How do I use the subway in NYC?

November 20, 2005 6:12 PM

How can I find the best resources for travel in New York City?

I've Google searched, I've looked, I've scoured, I'm stumped.

I've been to NYC a couple of times. I am going back for business in December. Usually, I use the Subway to get around, but I've typically been on the 1-2 Subway line between hotel and work, and haven't done as much exploring, or at least as much as I would like to have.

Between the MTA site and other sites, the subway system is confusing me. Is there a resource to a good way to travel the subways, and find the routes I need.

As an example, I'm a fitness guy, and my membership is to Gold's gym. I would like to go to the Gold's while I am there, but it is about 1.5 miles from my Hotel (going from Penn Station to 54th Street).

Any help appreciated. Also... for your New Yorkers, anything I should definitely see while I am there?

posted by benjh to travel & transportation (14 comments total)

Hop Stop is the coolest way to find the best subway route to where you're going.

I'd also suggest looking for the three gazillion askmes about NY travel.
posted by CunningLinguist at 6:16 PM on November 20, 2005

Ask for a free map in any subway station booth.
posted by sd at 6:33 PM on November 20, 2005

If you've got a PDA or Symbian celphone, the application Métro is really handy for getting around to tourist-ish sites.
posted by Orb2069 at 6:34 PM on November 20, 2005

As sd says, get the free map, but if your problem is trying to match up locations on the map with locations on the street grid, also ask for a bus map which has a far greater number of labeled streets.

Don't be afraid to ask for directions.
posted by miniape at 6:53 PM on November 20, 2005

I've always wanted to try a DynaMap - maybe this would be helpful for you. But it looks like they're out of stock.

When I was in NYC I bought a $4 subway map that folded to the size of a credit card. I kept it in my pocket at all times and by the end of my week there I could unfold it, figure out where I was and where I was going, and put it away in under ten seconds.

The subway system is confusing at first but after a day or two of zipping around the city, you get the hang of it.
posted by PercussivePaul at 6:54 PM on November 20, 2005

I have to ask -- you're a "fitness guy" but you want our help avoiding a walk of a mile and a half?
posted by AmbroseChapel at 7:00 PM on November 20, 2005

Between the MTA site and other sites, the subway system is confusing me. Is there a resource to a good way to travel the subways, and find the routes I need.

Well, the map tells you well enough which station is nearest where you want to get. The basic idea is that there are lines going north and south which carry the bulk of the traffic, and a number of other lines which carry the cross traffic. The 42nd St. Shuttle is essential to many trips. Key lines have express and local trains, and you want to use the express to get as far as possible as fast as possible (obviously), with the exception of short trips, when the wait for an express can exceed the time saved (or at least the hassle). Just get an idea of where you want to get to, and have an idea of the lines that will take you there.

Get a sense for the important connectors -- pretty much Times Square, Grand Central Terminal, Union Square, and so on. Then you start to think in seven-league jumps: Take this train to Union Square, then get on a local going south. Etc.

As for navigating the actual subway stations, that is an exercise historically noted as a rite of passage for Newb Yorkers. They have nifty iconic signage, but MTA policies require that it be two or three years out of date.
posted by dhartung at 7:35 PM on November 20, 2005

I have to ask -- you're a "fitness guy" but you want our help avoiding a walk of a mile and a half?

Ok, that's a bad example. But it was just an example. :-)
posted by benjh at 7:40 PM on November 20, 2005

The basic principle is to get a map, and look for the most direct subway line from somewhere near where you are to somewhere near where you want to go. The easiest trip will not necessarily allow you to use the closest station at either end. For example, depending on where along 54th St. you want to go, it might be best to walk a block to Herald Square for an F or V train rather than use one of the trains that goes through Penn Station. You need to be prepared to walk a half mile or so at each end; it'll save you an hour or more transferring from one train to another, and you'll get to see more of the city that way. People walk a lot in NYC.

Life's too short to stand on a Manhattan bus watching the pedestrians zoom by. If there's not a convenient train, get a cab; they don't cost THAT much. If you're lost or worried you've entered a sketchy neighborhood, get a cab.

On a weekend, the playful pranksters at the MTA like to have their little jokes with the schedules. Check www.mta.info for the service advisories, but if you're staying in Manhattan they won't screw around with you too much.

But in direct answer to your question, the best resource is experience. Ask a Noo Yawker; they're friendlier than they look.
posted by nowonmai at 9:20 PM on November 20, 2005

The synonyms of the MTA:
Uptown=Queens Bound=Bronx Bound=to 207=to Jamaica, and sometimes even Manhattan bound when you're already in Manhattan!
Downtown=Brooklyn bound, to Far Rockaway, to JFK, Coney Island bound, and sometimes even Manhattan bound when you're already in Manhattan! Basically, it's a good idea to know what Boro you're train is headed towards, and what the last stop is, if you want to avoid confusion.

There's always The Straphangers Campaign for advisory notices.

And yeah, you end up walking a lot, which is how you find all the good trash.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 9:51 PM on November 20, 2005

Seconding HopStop. It will show you buses and subway routes. Also, google local shows MTA subway stations on its maps.

The best way to explore any city, however, would probably be to walk. Or buy a day pass and randomly ride on the subways and trains all day.
posted by hooray at 10:00 PM on November 20, 2005

Also: Several different trains can share one "line". F'r instance, the N/R/Q/W trains all run (roughly) underneath Broadway (in Manhattan. that is) and are collectively thought of as the Broadway line. They're all color-coded yellow on signage and on the map. (N.B.: They're not thought of as "the yellow line", a la DC or Boston; asking a New Yorker for that will produce a blank look.)

However, the N/R/Q/W trains are
posted by Vidiot at 2:47 AM on November 21, 2005

I have to ask -- you're a "fitness guy" but you want our help avoiding a walk of a mile and a half?

You've already acknowledged the "bad example" aspect of this, but seriously, my favorite way to get around the city is to walk, and unless you're going more than a couple of miles I don't see why you wouldn't prefer that as well. It's far and away the best way to get familiar with the city, and you'll always be noticing new things as you retrace old paths.

And what dhartung said about the stations; I knew I was a real New Yorker the day I found I could navigate the Times Square station without having to stop and orient myself.
posted by languagehat at 7:17 AM on November 21, 2005

A very useful small (and inexpensive) paperback book that will fit in purse or backpack:

Not For Tourists Guide to New York City 2006

Despite its title, a hip tourist would find it TREMENDOUSLY useful... detailed maps of neighborhoods, with subway stops, bus routes and many other features of interest clearly marked. Directories of restaurants, theaters, nightlife, major shopping destinations etc. etc. with addresses and phone numbers.

Check out the web site for sample maps; the book can be purchased at Amazon or any online bookstore as well as through the Not For Tourists site. It would definitely facilitate exploring the city, and friends I have recommended it to (or bought copies for) have loved it.
posted by enrevanche at 11:54 AM on November 21, 2005