Andrew Yang ridiculed after he said Times Square is his favorite NYC subway station

• Andrew Yang faced a wave of ridicule after he called Times Square his favorite NYC subway station.
• His answer prompted jokes from critics who said no “real New Yorker” likes Times Square.
• Yang – who is a serious contender for NYC mayor – also struggled to name his favorite Jay-Z song.
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang was mocked by New Yorkers after he said Times Square was his “favorite” subway station.

In a question-and-answer style interview with Showtime host and comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, Yang named the station his favorite among New York City’s 472 subway stops.

When Fumudoh reacted to Yang’s answer with incredulity, he tried to defend his choice, saying: “It’s my stop, so Times Square. It’s big, it’s cavernous, there are entertainers there. Sure, what’s not to like?”

-ziwe (@ziwe) May 24, 2021

According to the New York Times, Yang lives in Hell’s Kitchen – making Times Square one of the stops he could feasibly use somewhat near his home.

His response prompted ridicule from many of the city’s residents, who implied that a real New Yorker would not have given such a response.

“One thousand percent Not a New Yorker,” read one tweet, which was liked over 19,000 times.

“Saying Times Square is your favorite subway station should be disqualifying,” tweeted NYU law professor Rachel Barkow.

Other creative responses to Yang’s gaffe included snaps of Michael Scott from The Office picking up a “New York slice” from chain restaurant Sbarro.

-Eoin Higgins (@EoinHiggins_) May 24, 2021

In the same interview, Yang also struggled to answer Fumudoh’s question on what his favorite Jay-Z track was – despite claiming to be a long-time Jay-Z fan. Instead of naming widely-acclaimed solo songs, Yang named a 2004 Linkin Park collaboration,”Numb/Encore,” and Kanye West duet “N—-s In Paris” his top songs from the singer.

-ziwe (@ziwe) May 22, 2021

The former entrepreneur threw his hat into the ring to run for mayor after an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2020 and is now leading the pack.

The New York Daily News reported on May 12 that Yang is currently a frontrunner for the mayoral seat. He was ranked as voters’ first choice for mayor, with 21% support from the 1,003 people polled by Schoen Cooperman Research.