Local Resident Tips: What You Need to Know About New York City Subway

New York subway is a whole underground world. Here you can meet anyone from homeless to celebrities. Understanding how the subway of the largest US city is arranged is not so simple. Local resident Maria Pyaternev decided to talk about the little-known facts of the subway publication Yandex Zenso that tourists can more easily navigate the mazes of the ancient system.

How everything works in the New York subway

1. Unstable work

The New York subway operates around the clock, but delays often occur. “The metro operates 24 hours, however, from 23:00 to 6:00 trains run much less frequently: sometimes you can wait for 20-30 minutes. Therefore, it is better to plan your trip to the metro in advance and always keep in mind that the plan may fail, ”the author writes.

On weekdays, from 9:00 to 17:00, the subway is relatively stable. However, failures occur at this time. For example, a train can stop in a tunnel for an hour, where it does not catch either mobile communications or the Internet. “You never know is a favorite expression in New York about the subway,” says a local resident.

As the weekend approaches, New Yorkers know it's time to expect surprises. After all, on Saturday and Sunday there are major repairs, and many metro lines change their traffic patterns. A resident of the Big Apple recommends using apps such as Citymapper or New York Subway to keep track of changes. It is also possible to get directions on Google, but this is not a very reliable method. After all, Google does not know that the R train from Brooklyn to Manhattan goes twice as slow as on the adjacent line. “I once got stuck on a train on my way to Brooklyn right in the middle of the Manhattan Bridge. There were dozens of people around who, like me, were driving home after work. From the windows of the carriage there was an excellent view of the Brooklyn Bridge and the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan. We stood for about 45 minutes, and all this time I was calmly reading a book that accidentally happened to be with me, ”she recalls.

One day, local media wrote about a resident of Brooklyn who was locked in train D in the middle of the tunnel and complained about it. Together with other passengers, she spent two hours without any information about what was happening. According to her, people did not understand what was happening, could not contact relatives, they were nervous and tried to open the doors to get into the tunnel, although it is life threatening.

2. Unusual designations

The Big Apple metro system was launched in the early 1900s by two private companies: the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT). BMT trains were designated by letters, and IRT trains by numbers. And although the metro has grown a lot since then, the designation system has been preserved. “Letter trains are wider and longer than numbered trains. Therefore, the former cannot pass through the tunnels built for the latter. Trains marked with numbers, on the contrary, can run everywhere, but they do not use this in the city subway: due to the small size of the train, a wide gap is formed between it and the platform, which creates a danger for passengers, ”the author explained.

3. Some trains skip stops

New York subway lines are very long. The longest line, line A, is almost 50 kilometers long. It takes passengers from upstate Manhattan via Brooklyn to Far Rockaway in Queens. In order for passengers to get there faster, trains run along the branches with a different number of stops. Local trains stop at all stations, express - only at the main ones, writes a local. “At the same time, the driver can announce on the way that the train is becoming an express train and will proceed further without stopping,” she explained.

At the same time, it is sometimes impossible to make out what exactly the driver is saying. “In the series“ How I Met Your Mother, ”there is a joke that a person only becomes a real New Yorker when he begins to understand the announcements of a subway driver. It is really very difficult to make out what they say in the carriages - especially if you are a tourist or have just moved to the city, ”she said.

On the subject: Everything you need to know about NYC

The author also recalled a case from her life when she watched the reaction of a stranger in the metro. “The train suddenly changed its status from local to express, and the announcement about it sounded indistinctly in the car loudspeakers. The guy jumped up from the bench and began to walk nervously around the carriage, watching the train pass all the stations without stopping. His face changed every minute. I hastened to tell him that everything is in order: the next station will be very soon, and there he can go back, ”she said.

4. Metro is not the best way to get to the airport

It is better to get to the airport by other means of transport, notes a New Yorker. After all, as already mentioned above, the train can stop for half an hour or an hour in the tunnel, and you may be late for your flight. The risk is especially great - on weekends. In this case, you will not have any opportunity to leave the carriage. “So I was late one day at John F Kennedy airport - luckily, I was going there just to meet friends. But I remembered the case for a long time and now I try to get to the airport by train or taxi, ”the author shares.

However, in this case, be prepared to pay more: if one metro ride costs $ 2,75, a train - about $ 15, then a taxi will cost at least $ 60. If you decide to take a taxi, take into account traffic and the situation in the city. "For example, during the UN General Assembly, a taxi is not the best way to go to the airport from Manhattan: the whole city will be closed," a local resident explained.

5. Homeless in the subway

There are many homeless people on the New York subway. They, like other New Yorkers, are legal residents of the city and can be where they want and how much they want. And with the arrival of winter, many homeless people go down to the subway to sleep right in the carriages. “There are many people with mental disabilities among the homeless, so don't be surprised to see strange behavior. People scream, rip their clothes off, defecate in front of others, and may try to interact with passengers, ”said a resident of the city.

However, the townspeople remain loyal to the homeless. They try to help them: they buy food, join volunteer organizations, donate clothes and money.

6. Becoming a New York City subway musician is not easy

All musicians who are going to play in the subway go through a competition. The auditions, which take place at the Grand Central Terminal, are in charge of Music Under New York (MTA MUSIC). The selected musicians are added to a special list of new artists. “While any artist can perform on the metro system (subject to MTA rules), participating in the MTA MUSIC program allows musicians to book specific timeslots at specific stations - usually the most popular and busiest ones - and gives them a theme banner indicating the name of the artist or group. Currently, about 300 musicians are participating in the music program in the New York subway, ”said a local resident.

To take part in the competition, you need to apply for participation in the audition. This can be done from January to March. MTA MUSIC is selected by 65 best musicians, who are invited to auditions.

The variety of music playing in the subway is amazing: here you can hear a Kurdish band with one vocalist, and Latin fusion, and traditional Brazilian music. Many musicians link to their Instagram or website and even sell discs with albums. “A couple of times I listened so hard that then I greedily googled the artist's name and looked for details of his biography,” the author shares.

Sometimes you can even meet celebrities on the New York subway. So, last year, Christina Aguilera performed at one of the Manhattan stations under the guise of ordinary musicians. She wore glasses and a wide straw hat, and it was difficult to recognize her. “But a powerful voice immediately gathered a crowd of listeners, and when people found out who was hiding under the makeup, they exploded with a storm of emotions,” the author writes.

7. You never know who you will meet in the subway

Speaking of celebrities, it is worth noting that they also use the New York subway, despite all the difficulties with the subway. Therefore, the author recommends, carefully look around: perhaps a famous film actress or an Oscar-winning director is riding next to you, and a famous artist is singing at the station. “For example, last year my friend was traveling in the same carriage with the actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. And actress Sarah Jessica Parker often uploads videos and photos from the New York subway on her Instagram, ”the author writes.

How to behave in the Big Apple metro

Here is a list of tips from a local resident that will help you interact more easily with other passengers on the New York subway:

• You should not interact with a person if you are not sure of his mental state. “In the spring, my friend met a homeless man in the subway with an ax in his hand. And my husband was once forced to leave the carriage because a homeless man lay down on his lap to sleep, ”the author noted.
• You should not enter an empty carriage if the neighboring ones are packed with people. There are reasons for this, writes a local resident. “Most likely, it smells very bad, there may be excrement, naked people or something else that you hardly want to see. The same rule works with an empty seat in a jam-packed carriage, ”she explained.
• Do not hesitate to clarify the road if you go astray. New Yorkers are ready to help those in need. “And don't worry about your English: linguists estimate that over 800 different languages ​​and dialects are spoken in New York,” said a local resident.