вблизи + gen
неподалёку - (not far from) от + gen
близко - close (this is an adverb, so it fits slightly differently grammatically)
возле - near
близкий к + dative could work even better since you can match the adjective which adds a layer of specificity
The grammar specifics here are pretty dependent on the sentence as a whole. I'd probably recommend возле + gen
рядом с translated as something like "in a row with", and can be used with people or things. (Since English doesn't use any word whose edges line up with рядом с, the translation can vary between "near", "close to", "around [a person])
Word order (and, as always, context will lend a helping hand) will help distinguish which noun is near
Near the station I saw -versus- I saw (blank) near the station etc.