Business travelers in Manhattan consistently over-use taxis and Ubers and under-use the subway, for two reasons: they don’t know the subway well enough to trust it, and they’re used to car-based cities where ground transportation is the default. Both of these are solvable problems. The subway between major Manhattan business districts is faster than a car during business hours on the vast majority of trips, and understanding the five or six lines that matter for business travel is genuinely simple.
The Lines That Matter for Business Travel
Manhattan business is conducted in two primary zones: Midtown (roughly 34th to 59th Streets) and Lower Manhattan / the Financial District (below Chambers Street). Getting between them is the most common business travel need in the borough.
Midtown East to Lower Manhattan: The 4/5 express trains on Lexington Avenue are the right choice. Take the 4 or 5 from Grand Central (42nd Street) or 51st Street south to Fulton Street or Wall Street. The trip takes 12-15 minutes. This is a line that runs very frequently during business hours and almost never has significant delays.
Midtown West to Lower Manhattan: The 2/3 express trains on Seventh Avenue from Times Square (42nd Street) to Fulton Street take 12-15 minutes. The 1 train is local and takes 20-25 minutes.
Midtown East to Midtown West (crosstown): The S Shuttle runs between Grand Central (42nd Street/Lexington) and Times Square (42nd Street/Seventh Avenue) in 3 minutes. Free with a regular subway fare and runs constantly. This is the most underused transit resource in Manhattan — most business travelers take a taxi crosstown when the shuttle would get them there faster.
Within Midtown: For trips of under 15 blocks north-south (say, 42nd Street to 57th Street), walking is usually faster than the subway when you account for platform descent, waiting, and exit. For trips over 15 blocks, the subway wins. For crosstown trips of more than three avenue blocks, the bus is often faster than walking and more predictable than a taxi.
Getting to the Outer Boroughs for Meetings
Brooklyn (Downtown/DUMBO/Brooklyn Heights): The 2/3/4/5 trains from Midtown to Borough Hall or Fulton Street in Brooklyn take 20-25 minutes. The A/C from Penn Station area serves Jay Street/MetroTech in 25 minutes. For meetings in this corridor, the subway is completely viable for a business trip.
Long Island City, Queens (increasingly significant tech and media hub): The E, M, or R trains from Midtown to Queensboro Plaza or Court Square take 10-15 minutes. The 7 train from Times Square reaches Hunters Point Avenue in 8 minutes. These are short, direct trips that business travelers often take a taxi for unnecessarily.
Flushing, Queens: The 7 train from Times Square to Flushing/Main Street takes 30-35 minutes. This is the correct choice for meetings in Flushing’s commercial district. A taxi would take significantly longer in traffic.
When a Car Service Actually Makes Sense
Car services are appropriate for Manhattan business travel in specific situations: airport pickups and drop-offs (where the fixed pricing and reliability matter), trips to outer-borough destinations not served by convenient subway lines, very early morning departures before subway service is reliable, and client pickup situations where the car service itself is part of the hospitality.
Dial 7 (212-777-7777) and Carmel (212-666-6666) are the established Manhattan black car services with pre-booking capability and more predictable pricing than rideshares during surge periods. For airport-specific trips, pre-book rather than hailing at the arrivals level.
The Citi Bike Option for Business Travelers
Citi Bike e-bikes are genuinely useful for mid-distance Midtown trips — say, from a 50th Street hotel to a 23rd Street meeting — when the weather is acceptable and you’re not carrying significant luggage or wearing a suit. A day pass is $19, e-bike rides up to 45 minutes are included, and the stations are dense enough in Midtown and Downtown that finding a bike and a dock is almost never a problem. Arriving slightly wind-swept is the only meaningful risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to get between Midtown and Lower Manhattan?
The 4/5 express trains on Lexington Avenue (Midtown East to Fulton Street) take about 12 minutes. The 2/3 express on Seventh Avenue (Times Square to Fulton Street) takes about 15 minutes. During rush hour, either is significantly faster than a taxi. Walking takes about 45-50 minutes.
How do I get to Brooklyn or Queens from Midtown for a business meeting?
Brooklyn: the 2/3/4/5 trains go to Downtown Brooklyn (Borough Hall) in 20 minutes from Midtown. The A/C goes to Jay Street in 25 minutes. Queens: the E/M/R serve Long Island City (10-15 minutes from Midtown). Flushing (for meetings near the 7-train corridor) is 30-35 minutes. A car service is appropriate when the outer borough destination has no direct subway connection.
When does it make sense to take a taxi instead of the subway in Manhattan?
When you have significant luggage. When you’re going to a destination not near a subway line. When it’s very late at night and certain lines run infrequently. When you’re going to a client meeting and need to arrive in a specific condition (not having navigated three transfers in August heat). For most Midtown-to-Midtown or Midtown-to-Downtown trips, the subway is faster and more predictable during business hours.
How do I get to New Jersey from Manhattan for a business meeting?
NJ Transit from Penn Station serves most New Jersey business destinations. PATH trains from 33rd Street, 23rd Street, 14th Street, 9th Street, or the World Trade Center serve Jersey City and Newark quickly. For suburban NJ meetings (Parsippany, Short Hills, Morristown), a rental car or car service from Penn Station is often the right call.
Also see: our Manhattan coworking day pass guide
Also see: our complete Manhattan transportation guide
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