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The subway is perhaps the quickest and most convenient method of
transportation in Manhattan. They operate 24 hours a day and often
avoid the delays that street-level transportation frequently involves.
Subway lines emphasize the vertical; in other words, they go up
and down the length of Manhattan. The system is much cleaner and
safer than it once was, and every car is air-conditioned. The conductors,
however, still moo through mothballs so don’t be afraid to
ask other passengers questions. New Yorkers may appear abrupt, but
are in fact quite willing to help.
“Express” trains pass straight through “local”
stops. At many stops, a subway entrance will only take you to either
the uptown or the downtown platform, not both. This is signposted
at street level. If you find yourself going in the wrong direction,
you can only correct this free of charge at the next major station.
Even with the recent increase, subway tokens, at $2.00 for any distance
and with free transfers between trains and buses, are cheap. The
magnetic fare MetroCard (available at all subway token booths) may
be used at all subway stations and on all public buses within New
York City. If you use a MetroCard, you can transfer free of charge
between subway and bus, and bus and subway. There are various MetroCards
available. The One day Fun Pass ($7.00) allows you free travel for
a day until 3 o'clock the following morning. If you're staying awhile
but don't know how often you'll be using public transport, try one
or more of the 5-ride MetroCards which actually give you 6 rides.
 Coming soon: full
color downloadable map.
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