on the wrong train. What I loved about it was the small room this controlled heat. It saved all my happiness that cold winter morning when I got on the wrong train.

I use this station to go to CT. It’s fine when you get inside the terminal. Yes, the street entrance can be dirty. Inside appears fine to me. Do you need to use your street smarts in this neighborhood? Yes! These days use them everywhere!
I never need to talk to anyone that works there. I like that! I get my ticket from the machine inside the station. You get the train info from a screen in the waiting room. You can also get the estimated arrival time on the platform.
The platforms are clean. The views are great from there. The trains I take are usually off peak. I’ve never had any issues with arrival and departure times.
After reading the other reviews I never realized what I missed. I guess the building inside and out has a landmark quality. Someone said there are historic photos. Missed those too! Architecture, history, and framed photos are things I usually notice. I usually stop to take a lot of pictures. Well at this station I’m so busy keeping my eyes 360 degrees around my space that I never noticed anything whatsoever about the station. I would not pull out my phone here. I don’t stop and look at anything like a tourist! When I travel at night I go to GCT. Then take the subway home and walk the rest of the way. I rarely travel alone either!
If you live uptown, this is as good as it gets!

It’s a train station in East Harlem. If your expectations are in the right place, then you shouldn’t be surprised. It’s a bleak place (noting one Unilocaler calling it NY’s version of Skid Row). Just look like you know where you’re going and what you’re doing and you won’t look or of place or vulnerable. There are losers there all day looking for a come up and don’t give hem a reason if you’re traveling at night.
I use this station out of convenience, as an upper Manhattan resident. I usually take a departing train during the morning/​afternoon. If my arriving train comes in at night, I boogie on out of there. Don’t linger. Don’t go to the restroom.

Someone always needs a dollar for «the train to Stamford» here. I see the same few people using this line and successfully getting a dollar for their next whatever so more power to them, I guess. There is a 95 percent chance you will be approached by an addict on the platform asking for money for the train ticket they do not intend to purchase. No shade, but like… aren’t the metro north police supposed to be on top of that? #jussayin
Bathroom is usually closed/​locked/​out of order. Not to mention the droves of people outside smoking K-​2…
It definitely doesn’t leave you feeling safe or secure! But in all honestly, getting haggled by several panhandlers, along with the combined stenches of death and urine, causes me far less anxiety than trying to catch my train at Grand Central with 10 million other worker bees.
It’s also just across town from my office. It would be nice if they could clean this up a bit. It would be even nicer if the newsstand inside wasn’t charging me $ 2 for M&Ms. Come on, bruh!
When you gotta catch your train, this isn’t the ideal spot, but at least when the weather’s nice the platform offers fresh air and a view of the skyline. Just ignore all the sirens and you’ll see what I mean.

Once you walk through the hoards of homeless and mentally ill that camp out in front, buy your ticket inside the cramped, dark ticketing area (you better pee before hand, there is no using those bathrooms), the above platform is not so bad. There isn’t much seating up there (as you wouldn’t catch me sitting on the benches inside the ticketing area). During the day, i always see police out there, so you won’t have a problem if you just make a bee line for your train. And there are always cabs in the area. Just don’t be a jerk and hanging outside like you don’t know what you are doing.

Avoid this train station at all costs! Their place is TROUBLE. Despite the MTA police presence that is supposed to be inside and out this is very unsafe. There are bums inside constantly asking for money and the outside is littered with homeless. It’s like a NYC version of LA’s skid row. I’ve used this train station for over a year now and despite having no real problems there have been a couple of times that I have questioned my safety for a moment while there.
At roughly 12:03am the morning of May, 27^th I (White, 30 year old male, 6’2″, 170lbs) was followed to the Harlem train station by a young man (believe early 20’s with dark complection, wearing large grey winter jacket, grey hat with TMT lettered logo on it, teal hoodie and white sneakers) from the nearby $ 1.00 Pizza Shop on Lexington ave. He followed me up to track #3 on the top level of the Harlem 125^th Street Metro-​North station. I sat down facing the Tri-​Borough bridge and moments later he crept up behind me and attempted to slit my throat. I noticed him coming out of the corner of my eye and was able to move a bit. I avoided the fatal slice but was still cut on the neck. When it happened I got up and noticed I was bleeding. I ran down the stairs to try and find the MTA officers but they were nowhere visible. The person who slit my throat was able to get away.
I need your help bringing this person to justice. If you were there or know anything that could aid in making an arrest that would be greatly appreciated. Call the MTA Police or NYPD. THIS PERSON NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE!

Uh, I’d really like to be positive here and I’m trying hard to separate the people from the station but it is impossible. This is a truly scary place at night, disgustingly dirty and if it weren’t for police everywhere and the efficiency of the train predictability I’d never go here again!
It’s eye opening for sure and culturally diverse so that’s kind of fun but at a risk I’m still in the fence about. I’ll keep trying but can only imagine how much worse it was in the past. At least now there is commerce surrounding the station and «bolstering the local economy.» Unfortunately for me there’s really nothing but a wasteland of shops and options for a long distance from the station. To say it is a food desert is just the beginning…

I honestly laugh at the obvious tourists who say they are afraid of «whipping out their wallet in Harlem». Those who think they are more likely to be pickpocketed or robbed here than in midtown have all of the following: 1.) No knowledge of the crime stats for both areas; 2.) No knowledge of this specific area; and, 3.) A borderline race or class-​based general fear of low-​income areas. I urge you to get off your high horse and relax a bit… this station is very nice. Lots of history, a lovely bodega-​type store inside during business hours, and plenty of seating within the station (with functional elevators) and on the platform.
I agree with another reviewer about the bathroom. Friends of the MTA employees have been allowed in the employee bathroom before in my experiences. … and they look very clean/​nice. Make a friend or be polite and ask to use these if the public bathrooms are closes «due to police activity» (which it is 9 out of 10 times)?
If the fear-​crazed tourists who reviewed here took a gander in the lobby, they’d see some awesome history. Pictures showing the station over the years… I’ve found it fascinating in waiting for the train.
My only recommendation to avoid would be if you are going to GCT. From Harlem to Gct is $ 4.00… a subway ride is $ 2.50…so save some cash and take the 4÷5÷6 of you’re going downtown. Otherwise, slow your roll and enjoy the station, will ya?