Subway Sight-Seeing for Geeky Visitors

[drekroid]

Hello. I'm coming for a 10-day visit to Long Island & New York City with my girlfriend in September. She's an artsy geek, and I'm a transit geek. What are your recommended must-see sights? Coolest rides? Interesting/historical stations? Cool transit art?

 

Here's the itinerary so far:

 

DAY 1:

• Amtrak from Montreal to Penn
• to Roosevelt Island
• Roosevelt Island Tram to Manhattan
• Times Square

 

DAY 2:

•  or  to Jamaica
• LIRR to Huntsville, then Jefferson Port

 

DAY 3:

• NICE to Bellport, then Bay Shore
• Ferry to Fire Island (stay for 3 nights)

 

DAY 6:

• Taxi from Fire Island Lighthouse to Jones Beach (for Depeche Mode concert!)
• N88 to Freeport, LIRR to Rockville

 

DAY 7:

• NICE to Far Rockaway
•  to Brooklyn
• Transit Museum

 

DAY 8:

•  Culver Line to Coney

 

DAY 9:

• to Long Island City and Williamsburg

 

DAY 10:

• Masstransiscope (abandoned Myrtle Avenue subway station)
•  City Hall Loop
• Essex St Trolley Terminal
• Bleeker Street
• Fulton Center
• The High Line

 

DAY 11:

• Amtrak back to Montreal

 

Also recommended in a post on this sight from 2008:

•  or   to Flushing
•  or   to the Bronx
• Staten Island Ferry

Any other suggestions?

 

[Amtrak7]

Going by transit bus from NYC to Bellport is going to be arduously annoying. (-N22-N79-S54-S66)

 

Unless you want to overnight in Port Jefferson...

[itmaybeokay]

Hmm, looks like a fun trip. I'll add my notes and do with them what you please

• The masstransiscope doesn't seem to be lit up anymore :-( I've seen the installation but never seen anything cool.
•  
• Maybe this is just my opinion as a local, but times square blows Actually, I guess if you're visiting you might as well see it. My suggestion is, while there, enter or exit the station via the small entrance on Broadway and 43rd. You walk across a removable platform that they have to take out to get the Shuttle trains to and from the yard. These tracks were revenue trackage of the original IND, and there's a great view into the tunnel of the 7th Ave/Bway IRT line.
•  
• You have to Coney, might be worth getting off at Smith-9th and checking out the renovated station, as well as the highest point in the system. Cool views of the harbor and lower manhattan.
• I'd check out South Ferry on the - the re-opened old loop platform with its gap fillers is a limited-time showing!
•  
• or to astoria gives a great view down into the dig for the East Side Access project if you'd like to see some construction. Look for it between Queensboro Plaza and 39th av. Queensboro plaza is also a pretty unique station with it's cross-platform A-div B-div transfer, and the construction of the station in general. Cool, to me, to see the abandoned trackways from when the station was double it's present size.
•  
• On the way back from Queensboro Plaza to manhattan, you could get in the front of the for a Railfan-window view of the Steinway Tube and it's steep grades, if you were there.
•  
• 168 st and 181 st are kind of sh!tholes as far as stations go, but the architecture is really interesting. Nothing like them anywhere else in the system. If you're up that way, it's worth checking out. (If you're up that way and into architecture, on a weekday during normal people work hours, I can give you the 25 cent tour of Columbia U)
•  
• Depending on when you're here, it might be worth checking out what the construction-related service changes are, sometimes you can get rerouted through normally disused trackage, which may or may not be interesting to you.
•  
• Might be worth checking out the High Line, which is an old elevated freight train line through parts of manhattan that is now an elevated park. It's pretty cool. You totally already have this on there. Good for you.
•  
• I definitely recommend riding at least one line across the manhattan bridge. It's just cool.
•  
• This probably goes without saying, but check out the views coming into the city on your amtrak train. The bridge over Spuyten Duyvil Creek has great views, and you'll have awesome views of the hudson a good part of the way down the island.
•  
• I haven't been since they renovated, but if you have any interest in Air, Space or Sea vehicles as well as trains you might check out the intrepid museum, an old WWII aircraft carrier thats now a whole museum thing. It was one of my favorites as a kid.
•  
• I have no idea if the timing would work out in terms of whenever soccer season is, but if you like soccer at all, the New York Red Bulls play in Harrison, New Jersey (I understand that doesn't make sense) and the PATH train out there is a cool ride. People forget about the PATH trains, it's like New York's forgotten 'other' subway. It makes 5 stops in manhattan along 6th ave. The 9th st station has a really wild entrance with a narrow hallway that's pretty cool.
•  
• train out to the rockaways is a long trip, but unique for the NYC system and in many ways for the world. You can board a train on central park west and wind all the way through manhattan for the long express run over the rockaway flats. These are only newly reopened after sandy, mind you.

I don't know, I could go on, but, I've lived in New York the 28 years I've been alive and haven't seen everything i've wanted to. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions you don't want to clutter up the board with.

[pjbr40]

i would definitely recommend the to rockaway or broad channel. it have longest distance between stop after JFK.(3 miles) Also on the side you can see the plane land and take off from the airport.  Also you may want to stop over at aqueduct raceway and casino which is right there on that branch as well. 

 

 

Defiantly ride the to flushing for railfan view if the r188 is not in service yet. Ride express train (after 3pm with red diamond on side window) and watch your train run up the overpass at 110 street. It one stop before Citifield. It like riding a rollercoaster it also go over the Van wyck expressway (if i am correct). 

 

If you plan to go Coney Island. I would do this take the as you wanted to go to Smith Street and get off at 4 th Ave then take to 36 street then take the to 62 Street to the . This way you can look at all the spectacular stuff in one way direction. Smoth Street id highest point in subway because of Gowans Canal and see all the view of everywhere. At 9th Ave you can see how this crazy design from the past especially the lower grade to downstair of 9th Avenue. then when you get to 62 street to take the you will experience the open cut subway. then you will get bird eye view of Coney island Shop and Train Yard. After you had fun at coney Island take the along the Brighton. You can transfer to the as well if there is connection. Fun riding the express train There you can see the only section outdoor that had 2 local and 2 express track. Plus this train section is almost even with street level and you are in everybody backyard snooping intheir bedroom LOL. if you have some time you may want get off at Prospect Park to take to Fulton Street that train had some interesting thing to look at. 

[drekroid]

Going by transit bus from NYC to Bellport is going to be arduously annoying. ( -N22-N79-S54-S66)

 

Unless you want to overnight in Port Jefferson...

 

Yes. Overnight in Port Jefferson. And it will actually be Suffolk County Transit (not NICE), S61/S66 to Bellport for a play. Then LIRR (or S40) to Bay Shore for the ferry.

 

Thanks for the great suggestions so far. It's exactly the type of info I'm looking for. 

[Daniel The Cool]

You know what. I wish you all the best on this trip. Hope you will be able to enjoy it

[Mtatransit]

If your girlfriend is interested in art you should consider metropolitan musuem of art at 5 ave and 86. Also check out the free transfer at rockaway parkway  station that may be quite interesting also. And if you have time journey the staten island railway you will see interesting things. At Staten island check out st george term and the eltingville transit center there is timetables for alot of buses and all the five bourgh map and njt light rail timetables. The drye av line is history and former private railway ROW so you may want to check that out. So thats all what comes to my mind now.

[FamousNYLover]

NiCE bus doesn't go to Bellport. You might meant Babylon Station.

[Mtatransit]

NiCE bus doesn't go to Bellport. You might meant Babylon Station.

He meant suffolk county transit

[Daniel The Cool]

And if you want I would suggest going to the "Museum Of Modern Art". 

[MHV9218]

Where are you staying? Unless you're staying on Long Island, I'd cut out most of the NICE and LIRR trips (except for the essentials to Fire Island and Depeche Mode). Those are slow and boring rides that are from from representative of NYC. Not much to see on Roosevelt Island either, but the tram ride could be interesting. The trip out to Jamaica will only be fun if you take the J and get an older train with a window, otherwise it's crowded and boring on the E.

 

For a nice compromise between an interesting urban area and transit, I'd take the F or G to Smith-9th and check out Red Hook and Gowanus a bit. Brand new station there, an excellent ride on the train, and Red Hook/Gowanus are pretty interesting areas that are safe for tourists but still maintain a pretty fascinating old-school industrial look to them (if either of you are into photography, prime territory).

 

Just speaking generally, one of the most beautiful places in the city (and a fantastic museum) is the Cloisters up by 190th on the A, and the subsequent express run back downtown is one of the best rides in the city (125th to 59th is always fun and can occasionally touch 50mph). If you're into grit, for a look at a NYC subway station as it would have appeared thirty years ago, check out Chambers Street on the J/Z and marvel at the look of it and the abandoned platforms (could start the trip to Jamaica from there too). Definitely want to catch a J/M/Z over the Williamsburg Bridge as well (or you can walk that, one of the best views in the city). If any of this sounds interesting to you, let me know, and feel free to PM me as well. This city is pretty incredible in terms of transit and art/design. 

[bobtehpanda]

The Tramway is best at night on a clear day. Just my two cents.

[nostalgia]

Last day of NICE Jones Beach service is Sept 2, Labor Day.

 

Sit on the right side of the train for great views of the Hudson River.

 

It's Huntington, not Huntsville.

 

Buy a weekly Metrocard.

[LTA1992]

Hmm, looks like a fun trip. I'll add my notes and do with them what you please

• The masstransiscope doesn't seem to be lit up anymore :-( I've seen the installation but never seen anything cool.
•  
• Maybe this is just my opinion as a local, but times square blows Actually, I guess if you're visiting you might as well see it. My suggestion is, while there, enter or exit the station via the small entrance on Broadway and 43rd. You walk across a removable platform that they have to take out to get the Shuttle trains to and from the yard. These tracks were revenue trackage of the original IRT, and there's a great view into the tunnel of the 7th Ave/Bway IRT line.
•  
• You have to Coney, might be worth getting off at Smith-9th and checking out the renovated station, as well as the highest point in the system. Cool views of the harbor and lower manhattan.
• I'd check out South Ferry on the - the re-opened old loop platform with its gap fillers is a limited-time showing!
•  
• or to astoria gives a great view down into the dig for the East Side Access project if you'd like to see some construction. Look for it between Queensboro Plaza and 39th av. Queensboro plaza is also a pretty unique station with it's cross-platform A-div B-div transfer, and the construction of the station in general. Cool, to me, to see the abandoned trackways from when the station was double it's present size.
•  
• On the way back from Queensboro Plaza to manhattan, you could get in the front of the for a Railfan-window view of the Steinway Tube and it's steep grades, if you were there.
•  
• 168 st and 181 st are kind of sh!tholes as far as stations go, but the architecture is really interesting. Nothing like them anywhere else in the system. If you're up that way, it's worth checking out. (If you're up that way and into architecture, on a weekday during normal people work hours, I can give you the 25 cent tour of Columbia U)
•  
• Depending on when you're here, it might be worth checking out what the construction-related service changes are, sometimes you can get rerouted through normally disused trackage, which may or may not be interesting to you.
•  
• Might be worth checking out the High Line, which is an old elevated freight train line through parts of manhattan that is now an elevated park. It's pretty cool. You totally already have this on there. Good for you.
•  
• I definitely recommend riding at least one line across the manhattan bridge. It's just cool.
•  
• This probably goes without saying, but check out the views coming into the city on your amtrak train. The bridge over Spuyten Duyvil Creek has great views, and you'll have awesome views of the hudson a good part of the way down the island.
•  
• I haven't been since they renovated, but if you have any interest in Air, Space or Sea vehicles as well as trains you might check out the intrepid museum, an old WWII aircraft carrier thats now a whole museum thing. It was one of my favorites as a kid.
•  
• I have no idea if the timing would work out in terms of whenever soccer season is, but if you like soccer at all, the New York Red Bulls play in Harrison, New Jersey (I understand that doesn't make sense) and the PATH train out there is a cool ride. People forget about the PATH trains, it's like New York's forgotten 'other' subway. It makes 5 stops in manhattan along 6th ave. The 9th st station has a really wild entrance with a narrow hallway that's pretty cool.
•  
• train out to the rockaways is a long trip, but unique for the NYC system and in many ways for the world. You can board a train on central park west and wind all the way through manhattan for the long express run over the rockaway flats. These are only newly reopened after sandy, mind you.

I don't know, I could go on, but, I've lived in New York the 28 years I've been alive and haven't seen everything i've wanted to. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions you don't want to clutter up the board with.

Fixed

[itmaybeokay]

Fixed

 

dangit. 

[Grand Concourse]

I don't see why everyone slams Times Sq, the main area to avoid is the TKTS 'stairs'. If you can avoid the crowds by walking along what used to be Broadway, you should be fine.

 

Roosevelt Island isn't that big and you should be done with that in maybe a couple of hours.

I'd add the Museum of Natural History and Central park (at least from the entrance opposite the museum to 59th, if you have the time). Maybe have a stop over at Battery Park to get some views of 1wtc and Ellis Island before going on the SI ferry.

[4P3607]

The Mantransiscope is no longer lit up due to someone tagging it up during Sandy...