5) The 2/3 line, Chambers Street through Park Place to Fulton Street. Two sharp curves on this stretch make you wonder at how subways can put up with this time after time. Bring earplugs.

4) The F/V from 23rd Street and 6th Avenue to Houston Street and 2nd Avenue. It's Chelsea to the East Village in a few minutes, covering significant distance with limited stops. And this serves as one of the few crosstown or diagonal subway routes on the island.

3) The L from 14th Street and 8th Avenue to 14th Street and 1st Avenue. Fine, so the L doesn't come that often. But at the 8th Avenue terminus, you can sit in the train before it leaves, and once it does, be all the way over to 1st Avenue in several minutes.

2) The A or D express from 59th Street to 125th Street. A blessing for Yankee fans and anyone else venturing uptown (or downtown).

1) The 2/3 express from 72nd to 42nd Street. High speeds and sweeping curves lead to the downhill descent into Times Square station. Who needs skiing? This is the most fun subway stretch in Manhattan.