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NYC: Subway Lines
Subway Showdown: The nation's most populated city needs a world class public transit system. But instead, all we have is the MTA.
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De 4-sterrenreview van Jando: There are plenty of trains I loathe but there are only a handful that I love. The D Train, in all of its 1980s-orangey-old-school-smelly glory, has become one of my favorites over the past few years. Sure it's not perfect, but perfection is not a mark achievable by anything remotely MTA related. So 4 stars it is for the D and my never ending kudos for it. In short, it is reliable. Seldom do trains adhere to schedule (see the G, 1, 7, or N), but the D has been surprisingly punctual per the MTA trip planner listed times. In a move that will surely jinx myself, I haven't yet encountered any major train issues (service problems, broken cars, train delays, etc.) yet. Even the crazies / bums are relatively behaved on this line. The route, which goes between Stillwell Ave in Coney Island and the 205th Station in the Bronx, is as good as they come. Express from 125th to 59th? So fast even the mariachi panhandlers can't finish Guantamera. A short trip to Harlem from Midtown? Ain't no thang but a Charles fried chicken (http://www.yelp.com/biz/charles-country-pan-fried-chicken-new-york) wang. Herald square to west 4th in a straight shot? Union square is oh-so-insignificant. And of course, braving the entire ride to the edge of Brooklyn in Coney Island is so easy, a caveman can do it. (#1) As they say in school, Ds get degrees, but in this case the D passes with flying ... orange ... colors. ____________ (#1) I just saved 15% by switching to Geico and checking in on Yelp. -
De 4-sterrenreview van Jando: The W train can best be described as a train with an identity crisis. Nearly every time I saw one coming, I always thought it was an R train or a N train, but almost never a W. It doesn't get any easier now that the new R160s are becoming W trains (as they just look like N trains), but it's nice to see the lines improving with newer cars. What makes the W train a winner in my book is its route. It hits a range of key points in Manhattan and Queens. It is like the 6, except slightly slower, less frequent, but but not limited to the east / west / central areas. From Queens to midtown to downtown before eventually ending up near the World Trade Center. Strangely enough, I've never had air conditioning problems on any of the W trains. The R, 1, N, E have all had their shares of oven-like conditions in various broken cars, but never have I experienced this on a W train. It could very well be just luck since most cars are recycled interchangeably, but nonetheless the W is always a good train. Hence, it's a shame the MTA is now getting rid of it. Not that it was a line that many people paid attention to anyway, but the folks who liked its local stops will now have to transfer in someway to get where they need to be. Long live the W, a martyr line for the MTA. -
De 4-sterrenreview van Jando: A forever express train in Manhattan? Sign me up. This is easily one of the most dependable trains in the city. It runs fairly often, is clean, and getting from Central Park to Coney Island can be a flat 30 minutes during peak hours. I have waited many times for R/W/N trains to show up only to see the Q whiz right on by like it ain't no thang. Union Square is 3 stops away and Chinatown is 4. That is the kind of train I have always needed. Sometimes I wish I lived at 57th Street because the Q Train is always there. Luckily the smell of the horse poo odor on 5th Ave convinces me otherwise. -
De 4-sterrenreview van Jando: I'm not sure why I'd be inclined to give this train 4 stars. Afterall, the train is hardly on time at night, the cars can be filthy as hell, and its subject to more slowdown / breakdowns than most trains. Yet there is a charm about the N Train that is very hard to ignore. From Astoria to Coney Island, the N Train ride is a real journey from start to finish. In Manhattan, its the only train besides the D/F/V/ lines to run down broadway and parts of middle Manhattan. It starts in Queens and is one of the few trains to pass through the city before hitting Brooklyn. Its not so concentrated like any of the east or west trains, as it touches a little bit of everything. I hope one day all of the trains will be replaced with the ones like on the 6 line and will permanently go express in Astoria. Long live the N Train. -
De 3-sterrenreview van Jando: The 7 Line may be one of the most congested lines behind the 6 train, yet those who ride it essentially have little alternatives as it passes through areas where no other trains go. NYC is already diverse as it is, but this line seems to be the most diverse of them all as Queens is a hot bed of ethnic communities / neighborhoods (#1). Thank goodness there is an express for this train because from Times Square to Flushing can be an eternity at times. Work is always being done on this train and often times construction leads to delays and random skipped stops. Similar to the 6 train, given the little alternatives local residents have when the trains go down (other than the bus), the 7 train is one of the most frequently run trains day and night. Each of the trains are worn and dated, its time they added newer trains to this line. I suppose until the line is full proof (which may never come) the trains will remain the same. -------------- #1: Otherwise known as the I-Line. -
De 1sterrenreview van Jando: 1 star for the 1 train. I'm not bitter, I try to give all trains the benefit of the doubt for reasons they can't control. For the 1 train, the only thing it has going for it is its route, which is the only reason why I ride it (or has a star in this review!). There aren't many alternatives for 7th Avenue trains, minus buses of course. This train stops at 18th Street? That's awfully cute. Then there are all the other reasons. I used to think the 1 train was literally *one train* because it was perpetually slow. 2 / 3 trains whiz on by with ease during the weekday rush hour but the 1 clunks along with its cars nearly filled to capacity by all the other straphangers who have been patiently waiting only moments before. Is the weekend service any better? When in service perhaps, sometimes construction (as deemed by the MTA) disrupts the service and the 2 / 3 are forced to go local, resulting in more crowded and slower service. Then there is the actual train itself. Even the A/C/E trains went from grime to glimmer with the R160 new cars, I guess all of the extra money we've been milked from hikes and such haven't made their way to the 1 Train just yet. Just means we'll have to tolerate another dirty train line till the next best thing comes along. -
De 4-sterrenreview van Jando: Sure, its the only train on the east side, but its probably the most dependable line out of all of the trains. I've never had to wait long for a 6 train, at night or during rush hour. It's obvious this line is cleaner and newer than most of the others, I could only wish the MTA would convert all of their lines to use these cars. There are some weird funky things about the routes. What's up with the 33rd street stop? Why doesn't this train stop at Fulton Street or anything beyond Brooklyn Bridge? The worst thing about the train (which isn't necessary the line's fault) is that its PACKED during the peak rush hours. Finding a seat in any of the 6 trains can be next to impossible before and after business hours. I just wish the 2nd Avenue train (T) would arrive before 2020. -
De 3-sterrenreview van Jando: Like many major LIRR stops (#1), Woodside, much like it's shared MTA 61st Station, is somewhere in the middle. Things could certainly be improved but the flip side is that many stations are far worse off in terms of condition and neighborhood. Though it may not seem like it, the station is mainly outdoors. The overhead cover is appreciated for our fellow street warriors, but if it's cold outside, it's going to be freezing at the station and vice versa with the heat. Couple that with poor maintenance (garbage issues occasionally, a disgusting public restroom, questionable maintenance of the waiting area, etc.) and automatically this station is not the ideal place to kill time. Thankfully, the neighborhood hood is. Woodside on 61st is blessed with numerous food options, groceries, and copious amounts of Irish Pubs. Leaving the station to partake in a little food or pub crawling is a lovely idea prior to one's eventual LIRR destination. One thing this station has going for them is solid service. I've had more headaches dealing with loads of agents at Grand Central than the smiling solo ones here in Woodside. I'm told an upgrade is in the works. A major renovation would be a huge addition to not just the Woodside stop, but to all the LIRR riders as a whole. ___________ (#1) Major as in a station that allows for various connections and reroutes. Plus, this one also doubles as an MTA station.
