I am only asking this question as I read it in the Eyewitness New York travel guide.
Is Chinatown safe at night? as the book says avoid this area at night.
Also two women on the subway at night probably no later than 11pm, on the Green Line 33rd St to Canal St will it be safe or is it best to take a taxi? We will be going in 2 weeks.
Any advice is appreciated

Subway lines don;t come in colors - just letters or numbers. If you refer to them by colors no one will now what you're talking about.

All of the subways in Manhattan is safe. I personally don't take it after midnight or so - since the trains are too infrequent then. At 11pm you should be fine - on the subway and in chinatown.

Thank you. I was just going from the book! the lines the 4 5 6

Just keep in mind the advice given for safety in any large city: Stay aware of your surroundings and act like you know where you're going!

I have never had a problem in New York City after many years of living and then visiting there. But I make sure I'm well aware of what's going on around me.

Only the 6 stops at canal street & 33rd st. The 4 & 5 are expresses and skip both of those stops. Canal STreet is mobbed with people at night. It's completely safe. Just be sensible and don't wander down any quiet little side streets at night with no people around, no businesses open, etc. (this is true in almost any area).

The subway is safe. There's always lots of people coming and going to canal st.

Thanks for your reply, I've just had a better look at the subway map and see it says which numbers stop at which stations!! Thanks for the info

Line colors, although not as popular as the numbers/letters are recognizable by NYers. As was stated, you will be fine.

I'm confused nytraveler by your post. There certainly are color codes as well as numbers and letters. Green,yellow, orange, red, blue, brown, silver. Colors are helpful to tourists and any new yorker will tell a tourist they need to take a green train to Grand Central.

My rule in NY is safety in numbers. At night, the more deserted an area, the more "dangerous" it is. When I lived there, I always walked around late at night but made sure to take the streets that were busy with people.

Some areas of Chinatown are pretty deserted late at night. Some subway lines are more deserted than others (the 6 is often very crowded) late at night as well. The reason riding a subway late at night becomes more "dangerous" is that the trains come less frequently and there stations can be deserted. So if you are a single female (as I was when I lived there), it can be a bit unnerving to stand alone on the subway tracks for half an hour or more waiting for the subway. If I ended up in that scenario, I always waited within shouting distance of the fare collector person or moved closer to other people waiting if I didn't think they seemed sketchy.

Just be smart. Keep to yourself, be vigilant of who is walking around you, act like you know where you're going, and walk in well lit populated areas. You can find these streets in Chinatown/Lower East Side late at night with no problem.

I lived in NY for five years and never once heard a subway line referred to by its color...

Sorry - In 35 years of riding the subway I've never used the color to refer to a train - nor have I heard anyone else do so. A train is called either by the letter or number - the 1 or 2, the E or F - or by its descriptor - Broadway local or Broadwy Express etc.

Since tourists are usually nor familiar with the latter - its simpler for them just to use the letter or number - which is the only thing indicating which trains actually stop at which stations.

I'm with nytraveler on this .
This native New Yorker has never referred to the subway lines by color! I doubt I would be able to match most colors with the lines. In many other cities (Boston, I believe is one) the colors are the official names, but not here.

Numbers or letters are the way to go, and if you happen to get an
old-enough-timer who refers to the IND, BMT or IRT (eastside or westside, local or express)...

Well, if it helps I refer to that line as the Lex.

For a tourist who is very used to public transport, I would say that I pay attention to the color of the train when wandering around the station trying to figure out where to go. It also helps when following the map.

That said, I also know to look for the number and the final destination. So, everybody is right here. The colors are very helpful for getting around the stations and reading the map, but the numbers are going to be what commuters are aware of.

SaraL'
Many of the token booths are unmanned at night, be sure to have a MetroCard for entrance into the station.
There are "after hours waiting areas" clearly indicated that are monitored by closed circuit (supposedly).
I also have never refered to or heard the different lines refered to by color, only number or name (#6 is the Lexington Ave). #1 is the B'way local. #2&3 are the B'way express.
Canal street station is manned and patrolled at that hour I believe, and quite safe. Some of the side streets are not, IMHO.