GETTING AROUND

The tourists take taxis.

The rich folk take limos.
Lunatics with a death wish use Citi Bikes

And of course now there is Uber and Lyft...

But if you are a true New Yorker then there's only 3 ways to get around town; Subway, Bus, and Foot.

WALKING

New York is a walking town.  The sidewalks are wide and always filled to capacity.  the "hustle" and "bustle" of New York happens on its sidewalks.

Wear comfy shoes. Your calves will thank you. New York is basically miles of asphalt and cobblestone, and can be harsh on your feet and legs. But you get used to this walking thing very quickly, and it's really what makes New York the great city it is. 

Tourists can be identified easily because they are the ones looking up. Keep your head down.  Keep a tight grip on your wallet.  People will be bumping into you regularly, and some may have "sticky fingers."  But don't be scared, just be aware.  You will find that most New Yorkers, while perhaps loud, are in fact friendly and happy to help point out directions or answer questions. They are very proud of their city and love to show it off.  

EAST SIDE/WEST SIDE

It's pretty simple. Basically Broadway runs down the middle of the City. East of Broadway, street addresses have an "East" in front of their number. West of Broadway, street addresses have a "West" in front of their number. "I live at 123 East 34th St." for example.

UPTOWN, MIDTOWN, DOWNTOWN

Well north is uptown going towards Harlem. South is downtown heading toward the Statue of Liberty.  Street numbers get higher the farther north you go. (34th Street is north of 24th Street).  "Downtown" refers to lower Manhattan- usually south of 14th St.  This area includes NYU, Greenwich Village, The Meatpacking District, Soho, Tribeca, Lower East side, Wall Street/ World Trade Center, Battery Park. "Midtown" Manhattan is basically 34th Street north to Central Park (which starts at 59th St.) Midtown is where you'll find Times Square, Broadway Theaters, Madison Square Garden, Grand Central Station/Terminal.  Central Park splits "Uptown" into the Upper West and Upper East sides. The "Upper West" has Lincoln Center and lots of baby strollers and Sunday brunchers.  The "Upper East" is the "old money" area- Park Avenue, The Metropolitan and Guggenheim Museums.  Then at the north end of Central Park you get Harlem.  Go to "Culture Culture Culture" and "Finding An Apartment" sections of the blog for Neighborhood info.

PAYING FOR IT:  THE METRO CARD

Ahhh, how I miss the romance of the old subway token. But time marches on and now New York's public transit runs on the Metro Card.  It's a yellow, credit card-sized pass that you can purchase in any subway station, either at an attendant booth or via machines.  These cards can be purchased in various amounts (the machines take credit cards or cash), and can be replenished, so don't throw them out. They also have "unlimited ride" cards, but  I have found that it really sucks when you have an unlimited card, or have put a nice large amount your metro card...and then you lose the card.  So I'd keep the card replenish limit to about $20 bucks. 

A pay-per-ride MetroCard costs $2.90 per ride, with a new card costing $1. For unlimited travel, a 7-Day Unlimited MetroCard is $34, and a 30-Day Unlimited MetroCard is $132. Remember that MetroCard sales are ending after December 31, 2025, and riders will need to use OMNY contactless payment methods, which include a $1 OMNY card or the automatic fare capping program. 

Cost breakdown

• Single ride: $2.90 (pay-per-ride) 
• New card: $1.00 fee for a new Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard 
7-Day Unlimited: $34 for unlimited subway and local bus rides for 7 consecutive days 
30-Day Unlimited: $132 for unlimited subway and local bus rides for 30 consecutive days 
Express Bus: $7 per ride 

SUBWAYS

People get freaked about when they first take the subway.  Legends of the pollution, noise and violence have colored it's history, but the modern NYC Subway system is safe, relatively clean, and immensely efficient.  And it's not all that hard to navigate, once you know a few simple things.

The subways (and busses) are under the control of the Manhattan Transit Authority (MTA).  

You can find lots of info at http://web.mta.info/nyct/subway/howto_sub.htm  including subway safety, any scheduled delays, etc.

There are two types of subways trains: "Express" lines that stop every 20-25 blocks, and "Locals" that stop about every 10 blocks.  All stations have subway maps posted about the stations and lots of signage to help you navigate underground.  You usually don't have to wait more than 15-20 minutes for a trains (except late night and weekends expect 30-35 minutes) so don't worry if you miss one, another one is coming down the track.  And the MTA is currently adding free wi-fi for the entire subway system...awesome!  

Every subway line has both a letter or number designation and a color designation.  

There are three main lines that run north and south through Manhattan.  If you just get to know these three major lines you can get almost anywhere.

The GREEN Line (Your 4,5,6 Trains) runs up the East side of Manhattan, from the South Ferry all the way up into East Harlem. Sadly it's the only major line on the East side. They are supposedly building another one but that's been 30 years in the making.

The RED Line (your 1,2,3 Trains) runs up the middle of the West side of Manhattan. As you head downtown, just below Central Park, it will slide east cutting almost down the middle of Central Manhattan, eventually bending east at the lower end of the Manhattan and heading into Brooklyn.

The BLUE Line (A,C,E, Trains) runs up the West side of Manhattan hugging the West side of Central Park, then becomes the westernmost line from 59th st, down to 14th st.  It then moves east down to until you get West 4th St., where it continues to travel down the center of lower Manhattan, then heads into Brooklyn, and eventually out to JFK airport.

Knowing these three lines will get you within 10 blocks of where you need to be.  Then once you get the hang of these, you will branch out into the cross town lines and the lines that branch out into the outer boroughs.  I promise you will be a straphanger in no time.

For subway maps and info go to:  mta subway maps

A Great and in depth history and analysis of the subway map design can be found at:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/02/nyregion/nyc-subway-map.html?mc=aud_dev&ad-keywords=auddevgate&subid1=TAFI&ad_name=INTER_20_XXXX_XXX_1P_CD_XX_XX_SITEVISITXREM_X_XXXX_COUSA_P_X_X_EN_FBIG_OA_XXXX_00_EN_JP_NFLINKS&adset_name=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Finteractive%2F2019%2F12%2F02%2Fnyregion%2Fnyc-subway-map.html&campaign_id=23844139834030063&fbclid=IwAR0Yhew9Z11MWgkN8v6l-qlLM2g7Q6y0dhs8sWJlbKqU4-XHpRMtp1Yp2wY

BUS

Busses run up and down the major avenues and major cross streets. They are plentiful and easy to navigate.   

Bus schedules can be found at http://bustime.mta.info