Please help me learn how to use the subway
 

Hello,<BR><BR>I will be in New York for a week in May. I will be by myself, and would mostly like to use the subway rather than cabs to save money. I have been to New York many times before, but always with other people, and have relied on them to figure out how to get us from point A to point B. Any tips would be helpful. Is there a website that gives pointers on how to figure it out?

I would suggest getting a subway map, and keep it handy. They are great for trying to figure out how to get around the city.<BR><BR>Also buy a Metrocard for the time you will be here. Each ride will be $1.50 and most people who live here rely on the public transit system, and the metro cards are great. <BR><BR>The subway and buses both take the metro card and you can even transfer from the subway to the bus for the same fare.<BR><BR>It's actually easier than you might think to figure out the system, and you might pick 1 or 2 lines first like the Lexington Ave (4,5,6 trains) and the Broadway (1,2,3, trains) and go from there. The Lexington Ave trains are on the east side and the Broadway trains are on the west side.<BR><BR>Also have some loose change in case your metrocard is used up. The buses don't take dollar bills.<BR><BR>You can buy metro cards in all the subway stations, some delis, some banks, and some touristy gift stores.<BR>There are also vending machines in all the subway stations so you can even buy them with a credit card or debit card.<BR><BR>Have a great time and enjoy your trip.<BR><BR>

Remember, The Bronx is Up and Brooklyn is Down.

The Battery's down.

The first thing to do is pick up a map. You can look at the map on the NYC MTA website to get an idea of where the subway lines are. Almost all lines in Manhattan run north-south.<BR><BR>The subways are generally well-signed. At the entries to each station there are signs that show what trains stop there. Sometimes the entry is for &quot;uptown only&quot; or &quot;downtown only&quot;...if so, it will say so.<BR><BR>If you are staying here for a week, your best option would be a 7-day unlimited Metrocard which is about $17. You can buy it from the ATM-like machines in the stations. These are usually only at the main station entrances. <BR><BR>You have to swipe the Metrocard to get through the turnstiles...swipe it forward about as fast as you walk...too slow or too fast and you'l hear a double beep, and will have to swipe again. <BR><BR>Another thing to pay attention to is the fact that some trains are local and some express. The express trains skip stops. The subway map indicates what stops where.<BR><BR>Also, don't ever be afraid to ask for directions. NYers can be pretty helpful. And we are used to people asking us for directions nearly every day!<BR>

If you're going to be there for a week, buy the one week pass. It was $17 last year for all the subway and bus rides you care to take. A real bargain!

It's really not too difficult, but definitely make sure that you have an up-to-date subway map, as there have been some changes in the past year or so. A couple of things that are a little quirky about the New York subway to be aware of:<BR><BR>As the poster above suggested, do get a metro card. You'll find that some smaller station entrances do not have a token booth and allow entry only via metro card.<BR><BR>When you look at your subway map, note that there are stretches where multiple train lines overlap and stop at the same stations, only to split off and go in different directions further on. Because these lines share the same platforms in some stations, it's important to look at the number or letter of the train pulling in to the station rather than just getting onto any train that stops at the platform. <BR><BR>Be aware of whether you are boarding a local or express train. The express trains, like the A line, don't stop at every station along their routes.<BR><BR>Take a look at the MTA website for more information:<BR><BR>http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/index.html<BR>

It really is easy but there are a few tips that help. Suggestion to get a map is a good one - many bookstores in NYC and some tourist centers and shops carry a pocket sized foldable laminated subway map - really helpful and doesn't fall apart from use like the free ones. If you wish to research in advance there's an online map here<BR><BR>http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/maps/submap.htm<BR><BR>Basics: Express lines are sometimes faster but stop only at major stops, not every stop. Locals stop everywhere. Black dots by stations stops on the map mean locals stop there only - white dots mean express and locals both stop. If you get on an express and it takes you too far (past your desired stop), just get off, walk up or down the stairs to cross over to the other side of the tracks and take the local back to your stop. You can generally do this from within the station. <BR><BR>Get a one week uinlimited ride metrocard at vending machine with your credit card or debit card. To swipe, make sure the card is flat in the swiping slot and slide forward in one smooth motion, not too fast or slow. Just watch a few people do it - it's very easy but I've seen tourists (and non-tourists!) become frustrated when they keep reswiping too fast, too slow or at an angle and it doesn't read the card. When you swipe an unlimited ride card, the system automatically prevents you from swiping it again for about 20 minutes. This is important to know because at a few stations where there is no manned fare booth, you may find a vertical cylindrical gate rather than a turnstile. The card gets swiped the same way but when you push the turnstile you must push through in one continuous motion - if you push a bit, stop momentarily and then push a bit more it will not let you through unless you reswipe (which you can't do for 20 minutes with the unlimited card!). Not a big deal but I've seen some inexperienced riders puzzled and frustrated by this.<BR><BR>Lost and trying to find a subway station? Follow Broadway, Lexington or 7th Ave/8th Ave on foot uptown or downtown and you'll find one sooner or find a major cross street such as 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, 59th etc and walk toward the center of town - you'll find one.<BR><BR>Safety: remarkably safe - just use common sense. Best to ride with a companion after 1 AM or so if you're a single woman (have not heard of problems but it's just good common sense). Late at night if waiting for a train it's sensible to use a station where there's a manned toll booth if possible. If you're the nervous type and there's no one else on the platform (extremely unlikely as these are busy subways), stand where you're within eyesight of the booth if you can do so. Another basic precaution is don't stand on the edge of the platform in the yellow area until the train arrives (that's why it's yellow - you're not supposed to stand there). Literally millions of people ride the NYC subways every day and incidents are far and few between. It's a fantastic wasy to get around and you'll adapt to it quickly. <BR><BR>Also... keep the 7 train and the E train in mind as good ways to get across town rather than using buses - it can be a much faster.

If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you may download maps at<BR>http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mta/maps.htm<BR>but better yet, get printed copies by writing to MTA at<BR>MTA Maps &amp; Schedules<BR>370 Jay St<BR>Brooklyn, NY 11201<BR>You need to send a separate SASE for each map you request. Get &quot;The Map&quot;, &quot;Manhattan Bus&quot; and optionally &quot;Queens Bus&quot;<BR><BR>Also check the &quot;knowledge base&quot; at http://mta-nyc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/mta_nyc.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php<BR><BR>Please don't call them by the colors you see on the map, there is no &quot;red line&quot; ... etc.<BR><BR>Are you flying into town?<BR>Have a great trip ... lots of people will be helpful, and there's nothing like experience to learn the system - remember, you can always get off the train and return if you went the wrong way.<BR><BR><BR>

All the advice you're getting is good.<BR><BR> But : I am not sure the E is a crosstown train, and I know that the L is one, at 14th Street.<BR><BR> If possible, learn or note the crosstown bus streets, especially Houston, 14, 23, 34, 42. Crosstown buses are really important I think in getting around efficiently. These streets will do it for you in most areas you'll want to go to. <BR><BR> Safety: if you are nervous another thing to do is -- stand fairly far back as train pulls in, and watch for the car with the conductor sticking his head out of his little window -- then make a dash for that car &amp; ride in it, as you are safe in his car. (Reason to stand a bit back, so you have room to run if necessary without hitting people.)

The E train is not technically a cross town train but I use it that way all the time. I get the E at Port Authority ans take it to 51st and Lex or 53rd and Park depending on where I'm going. If I need to transfer to get uptown on the 4,5 or 6 I get off at lex. If I haver business appointments in the lower Park Ave area (a common occurrence) I get off at 53rd. It goes to Queens after that but for my needs it's a great crosstown train - much faster, easier and simpler than hiking through the tunnels to 43rd and getting the shuttle to GCT.

Thanks to all of you for your great replies! You have been very helpful. I went to the bookstore today and got a new map. I'll be sure to study. Thanks again for the help.

I would recommend downloading the .pdf map from the website. Many of those bookstore maps are out of date. And, if you have Acrobat Reader 5.0, you can &quot;crop&quot; the sections you'll need, print on a sheet of paper, fold up and tuck in your pocket.<BR><BR>Also, learn the difference when reading the maps between a local stop and express stop. Otherwise, you can easily overshoot your destination by a long ways. <BR><BR>And, you have to look carefully at the stops on each line. Sometimes a line &quot;appears&quot; to have a stop where there isn't one if you're not careful.

Owen thank you about the E train!! I have never done what you said and now I will!

If you get off at the wrong stop or take the wrong train you will often find transit police on the platforms who will point you in the right direction.

All the previous tips are spot on. One other thing, beware of weekends. There are always schedule and/or route changes on weekends for track work and maintenance. There will be signs posted in the station entances, but it can get confusing at times, even for natives.

You're welcome Elizabeth... I'd never given the uptown E much thought until I had to make a few doctor's visits to an office near the Guggenheim. His staff knew I was coming in from NJ and suggested it - it's SO much easier than the other ways I used to cross town.

Hi travelchick, here are a couple of websites that are really informative as they contain various links to other sites.<BR><BR>http://www.nycsubway.org/transfer/transfer1.html<BR><BR>http://www.subwaywebnews.com/web_links.htm<BR><BR>I realize that you stated you want to use the subway but,in addition to the subway, I would also highly recommend taking the bus. You will see more attractions on a bus and can use the same Metrocard. It may be a little slower but the crosstown busses are great because you can go from the East Side to West Side (and vice versa) and some of the uptown crosstown busses go through Central Park which is very pretty. Also, many avenues don't have a subway line and it's easier to hop a bus than walk over to the closest train station.<BR><BR>Cabs are expensive so you are right to use public transportation. Have fun.

One important aspect of terminology you need to understand: uptown and downtown. These words can refer to both a section of town as well as a location relative to your own at a given moment. This becomes more important to understand when you are taking a subway that has separate uptown and downtown entrances. Subways entrances have signs featuring the train line (1,2,3,N,R,B) as well as &quot;Uptown&quot; and/or &quot;Downtown&quot; designations. <BR><BR>So while you may be staying somewhere considered &quot;downtown&quot; (for example, 23rd St), to return there from further south (example, Battery Park), you take an Uptown train.<BR><BR>Most subways stop at the same cross streets through midtown Manhattan. It is on or near these cross streets that you will find the crosstown buses.

travelchick:<BR><BR>www.mta.info for maps and directions.<BR><BR>The fare is going up as of May 4 so be prepared. Metrocards will still be your best bet.<BR>Enjoy your stay in NYC!

Let me say that I've used subways in Tokyo, Paris, Stockholm, Prague, Vienna, Munich, London, Singapore, and others, and the New York one is still the most difficult to navigate, even though I speak the language. But stick with it and master it you will!!!

A couple of things to remember: 1) do not go outside of manhattan, the subway lines all wind up in other boroughs if you stay on them long enough, but its dangerous and there is nothing to see there. 2) The museum of natural history is on 81st street that should be as far uptown as you go for safety purposes. The island of manhattan is really easy the street numbers increase as you go uptown from 1st to the 200's. Below first street its pretty confusing with street names and direction. The avenues increase from first to twelfth as you go west or from th east river to the hudson. Have fun a e-mail NYC metro for a map, they will send it to you for free.

Gee, and there I was feeling perfectly safe when I went to Queens to see the Picasso/Matisse exhibit at MOMA, or to Brooklyn to the Brooklyn Museum of Art and Botanical Gardens, or headed way uptown to the Cloisters. I do hope you're kidding len. There are plenty of things to see in NYC outside of Manhattan.

I still think for a visitor Brooklyn, Queens and the bronx are unnecessary. MOMA is in mid-town manhattan isnt it? As far as art why go all the way to brooklyn unless you have alrady visited the gugenheim, the met the MOMA and all the SOHO galleries.

MoMA's midtown location is closed through 2005 for renovation. Until that time it has been relocated to Long Island City, Queens. I've always thought one of the biggest mistakes that tourists to the city make is to spend too much time in Manhattan. The ethnic neighborhoods of the outer boroughs are one of the things that make New York what it is. It's really ashamed to miss out on that.

I loved going to Brighton Beach and Coney Island (it was so cool to see the amusement park that everyone my age knew about but never went to when we were young. Also, a Mets game at Shea and a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium. <BR><BR>Also, RE subway terms - be sure you know if the train is a local or an express. You may find yourself looking at the 34th Street stop on your line as you go whizzing by, only to have to get off at the next stop and catch a local back to your desired station.

What about the mole people? Don't you have to wAZtch out for them? I've read in the past here on Fodors that you have to. Books say they are an underworld society of tribal bands bonded by mutual alienation of 'surface dwellers'. They live in the subway tunnels far far far far FAR underground and never see the light of day. They can sneak on a subway platform though from below so watch out for your ankles as they pull themselves up from the depths.

I'd argue that there is no reason to go outside Manhattan and that it is dangerous to do so. We had a great time at Coney Island on Memorial Day --eating our Nathan's Hot Dogs and walking the boardwalk. And we loved going up to the Bronx for the huge park and botanical gardens. Hope to do more in the future.

Hmmm. That post is a little misleading. As you should be able to tell, I meant I'd argue AGAINST the statement that there is no reason to go outside of Manhattan.

Len, if it's so dangerous outside Manhattan and there's nothing to see, why are there so many #$&amp;! double-decker tour buses passing my home in Brooklyn?

Manhattan is very safe these days, but certain AREAS of the outer boroughs can be trouble spots. Coney Island was once downright dangerous and it's still pretty dodgy, as are certain areas of Harlem and the Bronx. That's no reason not to visit, but it is important that you be aware that you're not in Kansas anymore.<BR><BR>Same with the subway: riding around town is fine, and even though where you're going outside Manhattan is safe, be aware that a few stops along the way might not be.<BR><BR>

Suzanne- as a native New yorker I can not for the life of me understand why someone would spend their vacation time on a double decker bus in Brooklyn. I suppose if shopping at FAO shwartz and Sacks 5th followed by dinner at the Tavern on the Green or Four Seasons was not good enough, bargain hunting at Kings Plaza and a Flatbush ave curried goat meal would certainly satisfy the finickiest of travelers.

Len, if a visitor followed your advice they'd never see:<BR><BR>The largest Gothic Cathedral in the world (St John the Divine located at 111th st and Amsterdam)<BR><BR>The amazing view of Manhattan from the promenade in Brooklyn Heights (or any other borough edge offering a view)<BR><BR>The Staten Island ferry - gotta be the cheapest way to get out on the water by FAR<BR><BR>Some fascinating &quot;real people&quot; neighborhoods<BR><BR>The Brooklyn Botanical Garden<BR><BR>The World's Fair site and park<BR><BR>A NY team baseball game <BR><BR>....this native NYer could go on and on but you get the point I think :)

len,<BR><BR>do you currently live in nyc? i'm guessing not since you didn't know MOMA was in Queens. It was pretty hard to miss that news.<BR><BR>Honestly, there's plenty to do in Manhattan, and many people who live in Manhattan feel there's no reason to leave either. But, if you're a tourist who's seen a lot of Manhattan, I think it's an admirable and worthwhile effort to see the various neighborhoods within Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. <BR><BR>We've gotten dreadfully off topic, and poor travelchick probably has more than enough advice. On that note, I can only hope that she enjoys our wonderful city...no matter which part she ends up visiting.

&gt;&gt;I still think for a visitor Brooklyn, Queens and the bronx are unnecessary. <BR><BR> I guess you're one of those guys who has 10 locks on his door and stays in the apartment all day. Are you crazy? What kind of advice is that? So much of Manhattan is meant only FOR tourists, so I think tourists would enjoy seeing how REAL New Yorkers live.

Just purchase a subway &amp; bus map in any bookstore &amp; a metrocard (prices increase in May but still a bargain). And your hotel concierge can assist too.

Question about the metrocard - Is it one Metrocard per person? On the multi-day use card, if it scans one person and will not scan again for about 20 minutes, as a previous poster stated, then two people who are traveling together cannot share a card, is that correct? So two people who are traveling together must each have their own card (or give the other person a 20-minute head start!)? Is that correct?

Have not been in NYC since subway tokens were discontinued. Thanks for any advice!

Mary Kay

Yes, you are correct. Two people cannot share an unlimited ride Metro card. (But of course they can share a pay-per-ride card, which never expires.)

Purchase a $20 card, and you get 2 free rides ($24 value).

marykay:

The &quot;unlimited ride&quot; MetroCards are used by one person and are available in one-day, one-week, and one-month denominations. With this card you can transfer at will from bus to subway and subway to bus and bus to bus. (There is a time delay, about 20 minutes as you state, to deter use by more than one person.) The one-day card is not a 24-hour card. It runs out at 3AM the day after you first use it. So if you first use it at 11PM, you will get only 4 hours of use. The one-day unlimited card costs $7, so on your fourth ride of the day, you will be saving money since a single fare is $2. If you will be riding less often, a regular MetroCard may be the better choice and can be shared.

You can also get a &quot;regular&quot; MetroCard, on which you purchase a set number of fares. Since the rate increase, for every five fares you buy, an additional fare is placed on the card. So pay $10, get 5 fares plus 1 free fare; pay $20, get 10 plus 2. The regular MetroCards have no time limit. (Maybe they are outdated after a year.) This card can be shared by up to four people. For each fare paid, you get one free transfer--subway to bus, bus to subway, or uptown/dowtown bus to crosstown bus. The card will keep track of the four transfers.

You can buy the cards from machines in subway stations using cash, credit cards, and debit cards. The token booth will also sell regular MetroCards for whatever amount you want to spend.