If you tell a friend to meet you at the Pelham Parkway subway stop, there is a roughly 50% chance they will end up a mile away from you, staring at a completely different set of tracks. It's a classic Bronx blunder. You see, the neighborhood is served by two distinct stations sharing the exact same name, but they belong to different eras of New York City transit history. One is a subterranean Art Deco relic on the IRT White Plains Road Line (the 2 and 5 trains), while the other is a massive, open-cut concrete fortress on the Dyre Avenue Line (the 5 train).
Navigation here is tricky. Honestly, even lifelong New Yorkers get turned around when they first try to navigate the intersection of White Plains Road and Pelham Parkway. You have the lush greenery of the Bronx Park on one side and the bustling commercial strip of Lydig Avenue on the other. It’s a study in contrasts. One minute you’re smelling the salty aroma of a fresh Italian bakery, and the next, you’re hearing the screech of steel on steel as a northbound 2 train pulls into the elevated-turned-underground structure.
The Tale of Two Stations
Let’s get the geography straight because the MTA isn't always the best at hand-holding through the nuances of the Bronx.
The Pelham Parkway subway stop on the White Plains Road Line is the one most people think of. It sits right at the edge of the park. It’s unique because, while the line is mostly elevated, this specific section dips underground to preserve the aesthetics of the parkway above. Built around 1917, it feels like a bunker. The tiling is standard-issue MTA white, but there’s a weight to the air down there. It’s deep.
Then you have the "other" one.
The Dyre Avenue Line station at Pelham Parkway and Esplanade is a different beast entirely. It wasn’t even built for the subway. This was originally part of the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway—a high-speed electric commuter rail that went bankrupt during the Great Depression. When the city bought the tracks in 1940, they integrated them into the subway system. This explains why the station feels "too big" for a subway stop. The platforms are sprawling, the architecture is heavy stone and concrete, and it feels more like a grand European train station that fell into a time warp.
Why the White Plains Road Stop is a Local Lifeline
If you’re heading to the Bronx Zoo or the New York Botanical Garden, this is your stop. Well, technically, the Bronx Park East station is closer to some entrances, but Pelham Parkway is the heavy hitter.
The 2 train is the workhorse here. It’s the line that connects the North Bronx directly to the Upper West Side and Chelsea. During rush hour, the 5 train joins the party, offering a "super-express" shot down the East Side to Grand Central. It’s fast. Sorta. You know how the MTA is—"fast" is a relative term when there’s a signal malfunction at 149th Street.
What’s interesting about this station is the layout. It’s a four-track line, but only the outer two tracks serve the platforms. The middle tracks are for those sweet, sweet express runs that skip the station entirely, sending a gust of wind and a deafening roar through the platform that makes everyone tighten their grip on their phone.
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- Accessibility: It’s an ADA-accessible station. That’s a big deal in the Bronx, where many stations are still stuck in the early 20th century with nothing but steep, rusted stairs.
- The Park Connection: You walk out of the turnstiles and you’re basically in the woods. Pelham Parkway itself is a massive green lung. It’s one of the few places in the city where the "Park" in "Parkway" actually means something.
The "Secret" History of the Dyre Avenue Stop
You've probably noticed the Dyre Avenue station looks... expensive. That’s because it was. The New York, Westchester and Boston Railway was backed by J.P. Morgan. He wanted a "gold-standard" railroad. He got it, and then he lost a fortune on it.
When you stand on the platform at the Pelham Parkway-Esplanade stop, look at the bridge work and the sheer scale of the concrete. This wasn't built by a cash-strapped city agency; it was built by a titan of industry who thought he could lure wealthy commuters to the "countryside" of the Bronx.
The tracks are set in a deep, open-cut trench. This keeps the noise down for the surrounding residential neighborhood, which is surprisingly quiet compared to the chaos of Fordam Road or Hub. The station house on the surface is a beautiful, understated building that looks more like a library than a subway entrance.
Survival Tips for the Pelham Parkway Commuter
The Bronx is a borough of "know-how." If you don't know the rhythm, you’re going to have a bad time.
First, the 5 train is a shapeshifter. Sometimes it goes to Dyre Avenue. Sometimes it goes to Nereid Avenue. If you are trying to get to the Pelham Parkway subway stop, you have to check the destination sign on the side of the car. If you’re on a 5 train heading to Nereid, you’re on the White Plains Road line. If you’re on a 5 train heading to Dyre, you’re on the line that stops at the Esplanade. Mixing these up means a long, annoying walk through the park or a desperate hunt for the Bx12 bus.
Speaking of the Bx12, it is the glue that holds this area together. It runs along the parkway and connects both Pelham Parkway stations. If you realize you’re at the wrong one, don't panic. Just hop on the Bx12 Select Bus Service. It’s one of the busiest bus routes in the entire world, not just New York. It’s a chaotic, crowded, beautiful mess of humanity.
Real-World Logistics
Getting to Manhattan from here takes about 45 to 55 minutes on a good day. On a bad day? Bring a book. A long one.
The 2 train is generally more reliable for weekend service, as the 5 train often gets truncated or diverted during track work. If you see "Planned Work" signs plastered all over the station, believe them. The MTA loves to shut down the 5 train on weekends, forcing everyone onto the 2, which then becomes a sardine can.
The neighborhood surrounding the stations—Pelham Parkway North and South—is a mix of old-school Italian enclaves, a massive Albanian community, and a growing South Asian population. This means the food near the subway stops is incredible. If you have ten minutes to kill before your train, walk over to Lydig Avenue. You can grab some of the best burek in the city or a slice of pizza that actually tastes like New York, not some cardboard chain version.
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Architecture and the "Underground" Feel
It is a bit of a local trivia point that the Pelham Parkway stop on the 2/5 line is the only "underground" station on that entire stretch. The line is elevated through the rest of the Bronx. Why? Because when the line was being built, the residents of the wealthy homes along the Parkway complained that an elevated steel structure would ruin their views and lower property values.
The city listened.
They dug.
The result is a station that feels oddly disconnected from the rest of the line. You descend into the earth in a borough where you're used to climbing up to the tracks. The air is cooler down there in the summer, which is a blessing. However, because it’s a "cut-and-cover" tunnel, it’s prone to dampness. You’ll often see buckets catching drips from the ceiling after a heavy rain. It’s part of the charm. Or the lack thereof.
Safety and Atmosphere
Is it safe? Yeah, generally. It’s a busy hub. There are always people around, especially hospital workers from Jacobi or Montefiore who use these stops as their primary commute. Like any NYC subway station, you keep your wits about you. Don't stand right on the yellow strip, and maybe don't flash a thousand dollars in cash.
The lighting in the 2/5 station was upgraded a few years back, so it’s not the dingy dungeon it used to be. The Dyre Avenue station, being open-air, feels very safe during the day because of the natural light, though it can feel a bit lonely late at night due to its sheer size and the residential quiet of the Esplanade.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Trip
If you are planning to visit or move near the Pelham Parkway subway stop, keep these points in your back pocket:
- Double-Check the Line: Always confirm if your destination is the White Plains Road (2/5) station or the Dyre Avenue (5) station. They are not connected internally.
- The Bx12 is Your Friend: If you’re traveling east-west, use the Select Bus Service. Just remember to pay at the kiosk on the sidewalk before you board, or you’ll face a hefty fine from the roving inspectors.
- Zoo Entrances: For the Bronx Zoo, use the Pelham Parkway 2/5 station and walk west. It’s a much nicer walk than the one from 180th Street.
- Food Pitstop: If you have time, exit at Lydig Avenue (White Plains Road stop). The local markets there offer better produce and specialty imports than anything you’ll find in Manhattan.
- Check the MTA App: Seriously. In 2026, the digital signage is better than it used to be, but the "MYmta" app (or whatever it's evolved into by now) is essential for seeing if the 5 train is actually running to Manhattan or if it’s ending at 180th Street today.
The Pelham Parkway area is one of the last true "neighborhoods" in the Bronx. It hasn't been fully gentrified into a sterile version of itself, and the subway stops reflect that. They are gritty, functional, historical, and just a little bit confusing. But once you master them, you’ve basically mastered the Bronx.