Also, Booknotes will end its long run in December to be replaced by another more diverse interview program, also hosted by Brian Lamb. I shall miss it, though given Lamb's skills, the new show sounds promising.
One of the things NYC is best known for is its subway system. Negative comments aside, it is altogether a remarkable enterprise. The book Tipping Point made reference to how degraded its reputation had become by the 1980s, akin to the state of the city itself in such films as Death Wish and Escape From New York.* The vigilante Bernard Goetz's attack on four youths that threatened him also didn't help matters. Suffice to say, if such images were in any way comparable to real life at one point, they are not so today.
Surely, the subway system (covering four boroughs; Staten Island has its own rail system) is not utopian. It has its share of dirt, grim, crowds, and delays. All the same, given its size and customer base (millions a day), it is remarkable in its efficiency and smooth running. I took it late afternoon on 9/11. I find it generally runs on time, though construction and whatnot causes some inconvenience. And, it is safe, even on off hours. This is not to say I encourage traveling in empty cars at 3A.M., but the major stations would not be a problem even at around that time.
The trip is enjoyable, especially its air conditioned cars during the summer time. And, the name aside, one passes enough open air locales to make the trip interesting on a visual basis. A nephew, from the suburbs, found the trip itself pretty enjoyable, and I don't think he would be alone. I also have found it a nice way to relax before working, especially reading or resting.
The thing that annoys me most might be those requesting funds, though in a sense this just adds color to the whole experience. Anyway, regulations against this sort of thing (though understandable) seem to me oppressive -- if you want to give money, it's your right to do so. I'd add that one thing that makes me glad is the diversity that you find each day when you ride on the subways. It offers a snapshot at the range of people and personalities found in a large city (travels in others have shown that this is not unique to my own). I guess poverty is just one aspect of this diversity.
I recently took the subway a circuitous route to Lower Manhattan. A word of caution to those new to the system -- there are many stations where you cannot transfer to a train going in the opposite direction (e.g. uptown to downtown trains). Anyway, the City Hall/World Trade Center Area is one of those places well worth visiting. Of special note, are those areas in lower Manhattan that still have an old time feel, as if you were in some past era. For instance, some spots with cobblestone paths. Or little alleys in which you almost feel are right out of Gangs of New York, or perhaps the one Robert Sullivan used for his excellent book on rats.
The WTC site itself is a bit disconcerting. Personally, and somewhat depressingly, it just looked like a big construction pit. I have a feeling that postwar Europe, after the rubble was cleaned away, was somewhat similar. I rarely had a chance to be directly in the area, but recall what once was. Of symbolic value, St. Pauls is down the block. There is a plaque, sadly fairly new, noting that it survived the Great Fire of 1776 ... and the World Trade Center bombing in 2001. Time marches on with certain constants observing the journey.
A leisurely walk will lead a visitor to the base of Manhattan with various landmarks and sites to see along the way, such as Trinity Church and the Custom House. One might also want to continue and take the ferry for the half hour trip to Staten Island, a .50 [actually, it's free] fare quite reasonable for ride. Just think -- Tess McGill of Working Girl rode along this very way ... Spalding Gray as well, though he did not take the return trip. Also, a ride to Ellis Island and the Statute Of Liberty (observable from the ferry), now re-opened, can also be obtained. My paternal grandparents took a similar ride around a hundred years ago, though from the other direction.
And, when you are done, there are many subway lines available in the neighborhood to take you back to whereforth you came.
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* Various subway themed movies also come to mind, especially The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three, a few errors found it notwithstanding (e.g. Why is it going to South Ferry? Given the time scheme of true life scheduling, the title would suggest it was taking place at 2A.M. On the other hand, 13:23 makes for a less impressive title.), though the most recent indie, Marathon (subways in forefront of movie about a woman who rides them during her annual crossword marathon) probably is a more accurate reflection of real life.