Though I’ve lived in New York for my entire life, I’ve yet to see a Broadway show or watch the sunset on an observation deck a thousand feet off the ground. Yes, I have had my fair share of tourist experiences at the Statue of Liberty and various museums, but one of the most overlooked parts of New York is the transit system – my second home. Just $2.75 puts me on a platform beneath the city, among hundreds of other weary commuters. As I wriggle into an already packed train, we share a common silence; and in that silence, I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.
Be it on the bus, the subway, or the ferry, I love exploring the city through the public transit system. And what is love most is its sheer complexity. Even as a resident, I do admit, it is very intimidating just looking at the maps, and even more so being on the subway. I remember countless times when I mistakenly entered the downtown only station or slept past my stop. But I consider getting lost just part of the fun. I recall when my friends and I would compare different bus routes to get home from school as we proved Google Maps wrong in their fastest route. Or when we would lug our backpacks and sports equipment onto the northbound 5 since the southbound tracks were under maintenance.
All the stations and bus stops are unique, both in physical appearances and their surrounding neighborhoods. They each have stories to tell. I know to avoid the broken steps on the right side of the stairs at Bedford Park, and I overhear both Spanish and Chinese conversations at the Q50 stop near Coop City. My mind is filled with stories about all the different stops I’ve visited, but I am nowhere near visiting all of them. One of my dreams is to complete the Subway Challenge by visiting all 472 stations, getting to meet each one and discovering the hidden gems they have to offer.
Short of physically riding the subway, I also find joy in simply looking at transit diagrams and maps in general. It's hard to conceptualize how a city so large and diverse could ever be connected, but I find a soothing order to all the chaos in transit maps. My love for maps extends beyond New York, as the DC Metro and TCAT maps have been on my radar recently. It also enters the digital realm where I enjoy looking at fantasy transit maps and transit-related content on social media.
In my eyes, the transit system of such cities as New York are just like the veins and arteries of our circulatory system. It connects all the corners of an unbelievably large city in such a complex way, but it just seems to work. Though I miss the bumpy bus rides and the deafening screech of metal-on-metal in the subway, I’m lucky to have my maps that remind me of my second home.
View from Manhattan's East Side from the Roosevelt Island Tram
Comments