#nyc native

So the most important thing you need to know for the whole MTA system is that everything is very self-explanatory, if you read the signs. MTA gets that tourists pass by every day, so they’ve made the process very straightforward. It’s like at the airport. Signs will tell you explicitly where to get a card, what train is arriving, and where those trains are heading, etc. Please just read them.

First, figuring out which train is closest to your destination. If you go to the MTA website, they have a map of the entire system. If you can’t get access to wifi, just find some souvenir shop nearby because they will most likely be selling mugs, wallets, shirts, and dildos with the map printed somewhere on it. So.

Let’s say that your destination is Bedford Ave in Brooklyn, because ur a cool hipster, then you’re going to have to take the L train. Now, a rule of thumb to remember is that Times Square is the centerpiece of the MTA system, so most trains pass by there. However, the L train is one of the few that don’t. How do you know? It’s simple enough to see it on the map, but a pro tip that I actually didn’t know until a few months ago is that under each dot on the map is a list of all the trains that stop at that stop. So at Times Square, it says N・Q・R・S・W・1・2・3・7 under it in really small print. And yes, in case you were wondering that does mean that free transfers are available at that stop to any of those trains. Once a train comes rumbling into the station, it’s common practice to stick your head out onto the tracks to see which train it is; it says right on the front and on all the sides.

Second, figuring out how to transfer. The 1 train is Columbia’s b*tch because we have a stop dedicated to the school, that stops right in front of the Broadway gates. And I mean right in front of the gates. So it’s quite obvious which train you’ll be most likely taking. However, not all of your destinations during your time here will end on the 1 line. For instance, getting to Bedford Ave means that you’ll be transferring at least once between trains. To figure out how and where to transfer, just look back at the map, and see where the 1 train interesects with the train you need to take. If it doesn’t intersect, try to find a connecting line, which means you’ll be transferring twice. Etc etc. So for Bedford, you’d take the 1 down to 14th St, and transfer to the L. 

Be sure the lines intersect at a dot, or else you won’t actually be able to transfer there. If you look at the map, you’ll see that the L doesn’t actually stop where the 1 stops. However, there’s a black line that connects the 1 stop to the L stop. These lines mean that you can transfer from stop to stop, underground. The 1-L transfer is one of the longest transfers underground, because you have to walk a whole avenue over, but underground. So keep an eye out for these. They’re also free.

Express

Now, there are a variety of lines that all have different colors, but just because you found the right line doesn’t mean you found the right train. For example, the red line is what you’ll probably be most comfortable with during your time at Columbia, but the red line is home to the 1, 2, and 3 trains. So we call it 1/2/3 for short (most people never actually use the colors to name lines). What you need to find out is first, which trains actually take you to the right place, like how the 1 ends in South Ferry whereas the 2 and 3 cross over into Brooklyn, and second, what trains run local versus express.

“Express” means that these trains don’t actually do all the stops on their line. For the 1/2/3, the 1 runs local, and the 2 and 3 run express. And these don’t ever change, for any line, so the 2 and 3 will never stop running express unless there’s an explicit announcement (usually because of construction). So from 116th, the 1 will stop 2 times before it hits 96th, and another 2 before 72nd. The 2 and 3, however, will go straight from 96th to 72nd. As in, you won’t be able to get off the train until then. These kinds of stops (96th, 72nd, Times Square, etc.) are called transfer stops because that’s where you transfer to and from the local line. Stick to the 1 if you’re new, but using the 2/3 usually makes time go faster.

Sometimes it is faster but you have to time it well, otherwise you could end up on the same 1 train you left, or worse, waiting for the next one, losing time. So it’s a tossup, and usually people wait to see if the express is arriving when they pull into the station. Only the well-seasoned subbers can time their arrival exactly so that they shave precious minutes off their commute. When in doubt, stick to the local.

How to know which trains are running express? Again, read the signs. If it doesn’t say on the ceiling, try listening to the announcements. If it’s been 7 minutes and you hear nothing, just ask the employee behind the booth.

Exiting

This is especially important on a crowded car, but the stop before your stop you should be working towards the doors. You will not get out of the car in time if you just move at the moment the train pulls into the station. For example, if you have to transfer to the 2 at 96th, you should “pretend” to get out at 103rd, so that you are right by the doors by the time 96th comes up.

You exit the station just by going through the same turnstiles that let people in. It’s free, I promise. You can also use those giant revolving-door-like ones, they always work. For the most part, don’t use the emergency doors unless they’re already open.

Also? Be sure to check your map before you exit the station to check that you’re at the right stop. If you do this too late, you might have to pay again just to get back in the system. Don’t go through a turnstile if you mean to be transferring.

The Buses

To cross Manhattan you have two options. You can either transfer from train to train, which you’ll learn how to do eventually, or you can take the crosstown buses.

Crossing by train is a bitch because the earliest you can do it is at Times Square. The shortest and easiest way is to take the 1/2/3 down to Times Square, then transfer to the Q. But again, that takes way too long. So you have another option: the crosstown buses.

The crosstown buses are mysterious. I’ve never used one yet. I’ve never seen one, because I’ve never been at a point where one might pass by. Their lives and my life are very much independent. (Edit: as a mature grown up I have now taken the buses several times. That doesn’t change the fact that they’re still fukn wild.) That being said, they’re dead useful when you need to do things like go to the Met. See, the magic of the buses is this: it’s all considered one round of traveling. So you don’t pay again.

For example, say you need to get to the Met. Taking the train means you’d either have to actually get out of the subway system downtown, and then pay again to get on the appropriate train, or you’d have to get out of the subway and walk across Central Park.

But if you take the train? A walk in the park! You get off the 1 somewhere along Central Park, usually at 86th, and then wait for the M86 bus, which, you guessed it, stops at 86th. At the bus stop is a meter where you get a receipt that acts as your ticket. This is the important part: make sure you use the same card that you did to get on the subway. That way, you don’t end up paying twice, because they register the fact that you were in the subway system in the past two hours. It still costs $2.75 one way. Once that’s done, you just cross Central Park, and the bus should drop you off like a block away from the Met steps. V convenient.

Pro tip: bus drivers are forbidden by law to stop you if you don’t pay the fee. (because they used to get assaulted by gang members) So feel free to just walk on. Sometimes there are undercover cops on the buses but if u wanna risk it just go for it.

Cutting Steps

Okay, so all this was to help you have a firm grasp on MTA and know for sure what you’re doing. But. There’s really no need to do this all by hand every single time you go out. We can shorten this into two steps, if you trust me and Google. Which you should.

1. Search up directions on Google Maps just like you would back home. There’s sections for walking, car, and biking. However, in NYC there’s an added section for traveling by public transit, and the icon looks like a train from the front. It’ll tell you all the trains/buses you’ll have to take in the trip, and once you click it’ll also tell you specifically what stops to get on and off at, as named by MTA itself (that is to say, not just the street number).

2. So that you’re not waiting forever (particularly for buses, they can be really random), I highly recommend downloading the MTA app. It’s called Transit and tells you all the buses and trains running close to you, as well as how far away they are from your stop. So for example if you’re waiting for the 1 train, the app can tell you when the train’s arriving. It’ll also give you real-time notifications about when trains skip stops or aren’t running or are doing anything, honestly, outside of the norm. Incidentally you can also use it as a GPS for directions like Google Maps but I didn’t know that until just now. Since I downloaded it it’s been dead useful; it’s really one of those things you start using and then have no idea how you survived before.

So, hopefully this has given you a pretty comprehensive view of how to use the subway. It’s pretty important to get to know the system because it’s your main tool in getting to know the city. I didn’t go out into the city for almost my entire first year because I didn’t feel comfortable with the subway. But now, here I am, almost a pro. To conclude this post, I’ll be topping it off with a list of vocab so you sound like a natural.

Vocab

MTA

stands for Metropolitan something. Just the name for the subway system. Use it as a proper noun, so don’t say “I’m taking the MTA,” but say “I’m taking the subway.” Instead you would use it like this: “A thirty minute delay? Fuck the MTA!” Don’t say “Fuck the subway!” Makes no sense.

fare

how much a single ride costs. which is $2.75 as of right now.

turnstile

the thing you have to swipe past in order to get into the station. I know you know what a turnstile is.

hopping

jumping over or, God forbid, crawling under a turnstile. Pretty badass, saves time and money, but why pay $100 when you could just pay $2.75 and 14 extra seconds?

transfer

to get off on train and catch another instead of exiting the system.

line

the group of trains on one certain color. For example, the “red line” is called the 1/2/3 line, the “yellow line” is called the Q/N/R/W line, etc.

local

trains that stop at every single stop on the line. usually 5-10 blocks between each of these stops; they’re pretty time-sucking.

express

trains that only stop at the white dots on the MTA map. About 20 blocks are in between these stops. which is a mile.

car

the individual compartment of the train you end up in. you can actually hop from car to car, even when the train is moving, by using the doors at either end of the car.

uptown and downtown

pretty self-explanatory, but take the uptown if your destination is north of where you are, and take the downtown if your destination is south of where you are.

M86 (or anything that begins with M, Bk, Bx, Q, or S)

these are above-ground buses. The M stands for Manhattan, and you can guess the rest.

Thanks for making it to the end! For those of you that just skipped here, here’s a TL;DR. And keep reading afterwards for tips and etiquette you really need to know.

TL;DR

Put $20 on a refillable card.

Read the signs in the subway!!!

Times Square is the centerpiece of the MTA system.

The MTA map lists all the trains at each stop under the dots in small font.

When in doubt, choose the local train over the express.

The buses are free to use within 2 hours of you taking the subway.

Buses are free 24/7 if you’re a fuckin G

Download Transit because it literally saves lives. I mean, it lets you know when there’s been a bombing in Port Authority. Which happened.

Tips and Etiquette

Don’t stare. At anyone in the car. I don’t care if they’re actively vaping in this motherfucking closed car, three feet from your face. True story. Don’t care, don’t stare.

The largest red flag in New York City is an empty car. Sure, the first ones will be less full just because people rarely walk that far on the platform. But otherwise, if you are in the middle of the station and the car that stops in front of you has two people, whereas all the others are jam-packed, run for the closest one that is full. I learned this lesson the hard way, but luckily the only reason mine was empty was because there was no AC. So much worse could happen.

Let the people get OFF the damn car before you get on. Jesus christ.

Don’t try to force a car door open. It won’t open, because the doors are manually opened and closed by the conductor. You could be seriously hurt.

If your shit isn’t working, at the card booth, at the turnstile, or anywhere, step to the side. Don’t keep trying, especially if people are behind you. Try again when people stop coming.

Maintain a brisk pace even if you’ve arrived at your stop, because many subbers have timed their commute so that they need to catch this transfer right now. Don’t get in their way.

Once you step into the car, take off your backpack. It takes up a lot of space on your back.

If you’re sitting down and people leave, creating more space on one side of you whereas your other side is flanked by strangers, scoot over. It’s not rude, it’s courteous of their personal space.

Do NOT face the person sitting down if you’re standing holding the bar in front of them. Angle your body a lil bit and blankly stare out the window or at the ads.

Don’t feel compelled to give money to any of the performers you see, either at the stop or in the actual cars. I know it feels wrong, but you won’t be able to afford giving money out all the time. Because believe me, there are a lot of them.

Hold on to something. It’s extremely rude to fall on someone because the train jolted, even if you apologize profusely. Don’t lean on doors, don’t lean on poles, don’t stand there and think that your stance distributes your weight in a balanced way, just grab a pole like a normal person.

About hopping. The uptown 110th stop on the 1 train (which is right in front of Westside) is a good place to practice because there are no guards at all. If you really need to, 116th is also good bc the guards are rarely at an angle convenient to see you. But be careful, because sometimes incognito police are waiting right in front of the turnstiles at 116th, lookin like regular people.