We're going downtown!
The New Yorkers in Buttercupland may roll their eyes, but I know there are lots of people who have never been inside a New York City subway station and their only experience with subways is via movies or televisions shows. Before we proceed with the rest of the alphabet in our A to Z Blogging Challenge you're all joining me for my trip this morning going downtown.
First stop is buying a MetroCard for fare on the subway and bus.
We're traveling from my home station at West 86th Street to West 72nd St. It's only two stops and not more than a twenty minute walk, but I'm running late for my 11:00 Weight Watchers meeting and opt to take the subway. It's after the morning rush hour, but the trains run frequently and I didn't have long to wait. It was just enough time to pictures. For twenty years I started my morning commute to work at this station. The only exception was the year after September 11 and I needed to change my route while the subway line was being reconstructed in Lower Manhattan.
Time to swipe my MetroCard to access the subway station platform.
Our subway car, not crowded and I happily have a seat.
An hour or so earlier the odds are good I wouldn't have had a seat, nor been able to see to the other end of the car. The empty area in the center of the car would have been filled with people clutching the poles and hanging on to the metal bars. In the past there were literally straps that people held on to and the name for subway riders became "strap hangers."
Throughout the A to Z Challenge I'll be sharing facts about the New York City subway system. The first subway stations were opened in October 1904 with 28 stations. Now there are 472 stations and 27 subway lines. The subway system runs twenty four hours a day/seven days a week every day. There's discussion about closing the system during the early morning. This would make cleaning and maintenance much easier. But it would make it much more difficult for people to commute to work. People getting off work at 2:00 a.m. and people needing to be at work at 6:00 a.m. would be without transportation.
Our downtown trip ends at West 72nd Street and this lovely above ground subway station. I'm a block from my Weight Watchers meeting. No time for fancy coffee. I stop at the coffee cart on the corner and get my coffee for my meeting.
I'm out of the subway and zipping through this park, Verdi Square.
I would be remiss to neglect to include a photograph of Verdi Square, just north of the subway station. Because it was cold and rainy this morning the benches are deserted. When the weather is pleasant the area is filled with people.
I hope you've enjoyed our subway trip. Hint for tomorrow! We're going downtown again and we're in the neighborhood of a great university. Please join our adventure.
As ever, thanks for visiting. We're still waiting for spring, but I hope it's arrived where you are.
12 comments
Thanks so much for sharing your adventures. I love visiting NYC! We lived in New Jersey for several years several decades ago, and it was always an adventure to travel into the city. Now our son and his family have moved back and it is always a pleasure to visit them and travel into NYC.
We have something similar in the Bay Area we call BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). We use it a lot to go into San Francisco or across the bay to concerts. Thanks for sharing yours!
Janet
Janet’s Smiles
I took subways (D train) when I was a girl and knew my way around (transfers) when I was 12. My friends and I would go downtown without our parents and no one ever worried. I loved the trains, both the subways and the New York Central.
Having never been on or seen a subway, I really enjoyed this post. I can see the benefits of the public transport you enjoy there. Having just made a costly repair on my car, I wish we had more available to us here.
I have been to New York a few times and I think it is a fantastic place to visit - NEW YORK - NEW YORK!
Carol, I am loving your A to Z trips. I went back to see what I had missed the few posts. I love being in your city. I have always wanted to take the subway...just to say I did once. See why I have to come back to NYC, I have missed too much. I love the Cathedral. Blessings, xoxo, Susie
This is so interesting Carol!
Great trip!
No spring here. Today was nice but tomorrow
we will be back in the cold with a possibility of
the "S" word.
M : )
Really loved this ride with you.
Here in Italy, there aren't many city that have a subway so I'm not used to this kind of transportation. I've only travelled on the Milan subway, here in Italy, but I've travelled in the London and the Munich ones too.
I think there is a particular atmosphere in subways that it's not found enywhere else. I commute to my work by train and it's a completely different experience.
fascinating details about the subway. i thoroughly enjoyed this post.
Downtown NY - gotta love it!
I like the convient of the subway but sometimes the long wait for the train can be a pain but we have to accept that there are unexpected things that might happen. but I really like using the subway system to get around the city.
have a lovely day.
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