La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
I traveled the subway in New York a few times during my visit, to 42nd Street to meet friends Cesar and Daisy at Grand Central, to East Broadway to meet my cousins in China Town, and to Coney Island to meet The Kid Brother and Nick and Alyson at Nathan’s. The rides were uneventful, except for one.
There were always a number of people riding to simply get out of the cold. My ride to Coney Island was “interesting.” The car was surprisingly empty as it passed and, once I boarded, I understood why. A few guys had set up camp or were spread across the benches. As I rode, the guy opposite me started vaping (no, it’s not permitted). I decided to wait for the next stop and change cars. A moment later, the guy at the other end of the car lit up a cigarette. We happened to be in a long stretch between stops (track repairs had us skipping four stops). I and two other passengers covered our faces and held our breath until the next stop. We all jumped into the next car. Those about to board, peered in, took a breath, and followed us.
I’ve included a brief video from my ride to Coney Island mostly because I wanted you to hear a special announcement by a conductor on a NYC subway, followed by a prerecorded announcement by someone with a different kind of American accent.
When I met Cesar and Daisy in midtown on Wednesday, I took the train to 42nd Street where I could walk a couple of blocks underground and then get another train directly into Grand Central Station. It didn’t seem worth it (I’ve done it before), so I headed above ground for some cold, fresh air, a view of New York Public Library and the two-block walk along 42nd Street.
AROUND THE HOUSE:
Our comfy chair has not arrived with no reason given for it not arriving this week. Since we’ve already waited this long, and since the website says it will be delivered Monday, I’ll give them until then before I cancel the order and demand an immediate refund. Another plumber was here yesterday to get hot water to my shower again. He made adjustments to the water heater and replaced the shower head. The new one I had purchased added to the problem. Who knew? This time it appears to be fixed once and for all (he says with confidence). Today will be my first shower (I hope) in my own bathroom. I had my haircut and beard trimmed Tuesday. I love our barber. He’s a cool young guy with a cool shop. And he has a cool, modern poster on the wall that includes the words FUCK MUSK. The cats are doing well. I’m overdue sharing photos and will do so soon. The Kid Brother turned 65 a week ago! The office that manages his apartment didn’t even acknowledge it and he was very disappointed and a bit angry. I don’t blame him. I sent him a care package from Wegman’s. We enjoyed a video chat last week. This week, we couldn’t connect and had to talk on the phone instead. As The Kid Brother said in his Ralph Kramden voice, “One of these days!”
Durante mi visita, viajé en el metro de Nueva York varias veces: a la calle 42 para encontrarme con mis amigos Cesar y Daisy en Grand Central, a East Broadway para encontrarme con mis primos en Chinatown y a Coney Island para encontrarme con El Hermanito y Nick y Alyson en Nathan’s. Los viajes transcurrieron sin incidentes, excepto uno.
Siempre había mucha gente que viajaba para resguardarse del frío. Mi viaje a Coney Island fue “interesante”. El vagón iba sorprendentemente vacío cuando pasó y, una vez que subí, entendí por qué. Unos cuantos tipos habían montado un campamento o estaban repartidos por los bancos. Mientras iba, el tipo que iba frente a mí empezó a fumar cigarrillos electrónicos (no, no está permitido). Decidí esperar a la siguiente parada y cambiar de vagón. Un momento después, el tipo que estaba al otro lado del vagón encendió un cigarrillo. Resulta que estábamos en un tramo largo entre paradas (las reparaciones de la vía nos hicieron saltar cuatro paradas). Yo y otros dos pasajeros nos tapamos la cara y aguantamos la respiración hasta la siguiente parada. Todos nos subimos al siguiente vagón. Los que estaban a punto de subir se asomaron, tomaron aire y nos siguieron.
Incluí un breve video principalmente porque quería que escucharan un anuncio especial de un conductor en un metro de Nueva York, seguido de un anuncio pregrabado de alguien con un tipo diferente de acento estadounidense.
Cuando me encontré con Cesar y Daisy en el centro de la ciudad el miércoles, tomé el tren hasta la calle 42, donde podía caminar un par de cuadras bajo tierra y luego tomar otro tren directamente a la Grand Central Station. No parecía que valiera la pena (ya lo había hecho antes), así que me dirigí a la superficie para tomar un poco de aire fresco y frío, ver la Biblioteca Pública de Nueva York y caminar dos cuadras por la calle 42.
EN CASA:
Nuestro cómodo sillón no ha llegado sin que me hayan dado ninguna razón para no haberlo hecho esta semana. Como ya hemos esperado tanto tiempo y el sitio web dice que se entregará el lunes, les daré hasta entonces antes de cancelar el pedido y exigir un reembolso inmediato. Otro fontanero vino ayer para que volviera a calentarme la ducha. Hizo ajustes en el calentador de agua y reemplazó el cabezal de la ducha. El nuevo que había comprado se sumó al problema. ¿Quién lo hubiera dicho? Esta vez parece que se ha solucionado de una vez por todas (dice con confianza). Hoy será mi primera ducha (espero) en mi propio baño. El martes me corté el pelo y me recorté la barba. Me encanta nuestro barbero. Es un chico joven y simpático con una tienda genial. Y tiene un póster moderno y genial en la pared que incluye las palabras FUCK MUSK. Los gatos están bien. Ya hace tiempo que debería haber compartido fotos y lo haré pronto. ¡El Hermanito menor cumplió 65 años hace una semana! La oficina que administra su apartamento ni siquiera lo reconoció y él estaba muy decepcionado y un poco enojado. No lo culpo. Le envié un paquete de regalo de Wegman’s. La semana pasada disfrutamos de una videollamada. Esta semana, no pudimos conectarnos y tuvimos que hablar por teléfono. Como dijo El Hermanito con su voz de Ralph Kramden: “¡Uno de estos días!”
• El paseo subterráneo entre las avenidas 6 y 5 desde la estación de la calle 42.
• Biblioteca Pública de Nueva York, Avenida Quinta.
• Edificio del Bowery Savings Bank. Al otro lado de la calle 42, frente a la entrada principal de la Grand Central Station. Finalizado en 1923 en estilo neorrománico italiano. La fachada es espectacular, ¿no?
• Grand Central Station a la derecha, el edificio MetLife inmediatamente detrás. Se cambió a MetLife en 1992, mucho después de que me fui de Nueva York. Todavía lo llamo edificio Pan Am. A la izquierda está One Vanderbilt. Tiene 73 pisos, se inauguró en 2020 y no significa nada para mí.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Haz clic en las miniaturas para ampliar.
Love the jaunty lilt of the announcer’s “stand clear of the doors please” — seems like a leftover of an earlier era, doesn’t it. Happy 65th Birthday to the Kid Brother!
Debra:
There were no pre-recorded announcements on my daily commute in the ’70s. So no voices like that one. All announcements were made in New Yorkese.
Oh hell no. I’d take one look at the car and wouldn’t have gotten on. And it looks as if someone’s packet of coke exploded?!?! But the artwork is cool and I enjoyed seeing your pretty pictures of all the familiar places I know and been.
Plumbing issues are the worst. I just had new fittings put in the shower and the pressure fixed. The plumber in question was a 5 in looks but had a banging body and I finally got one with an incredible set of cakes with crack when he was bent over. Looked like marble!!! I thought of leaving a tip in his crack.
Mistress Borghese:
It was near the end and no time to get to another car once I saw what was going on. But I should have jumped out at the next station. I have not had a single plumber with a banging body. That’s why I called so many.
A local and a professional announcer. In our minds we all think we sound like the “Stand Clear of the Closing Doors” guy. We see people sleeping on the trains here when the weather is ugly. In Phoenix I actually saw security checking tickets or passes on the trains.
David:
The guys sleeping on the train made it unpleasant but they don’t have many options, so I understood. There but for the grace of…
Nice pics! Love the mosaic wall, very clever. I’m always struck by the “stand clear” announcement, no doubt that was the idea.
wickedhamster:
That mosaic wall is a beauty. I should do a tour of subway mosaics. There are apparently some amazing art walls I haven’t seen.
Happy Birthday to Kid Brother!
Happy Hot Showering.
As always I have loved the photo walkabout.
And I, too, would have changed cars to get free of the smoke.
Lastly, I understood little to nothing of what the first person said, but the happy fella’s comments about standing clear will be heeded.
Bob:
It’s funny how many people have no idea what the New Yorkino conductor is saying.
Okay. Here’s one of those stupid questions I hate to ask but…is working as a professional photographer part of your C.V.? Your photos are just glorious. Your eye is amazing.
“Subway roots” is correct. I thought of a vascular system too.
Glad you found a good barber guy with the added bonus of the right politics.
I am going to be so disappointed if comfy chair does not arrive. I am sure you feel much the same.
Happy birthday to the Kid Brother.
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
I’m flattered. I’ve never been a professional photographer and don’t have the skills, but my art studies I think help my photography aesthetic. And a steady hand.
We get more than our fair share of tramps sheltering in the Underground from the weather, too – although one actually sparking up a cigarette is rarer than just clearing a carriage with their own body odour. Mind you, it’s not just underground transit routes that have such a problem; there were smelly itinerants at both Gatwick (when we left) and Malaga (on our return) airports… Jx
PS I return to something Madam Arcati always says: I’d only want to visit New York if it was in black-and-white>”…
Jon:
LOL. I prefer the colors of NYC.
How annoying that your comfy sillón has not yet arrived! I hope it does arrive on Monday, so you don’t have to cancel the order (is it being delivered through the window, or can it be brought up through the stairs or elevator?).
Happy birthday to Chuck! We’re just about 7 months apart in age 🙂
Your photos are just wonderful, Mitch!
Judy C:
We just received a message that the chair will be delivered today by 8 p.m., and the website has been updated as well. We’ll see. SG is worried it will have been damaged in transit. It’s always a shock to me to realize that my friends are the same age or younger than my little brother who will always remain a kid in many ways.
What a great shot of the library and birds!
Thanks for the ride and walkabout.
Jim:
Yes, that was great timing with the birds. Of course, I stood there snapping away for a while.
F-Elon
Jssw:
Shouldn’t he be deported?
Boud here, only guessing at the first announcer. Mr Closing Doors was clear, like an old time radio voice.
Happy birthday to your brother, any number of times, to make up for the shabby management.
Great tourist views! Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws…
Boud:
It took me a bit to understand the conductor. But then my NYC ears switched on and I loved it.
I couldn’t understand most of what the conductor said. I love your architectural photos and explanations. Takes me back to an earlier life.
Kelly:
Apparently, you’re not alone in not understanding the conductor.
Happy birthday to the Kid Brother.
Conductors haven’t been to announcing school. They garble their words just like the rest of us.
Kirk:
The locals understand the guy. Even I was a bit challenged at first.
The only part of that subway announcement I understood was “Stand clear of the doors”, LOL! The mosaic tile work is apropos for the NYC subway: tree roots and underground burrows — all that’s missing are the bunnies! And wasn’t NYC originally formed from 5 burroughs?
As always, your photography is beautiful, Scoot. So many buildings, so little time! I’ve always liked the grand entrance of the New York Public Library with the lion statues, perhaps because it feels more like it should be in London, England, LOL!
Tundra Bunny:
The pre-recorded voice you understood is probably Canadian! I love that mosaic work. Apparently there’s a lot of stunning contemporary mosaics I haven’t seen. I need to do a photo tour of those. New York City still comprises the five boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island. I wonder how many burrows there are. I could take a million pictures there. I’m glad you enjoy them.
Do you remember the East 14th st union square announcement? “Please stand clear of the moving platform as trains enter and leave this station”. It wasn’t the strongest nyc accent, but it’s now so nostalgic for me. Those moving grates scared little kid me. Olivia
Olivia:
I have never gotten on or off at that station. I have a vague memory of those moving sections though. Scary (and a bit dangerous).
Spectacular architecture! I always think “PanAm Building” when I see it.
Walt the Fourth:
It still surprises me to see MetLife emblazoned across the top.
Is your comfy chair coming from China? If so, be ready for a customs fee…many are now discovering this added fee.
Anonymous:
Ireland. Safe from customs fee. So far.
I never liked traveling in the subway in NYC always found to many strange people.
larrymuffin:
Some days and times, it’s just a lot of typical commuters. Other times, it can feel a little creepy.