RECOMMENDED: Upper East Side neighborhood guide
Visitors may be surprised to discover that this affluent and densely populated area of Manhattan is not particularly well served by public transportation. The Upper East Side has a sole subway route traversing its length, along Lexington Avenue. Comprising the 4 and 5 express lines and the 6 local (famous as the setting of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3), it runs from Brooklyn to the Bronx. You can also access the southern section of the neighborhood from downtown or midtown Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens via the N, Q, R and the F. The long-anticipated Second Avenue subway line will markedly improve the situation—the first phase, from 63rd to 96th Streets, is slated for completion by late 2016. If you're coming from the Upper West Side, your best bet is a bus: Crosstown buses operate on the main thoroughfares: 65th/68th St (66th St heading west), 72nd St, 79th St, 86th St, 96th St and 106th St.
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