Map explainers always scratch the itch in my brain for some reason. Cities I've never even been to, I love watching maps. I've been to NY a dozen times and can already explain to other people how to use the subway, and yet here I am. So stoked for this whole series!
The tip about entrances that say “uptown” or “downtown” not having cross-overs is super helpful. I’ve definitely gone down into a station only to have to go back up and cross the street 😅
Oh man a good subway/transit system makes me all romantic.🥰🤣 It’s often one of my favorite things about traveling new places. I love the idea of being able to get around quickly and efficiently without needing to drive somewhere. Just learning about it makes me happy. Thanks Dan! This was really awesome.
You could definitely add the powder blue 🔵 8 Thrid Ave Elevated line only in the Bronx and under ground in Manhattan to Battery park place or chatmam Square or south Ferry under ground on Thrid Avenue and Gun hill road elevated under neath the 2 5 trains.
Get the 8 Thrid Ave Elevated plans for the future. Exstend the 3 trains to Burnside Jerome Ave connecting to the 4 line. They definitely need to add new IRT lines that' has never ran in decades. The 1/9 or the 13 trains could run to Redhook Brooklyn and 256 street Broadway Riverdale Ave Elevated Bronx. The N W trains to LaGuardia airport
Omg! First time someone explains the uptown/downtown entrances and the express trains in a way that makes sense. ❤😅 I wonder if I could use that same logic for the G train because in some stops, you do have to enter the correct entrance. I've always loved the Subway map. The way it's superimposed with the geography is very helpful to asses distances, and I like how it marks important landmarks serving as a basic visitors guide.
Tbh the Omni system is a game changer and makes it sooo much easier to ride. 10/10 video. Visiting NY right now for the thousandth time and this video clarified a lot for me.
For his advice on being okay with getting lost or confused - New Yorker here, and I still get lost on the subway sometimes and refer to GPS or map on my phone to reorient myself
This has to be one of the best breakdowns of the NYC subway system on youtube. You answered a bunch of questions I had about the system that even local New Yorkers found s difficult to explain in a simple manner like how to easily identify an express train vs local and where to identify it on the map. The platform crossing tip was also really helpful. I love reading maps so my favorite part was the red line breakdown - it made understanding the city easier when focused on only one line at a time. Could you make a video breaking down all the color lines individually like how you did with the 123 lines?
I visited NYC in 2015 and getting around via the subway was so fast and cheap (compared to taxis). And the system was quite easy to navigate considering how complex it is.
I just left NYC and saw your video on the airplane. I absolutely loved the NYC subway. It was easy to navigate and very entertaining. We stayed in the UWS, used Omni pay feature the entire time. Very seamless, loved the express trains. Basically used the 1,2,3 the entire time.
I found New Yorkers to be very helpful and friendly when we visited a few years ago. They were more than happy to help figure out the subway and how to get to certain places.
Been living in New York for over five years now and still managed to learn something new, including trains running on the right side of the road like cars and express trains running in the middle of the platform. Thanks for the tips.
I always saw the NYC map to be incredibly complex at first, but this video explained things so well. Different lines in different branches act as local trains makes a lot of sense
Great Guide to the New York City, MTA Subway. I wish you could have made staten Island to actual scale because people might think it's actually that small when it's bigger than Manhattan. I get why it's done like that, but the way you had those maps animated, it just seem like a missed opportunity.
Great video! I think my best advice after commuting to and exploring around the different boroughs would to be just to use Google Maps or ask around! I've always found the MTA employees to be kind and helpful and Google updated. That being said, I think videos like these are great, not only to clear misunderstanding, but also to learn a thing or two and see the fascinating systems we have.
Totally agree! I use google maps for the trains all the time (sometimes will give me an alt route that is faster), but it’s helpful to understand how the system is working
I know you just did a video on Boston, but I'd love to see you cover the history of Boston's transit, one of the oldest subway lines, and lots of interesting topics to cover. I love seeing transit related videos like this, 😄.
This is one of the best explanations of the New York Subway system that I've seen. I didn't see how the Omni card is paid by a credit card. You should have shown that step by step. By the way, the only exceptions to the express being in the middle and the local being on the outside tracks is at 47-50th Streets/Rockefeller Center on the 6th Ave Line in Manhattan. The southbound express B or D trains come in from the west along 53rd St and arrive on the outside, and the southbound local F and M trains come from the east along 53rd St, so are on the inside track. They change places before getting to 42nd St/Bryant Park. This express and local refer to what they do in Manhattan, not in the suburbs. Also, in the Bronx, at Bedford Park Boulevard, the southbound express and local are in switched places also. Aarre Peltomaa of Mississauga, Ontario
Only been to New York once and only for a couple of days (want to go back for a longer trip some day); I took one look at the map, noped out of there and gained a new appreciation for the London Underground map!
This video was the perfect explanation of how the system works. I hope this video helps many more in the future keep up the good work! Btw loved the little race between you and your friend lol RIP $30
So so happy I stumbled upon this video! Traveling to the Big Apple is exciting but, extremely intimidating. I was planning on only taking an Uber to and from where we need to go and what we would like to see and I was going to avoid the subway at all cost. This has decoded a lot of the confusion for me. Looks like I'll get to experience the subway after all and can't wait to see what it's like!
Tip for trips beginning and/or terminating in the Bronx. In the Bronx, "downtown" is towards Manhattan, "uptown" is away from Manhattan. Trains in Manhattan that are Bronx-bound are always uptown, therefore the opposite direction is always downtown.
Living in NYC, I like the subway. 1st few times using it was a bit confusing but once getting used to it it's very simple. Thanks so much, I love your videos♥
well .... this video makes me appreciate the Seoul subway system so much more haha.. I've only used NYC Subway once and managed, but wow ... I kinda just went through it based off my experience in Seoul and I never realized how much more complex it is. Guess I got lucky~
My wife is from a city with no city trains. She has been riding for 30 plus years and loves the speed of travel over many miles in a short time most of the time. *(If you thinks traffic is bad here, you should try it in a city with nothing but busses and cars for getting about.)*
Hi Daniel, new subscriber here! I've been a NYC resident for over 40 years and this is an excellent explanation of the subway system. If you ever do an update, you might want to add how you can tell which direction a train will arrive into a station to determine the front or back of the train. This is helpful especially if you receive instructions to get on the front or back of the train when going to your destination. I still have trouble figuring this out when riding the subway.
I’ve been coming to NYC and riding the subway for years. And I still find it confusing. I’ve got to say that your video provides the clearest instructions I’ve seen yet. Kudos!
Thank you!!! 🎉 going to take my husband on a surprise anniversary trip to NYC this weekend (OUR ANNIVERSARY IS NOVEMBER 1ST) ... HE HAS NEVER BEEN AND THIS HAS BEEN ON HIS BUCKET LIST! THIS WILL PROVE TO BE VERY HELPFUL. Thank you for this content ❤ Liked and subscribed 💜 💕
Another La Guardia W, the shuttle to the airport is free and I swear there was always a bus waiting at Jackson Heights when I would walk by so it’s pretty easy to get on.
Love a bit of transport planning content, and this in particular is really interesting as a brit who's main experience of big city train systems is the London tubes. It's really interesting the differences in payment structure and the map and line labelling. Also that there exist stations without services in both directions, that dosen't seem to be of major concern at any tube station I've used over here. The naming after the trains is also really interesting to me, as many of the tube lines do have similar branches (although not to the same degree) however all stop at all stations along the main middle route, I imagine NYC runs the express vs local system for logistical reasons but it remains an interesting differential for two systems most people at a glance might consider pretty similar.
I'm a native of New York and rode the subway for many years. Thing was, my parents knew the lines not by the number/letter designation, but by where it ran (as in, it wasn't the 4, it was the Jerome Avenue Elevated--in The Bronx anyway). But I still managed to get around just fine.
Use the right-hand rule to determine which side of the avenue is going uptown or downtown is really helpful for local stops that don't have crossovers.
Don’t often use YT, but couldn’t be happier to stay here for content like this. Keep it up, would love to see a full length city-based documentary series!
I love when some family/friends come over to NYC and I have to explain how to take the subway. 30 minutes later they’re calling me saying the MTA is doing some construction and they changed the route 😂
Having grown up in NYC and then moved back for grad school, all of this is very familiar to me, but a lot has changed. When I was a kid, we were using subway tokens about the size of a dime, and they cost only 15 cents. The subway cars were black, with rattan-covered horse-hair seats. The conductors stood between the cars and operated the doors with pneumatic valves. The subway cars had no air conditioning. Instead they had big ceiling fans, and in warm weather the windows were open. I always found the subways a little terrifying because of the noise and the smell, and my parents were always worried about us going too close to the platform edge. I started having recurring nightmares about the subway. The set-up of each dream was different, but they always ended with me on a subway platform waiting impatiently for a train. I would keep going to the platform edge to see if a train was coming, and then suddenly, without warning, the platform would drop away beneath me, and I would float down into the track just as a train was coming over me. I still get those nightmares occasionally 60-odd years later.
Also came from tiktok, and I found this at the perfect time - I’ll be visiting NYC later this month for the first time, so this was super helpful! Thank you!
Great video I've traveled the subways for years up until I learned to drive and moved away. I recently came to Manhattan and used the OMI at the turnstile works great. I also didn't know how it worked for the rides again thank you.
