This is a small sample of what the subway cars looked like in the 1970’s. It’s come a long way.
Still, the stations you see in the most visited parts of Manhattan are a far cry from some of the more remote stations in the other boroughs. There are still a lot of dark, dirty, graffiti covered dumps in the system.
I’ve lived in NY all my life, except for a few years. Yes, it was really bad here in the 70s and 80s. It was horrible. But it’s nothing like that now. It really is safe, except for some rough neighborhoods that are really pretty much off the beaten path (unless you’re unfortunate enough to be poor in NYC, and live there, which really, really sucks).
You can walk through the park. You can walk all over the city. I’ve walked all over town (and not just in Manhattan) with my out-of-town nieces and nephews without ever worrying about their safey (although it was a lot of work to convince their mother that it was OK).
I have to say how impressed I was with the Bangkok subway (and skytrain) when I spent a couple of months there a few years ago.
It was clean and quiet and safe, and at least when I was there, always worked and ran on time.
I liked the buses, too.
Seriously, other than 34th St’s function as my Escherian nemesis and the environmental conditions underground in mid/late Summer, the NY Subway reliably and safely takes me where I need to go when I need to go there and now and then throws in something just to keep us alert.
And it’s fascinating that the dystopian vision of NYC has been so memorable even a quarter century into the course correction.
I think it is because it has worked its way so memorably into movies and magazines of the time.
My co-worker was a witness to that.
I moved to New York from the DC area and found the trains very easy to figure out. I have been tripped up by the N and the R, but it was my own fault for not making sure I knew where I was going.
I think the stations are pretty clearly marked as are the exits (NW, SW, etc.) In some stations (the stop for the 1 at 137th St for example) the map is on the actual platform, but they’re usually outside where the metro card machines are.
As others have mentioned, nothing wrong with checking a map. I look at maps sometimes and I’ve lived here for nearly 6 years.
I’m not sure what it is, but I get motion sickness on the DC metro (not full on barfing, but I’m very uncomfortable) whereas I don’t have a problem on the NYC subway. It’s odd.
You could probably put London in that group too. With no geographical confinements to contend with, the systems simply grew out in a seemingly haphazard way. It’s a lot like what we did with roads in L.A. during the previous century. That said, I found the Berlin and Paris metros quite user-friendly, and the latter even though I speak very little French.
I haven’t experienced the New York subway, but I think there’s one aspect of it I’d have a little trouble getting used to: it’s my impression that you usually have to make sure you use the correct station entrance in order to get to the platform you need. Elsewhere you can usually reach all the platforms no matter where you enter the station.
No, you can reach any platform from any entrance most of the time. The only exception is some small single-line stations where you can’t reverse directions without going outside. In those cases the entrance will clearly say e.g. “Downtown Only.”
The card is actually $5 and comes preloaded with $5 in fares. It also saves 20¢ per ride (35¢ for express) vs. cash.
Free bus-to-bus transfers ended on 4 January 2009.
I don’t think he’s that old.
(I was the first class in the new building, but I did have the pleasure of spending some time at Beth Israel, and Union Square seems like it would be a bit of a hike.)
“This place is not especially dangerous, and rather pleasant” isn’t going top be all that memorable, no.
I miss the old Union Square station with enormous snaking tunnels coming up from the L. I always wished I could ride a bike through them.
Stuyvesant HS transfer from F at 14th St.
We actually did! 
Funny, 1993? me too.
Best user name/response of the year.
Has graffiti just declined in general? I know better than to assert so off of only my experience, but I just see a lot less now than I used to (and I did not move into a gated suburb).
Now, as Murphy’s Law dictates, I’m going to spy dozens of fresh examples on the bus ride home. But I’d be interested if anyone knows anything reliable about the incidence of graffiti.
A lot of municipalities have cracked down on graffiti. There are some trains and buses and such that have some kind of anti-graffiti coating.
Also, in New York, the “quality of life” efforts include wiping out any graffiti as soon as it appears. So that’s a reason why you see a lot less.
There has been a deliberate, concerted effort to eliminate graffiti in the subway system since the mid-1990s. It started with aggressively painting over older cars and ordering newer ones in paint-resistant stainless steel. They also started being very aggressive about cleaning off and repainting and re-tiling stations. The goal was to not allow graffiti to gain a foothold ever again.
In general they’ve been quite successful. You don’t see stuff like this anymore. The major challenge now appears to be “scratchiti,” where dolts etch their names into car windows with knives.
Ah, no, first class in the new building all four years, so '96.
So many Stuy people here. Perhaps I should rethink my participation in SDMB…
Bangkok’s skytrain and subway are good. Unfortunately, it will be many years before planned extensions make them comprehensive. Most places in the city you just can’t get to using them. Buses can be good, but I just take taxis anymore these days.
That used to be my stop too. I lived on Austin St.
Ride the subway almost every day. Yes, the platforms need more maps.
It is a remarkable system.
