Cobblehop / New York routes / Grand Central Terminal to East Village

Grand Central Terminal to East Village by subway

Quick answer: Take a downtown 4 or 5 train from Grand Central-42 St to 14 St-Union Sq, then take a Brooklyn-bound L train from 14 St-Union Sq to 1 Av. The trip takes about 20 minutes door to door on a weekday. The 4 or 5 train comes every few minutes during the day. Every line on this trip runs all night.

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Grand Central Terminal to East Village

Trip timeabout20min
How oftenEvery few minutes (4 / 5)
  • 4 / 5
  • L
  1. Walk 4 minto Grand Central-42 St
  2. 4 / 5 4 or 5 trainFrom Grand Central-42 St, downtown1 stop, about 4 min
  3. Change at 14 St-Union SqWalk about 6 min
  4. L L trainFrom 14 St-Union Sq, Brooklyn-bound2 stops, about 2 min
  5. Get off at 1 Av
  6. East Village

Weekdays, fall 2026 MTA schedule · First and last trips

By Cobblehop · · Source: MTA schedules (fall 2026), checked November 7, 2026

Step by step

  1. Walk about 4 minutes from Grand Central Terminal to Grand Central-42 St.
  2. Take a downtown 4 or 5 train from Grand Central-42 St to 14 St-Union Sq. It's 1 stop, about 4 minutes.
  3. At 14 St-Union Sq, walk about 6 minutes to 14 St-Union Sq for the L train.
  4. Take a Brooklyn-bound L train from 14 St-Union Sq to 1 Av. It's 2 stops, about 2 minutes.

Other ways to go

Which one is faster depends on when you leave. Cobblehop compares them with live times.

Times and frequency

From the MTA's fall 2026 schedule. Typical trip is the door to door time in the middle of the day.

DayFirst tripLast tripTypical trip4 or 5 train in the daytime
WeekdaysRuns all night20 minEvery few minutes
SaturdayRuns all night20 minAbout every 4 minutes
SundayRuns all night20 minAbout every 4 minutes

Late at night

This trip works around the clock. Between about 1 and 5 am the trip takes about 24 minutes, and the 4 or 5 train comes about every 20 minutes.

Tips for this trip

Step-free access

For the subway part of this trip: Grand Central-42 St (5 platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations; 14 St-Union Sq (5 platform) is not on the MTA's list of accessible stations; 14 St-Union Sq (L platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations; 1 Av (L platform) is on the MTA's list of accessible stations. Elevators can be out of service, so check elevator status on mta.info before you go.

What it costs

Fares as of November 2026. Check the official fares page before you ride.

Grand Central Terminal to East Village: common questions

How do I get from Grand Central Terminal to East Village by public transit?

Take a downtown 4 or 5 train from Grand Central-42 St to 14 St-Union Sq, then take a Brooklyn-bound L train from 14 St-Union Sq to 1 Av.

How long does it take?

About 20 minutes door to door on a weekday. On weekends it's about 20 minutes.

Do I have to change along the way?

Yes, once: at 14 St-Union Sq.

Does it run all night?

This trip works around the clock. Between about 1 and 5 am the trip takes about 24 minutes, and the 4 or 5 train comes about every 20 minutes.

How much does it cost?

Subway and local bus: $3 per ride with OMNY (tap a contactless card or phone) or a MetroCard. One transfer within 2 hours to the subway or a local bus is included.

Sources

Cobblehop is independent. It is not affiliated with the MTA or any transit agency. Schedules on this page come from the MTA's public GTFS data; check these pages for the latest service:

Transit data: Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Cobblehop is not affiliated with or endorsed by the MTA.

Published November 7, 2026. Times were computed from the MTA fall 2026 schedules for 2026-11-18 (weekday), 2026-11-21 and 2026-11-22. Planned work and holidays change service, so check Cobblehop for live times before you go.

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