Like other New Yorkers, you’re likely utilizing the city’s public transportation on a daily basis to get around New York City. One of these options includes the subway system, which runs through the different parts of the city, from the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, to Brooklyn. Folks who need to commute daily to work will often choose to live in a neighborhood that has an NYC subway stop that directly connects to work. During the last month, we spent time going over the various A, C, and E train stops and neighborhoods along those particular blue lines. We also covered the 7 train route in our last article. Today, we’re moving on to the grey L train route by discussing both the local and express MTA L train and the best neighborhoods to live in on its route. 

L train stops NYC

There are a total of 5 stops in Manhattan and 19 stops in Brooklyn for the L train route. The L train route starts in Manhattan on Eighth Avenue and then works its way eastward, until its last stop in Manhattan at the First Avenue station. From there, the L train crosses over to Brooklyn and arrives at its first Brooklyn stop at Bedford Av station. The train then continues its way westward all the way to Halsey Street station then dips southwest until its terminal station at Canarsie-Rockaway Pkwy station.

 In order from Manhattan to Brooklyn is a list of stops that the L train stops at. We’ve specifically pointed out stops that services both the local and express L train. For your convenience, we’ve also marked the stops that are ADA accessible.

Manhattan stops:

• 8 Av (ADA accessible) (Express) – also services A, C, E route
• 6 Av (ADA accessible) (Local) – also services 1, 2, 3, F, M route
• 14 St-Union Sq (ADA accessible) (Express) – also services N, Q, R, W, 4, 5, 6 route
• 3 Av (Local)
• 1 Av (ADA accessible) (Local)

Brooklyn stops:

• Bedford Av (ADA accessible) (Local)
• Lorimer St (ADA accessible) (Local) – also services G route
• Graham Av (Local) 
• Grand St (ADA accessible) (Local)
• Montrose Av (Local) 
• Morgan Av (Local)
• Jefferson St (Local)
• DeKalb Av (Local)
• Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs (ADA accessible) (Local) – also services M route
• Halsey St (Local)
• Wilson Av (ADA accessible) (Local)
• Bushwick Av-Aberdeen St (Local)
• Broadway Junction (Express) – also services A, C, J, Z route
• Atlantic Av (Local)
• Sutter Av (Local)
• Livonia Av (ADA accessible) (Local) – also services 3 route via out-of-system transfer
• New Lots Av (Local) – transfers to B15 to JFK Airport
• East 105 St (Local)
• Canarsie-Rockaway Pkwy (ADA accessible) (Local)

You can also locate an L train stops map in PDF format directly on the MTA’s site. Alternatively, you can read through a text format of the L train stops map here. 

Best Manhattan neighborhoods along L train stops

East Village

Easily accessible via the 14 St-Union Sq, Third Avenue, and First Avenue stations is the neighborhood of East Village. This neighborhood spans all the way from Fouth Avenue (Bowery) to the River and is bordered by East Houston Street to the south and East 14th Street to the north. Residents of the neighborhood have the option to choose from three separate subneighborhoods including Alphabet City, Ukrainian Village, and parts of Bowery. The East Village is a popular neighborhood for folks from all sorts of life. Its proximity to many other great restaurants, bars, shops, and grocery stores make it an extremely convenient place to live. Residents can also easily access other nearby neighborhoods such as Union Square, Chinatown, and more.

Gramercy Park

Just north of East Village is the neighborhood of Gramercy Park. This upscale neighborhood is bordered by Union Square East to the west, First Avenue to the east, East 14th Street to the south, and East 23rd Street to the north. Today, the neighborhood is mostly made up of beautiful townhouses, brownstones, pre-war co-ops. Due to its exclusivity, Gramercy Park is among one of the most expensive neighborhoods to live in the city. Notable residents include Jimmy Fallon, Uma Thurman, and Kate Hudson all live in this neighborhood. Want to check out this neighborhood? Just get off at the Third Avenue station on the L train line.

Best Brooklyn neighborhoods along L train stops

Williamsburg

Next up on our list, is Williamburg. This neighborhood slowly grew in popularity over the past few decades and is now a must-see for locals and tourists alike. Williamsburg is quite large and is bordered by Greenpoint to the north, East Williamsburg and Bushwick to the east, and Clinton HIll and Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south. A lot of residential developments have occurred in the neighborhood in the past decade. Today, the neighborhood is made up of a mixture of converted warehouse lofts, pre-war low-rise buildings, luxury highrise developments, Residents can access the neighborhood through the L train line at the Bedford Av, Lorimer St, and Graham Av stations.

Bushwick

Bushwick is another neighborhood that’s been growing in popularity with renters. Similar to Williamburg, this neighborhood has really transformed itself over the years and is now home to some great nightlife, innovative dining, and artistic culture. Some local favorites include the House of Yes and Elsewhere. Historically, Bushwick was home to a lot of industrial warehouses. Today, many of these warehouses have been converted for commercial and residential use. Folks interested in living here, can access it through multiple stops at Morgan Av, Jefferson St, DeKalb Av, Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs, Halsey St, Wilson Av, and Bushwick Av-Aberdeen St station. 

Canarsie

Finally, we end with the neighborhood of Canarsie, located at the terminal station of Canarsie-Rockaway Pkwy on the L train line. Commuters can also get off slightly earlier at the New Lots Av or East 105 St stations to reach the neighborhood. This neighborhood was once home to a vibrant fishing industry and the Golden City Amusement Park. Due to pollution and two major fires, both the fishing industry and amusement park ceased their operations. Today, Canarsie is a mostly suburban residential neighborhood with access to scenic waterfronts at the Canarsie Pier and Canarsie Park.