New York is one of those cities that one seems to know without ever having set foot on its asphalt. Movies and TV series have brought us so close to its streets, its customs and its cult sites that you can perfectly imagine yourself in the middle of the bustle of Times Square or feeding the squirrels in Central Park. One of the most recognizable and present images in the collective imagination (as far as the Big Apple is concerned) is probably its subway station. The access to that underworld that is practically another world, another city. The New York City Subway has its own history and today we tell you about it in our New Yorker Diary (or at least a part of it). The New York City Subway was born in October 1904. Well, on this date the first subway line was born, because the first elevated line had started operating some 35 years earlier. Hence, although it is called Subway, approximately 40 percent of its route is on the surface. It was mostly Irish, Italian and African-American workers who were responsible for the construction of this transport infrastructure. In total, some 30,000 workers at the service of New York's mobility at the time. It is the subway with the most stops in the world, the seventh in passenger volume, has 24 lines and operates 24 hours a day. These are just a few facts, but the real attraction of the New York Subway is the life on those platforms, crowded with people going from one side to the other, in a hurry and probably without stopping to enjoy some of the gems underground.
MTA Arts and Design
This art project was created in 1985. At that time, the New York subway was recovering from its dark era of the 1970s and its goal was to rehabilitate all the stops through the integration of artwork as a pillar of the reconstruction effort. Even today this project is still alive and growing, as is the use of public transportation and the construction of new stops. The New York Subway houses a museum on its walls with works such as
Roy Lichtenstein's mural at the Times Square stop. Given the conditions of the subway system, the materials used for these works must be durable and easy to maintain. Thus, most of the projects are created in ceramic tiles, bronze or glass. But not only the walls are subject to design, all the elements inside the stations are susceptible to restoration and design care: doors, ticket vending machines, carriages.... Everything must contribute to create a welcoming and pleasant atmosphere in the New York Subway.
Musicians in the New York Subway
Since design is not the only thing the spirit lives by, the MTA also pays special attention to the music played on its lines. It is tedious enough to commute to work by subway, probably with several connections, not to try to make its users a little happier with good music. The
Music Under NY project (Music Under NY) hosts more than 300 musicians performing in 20 locations. Every spring, the MTA holds an open casting call for artists from around the world who want to liven up the New York commute. If you're traveling to New York on vacation, don't forget to always take a
La Newyorkina handmade granola packet in your backpack to recharge your batteries on your subway trips!
