Some of you might be amused by my pure tourism on the subway last Friday (28th). I had a very rare day to myself with no particular agenda, and here's how I spent most of it...
After getting off the PATH at the World Trade Center stop, I blundered around in the rain looking for the right subway entrance. It's amazing how disoriented I still am coming up from the big escalator bank and not understanding exactly where I am, but that's what happens when I come into town only once or twice a year.
Got on the E, took it to Canal, then switched to the A for what I'd hoped would be a high speed run up to 168th. Once again, no such luck... the C train was making better time with stops.
Transferred to the uptown 1 at 168th. My intent was to ride the part of the 1 that goes above ground, but I had forgotten which part that was, so I figured I'd go north first. So up to 242nd/Van Cortlandt Park, and then back down again to 96th. The part I was specifically looking for is between 120th and 130th including the 125th Street station.
The 3 from 96th to 42nd, and then over to the S for Grand Central, one of the answers to the question, "Where's a reasonable place to eat without having to go outside?" I also wanted to see the Colorama Exhibit that's at the NYC Transit Store in Grand Central. That exhibit was loaned to the MTA by the George Eastman House here in town, which had a larger exhibit of Colorama photos in its museum in 2010.
After lunch, the 4 to Fulton, then the A to Hoyt-Schemerhorn, and then a walk over to the Transit Museum. I hadn't been there since the admission was a subway token. It's $7 now but well worth the visit.
There was an interruption in the train travel for a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, something I'd always wanted to do and something that helped burn off the Shake Shack stop. (The chocolate malt was OK, if a little overpriced, but I digress.)
I got on the 6 at City Hall and rode to Broadway/Lafayette to try out the just-opened transfer from the uptown 6 to the Sixth Avenue Line trains. This didn't make the F train show up any faster though... so I took the B to 47-50 Rockefeller Center and awaited an F there.
The F through the 63rd Street Tunnel, including the Roosevelt Island Station, since I'd never been through it (it opened 2 months after I left the metro area). Then the fast run through to Jackson Heights, and back on the E to 23rd/Ely. I hadn't been to that station since before it was connected to the G & 7, and of course I had to try that transfer. Amazing how the building of a skyscraper office tower (Citibank's) will sometimes spur the rehab of a transit station...
I took the 7 back over to Times Square and then picked up the 2 at 42nd to Chambers, thence back on the 1 to South Ferry since I hadn't been there since the new station had opened. That meant that I'd actually covered an entire line, the 1, in one day, although in two parts.
I got off at South Ferry and took the Staten Island Ferry to St. George for a round trip on the Staten Island Railway. Fun fact: The SIR is considered to be a "free transfer" if you've been on a subway train in Manhattan (within a certain time limit, I would imagine), so no fare extracted off my Metrocard. I was able to grab the Tottenville Express southbound with first stop at Great Kills, and the local back. The train rocks and rolls... I think some more maintenance might be in order for the SIR.
From there it was back on the Ferry and then up the R Train to Cortlandt and the PATH. It probably would have been faster to walk given the 20 minute wait for the Northbound R.
With the exception of the R and the slow northbound A, I'd say that things were pretty efficient. Signage and directions seem to have been improved, and the temporary service change notifications (for construction) were everywhere. The stations also seem to be as clean or cleaner than I remember them, as were the cars. All were air conditioned except the one I was in on the Tottenville Express on the SIR (see above note about maintenance...).
All in all, I hit all five boroughs in one day, which I have never done previously despite having gone to school and worked in the city for a number of years. The things those crazy tourists do...
After getting off the PATH at the World Trade Center stop, I blundered around in the rain looking for the right subway entrance. It's amazing how disoriented I still am coming up from the big escalator bank and not understanding exactly where I am, but that's what happens when I come into town only once or twice a year.
Got on the E, took it to Canal, then switched to the A for what I'd hoped would be a high speed run up to 168th. Once again, no such luck... the C train was making better time with stops.
Transferred to the uptown 1 at 168th. My intent was to ride the part of the 1 that goes above ground, but I had forgotten which part that was, so I figured I'd go north first. So up to 242nd/Van Cortlandt Park, and then back down again to 96th. The part I was specifically looking for is between 120th and 130th including the 125th Street station.
The 3 from 96th to 42nd, and then over to the S for Grand Central, one of the answers to the question, "Where's a reasonable place to eat without having to go outside?" I also wanted to see the Colorama Exhibit that's at the NYC Transit Store in Grand Central. That exhibit was loaned to the MTA by the George Eastman House here in town, which had a larger exhibit of Colorama photos in its museum in 2010.
After lunch, the 4 to Fulton, then the A to Hoyt-Schemerhorn, and then a walk over to the Transit Museum. I hadn't been there since the admission was a subway token. It's $7 now but well worth the visit.
There was an interruption in the train travel for a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, something I'd always wanted to do and something that helped burn off the Shake Shack stop. (The chocolate malt was OK, if a little overpriced, but I digress.)
I got on the 6 at City Hall and rode to Broadway/Lafayette to try out the just-opened transfer from the uptown 6 to the Sixth Avenue Line trains. This didn't make the F train show up any faster though... so I took the B to 47-50 Rockefeller Center and awaited an F there.
The F through the 63rd Street Tunnel, including the Roosevelt Island Station, since I'd never been through it (it opened 2 months after I left the metro area). Then the fast run through to Jackson Heights, and back on the E to 23rd/Ely. I hadn't been to that station since before it was connected to the G & 7, and of course I had to try that transfer. Amazing how the building of a skyscraper office tower (Citibank's) will sometimes spur the rehab of a transit station...
I took the 7 back over to Times Square and then picked up the 2 at 42nd to Chambers, thence back on the 1 to South Ferry since I hadn't been there since the new station had opened. That meant that I'd actually covered an entire line, the 1, in one day, although in two parts.
I got off at South Ferry and took the Staten Island Ferry to St. George for a round trip on the Staten Island Railway. Fun fact: The SIR is considered to be a "free transfer" if you've been on a subway train in Manhattan (within a certain time limit, I would imagine), so no fare extracted off my Metrocard. I was able to grab the Tottenville Express southbound with first stop at Great Kills, and the local back. The train rocks and rolls... I think some more maintenance might be in order for the SIR.
From there it was back on the Ferry and then up the R Train to Cortlandt and the PATH. It probably would have been faster to walk given the 20 minute wait for the Northbound R.
With the exception of the R and the slow northbound A, I'd say that things were pretty efficient. Signage and directions seem to have been improved, and the temporary service change notifications (for construction) were everywhere. The stations also seem to be as clean or cleaner than I remember them, as were the cars. All were air conditioned except the one I was in on the Tottenville Express on the SIR (see above note about maintenance...).
All in all, I hit all five boroughs in one day, which I have never done previously despite having gone to school and worked in the city for a number of years. The things those crazy tourists do...
George in Rochester NY
The Unofficial Micro-Trains Release Report (among other things)
The Unofficial Micro-Trains Release Report (among other things)
