Second Avenue Subway

I definitely self-identify as a transit nerd, and the subway system is one of my very favorite things about living in New York. For some reason, I wasn't highly anticipating the long-awaited opening of the first phase of the Second Avenue subway line like a lot of people. Maybe, after a hundred years of broken promises and false starts, I subconsciously wasn't allowing myself to get my hopes up. But then on Tuesday night, I took the Q from 96th Street (I work at 92nd and Lex Ave) all the way to my apartment in Brooklyn (steps from the 7th Ave stop) and I was immediately sold.

While obviously not such a game-changer for everyone, the Second Avenue Q extension is expected to relieve some of the crowding on the 4/5/6 line—three lines that carry more riders every single day than the entire DC Metro. Phase 1 includes three new stations at 96th, 86th and 72nd streets, and connects the Q to its existing route via the 63rd Street/Lexington Ave station (where you can transfer to the F). There was doubt that the stations would be ready for the January 1st deadline, and although they're indeed open they are still teeming with MTA workers making last-minute adjustments.

Because I'm endlessly fascinated by the New York City subway system, I visited the new Hudson Yards 7 train station earlier this year. The new Second Avenue stations feel similar in design to Hudson Yards, mixed with the newish stations along Lex Ave and on Roosevelt Island. The stations feel modern—everything is sleek, shiny and clean!—but in my opinion nothing can come close to the mosaic-tiled beauty of the original early-1900s stations.

But the stations do feature some pretty incredible new artwork by Chuck Close, Sarah Sze, Vik Muniz and Jean Shin. Sze's "Blueprint for a Landscape" blankets the entrance and the upstairs of the 96th Street Station with papers that look like they've been blown around by incoming trains. Huge portraits of Lou Reed, Philip Glass, Chuck Close, Kara Walker, Cecily Brown and Alex Katz (all by Close) adorn the 86th Street Station and are done in varying styles, including glass mosaic and painted tiles.

It's Vik Muniz's "Perfect Strangers" mosaics, however, that are the real standout. The mosaic-work is outstanding and the subjects are whimsical but ultimately perfectly ordinary, at least by New York standards. The mosaics feature people of every culture, size, age and class without any political context or agenda—just people being. They reach for balloons, take off their costume head, look at their cellphone, dash for their papers, stare blankly ahead or tenderly hold hands. If we have to sacrifice the tiled station names of yesteryear for art that so perfectly captures the spirit and humanity of New York City, then I think the MTA made the right choice.

Manhattan Bridge: Morning

On a recent weekend, I was meeting my mom in Chinatown for diner breakfast before we headed to the resurrected Troll Museum. It was a nice morning, so I took the Q to DeKalb and walked the rest of the way from Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan via the Manhattan Bridge. Riding over the bridge on the Q during my morning commute, I've often thought that morning is the time to walk the bridge—the light shining on Manhattan is perfect at that time of day. I also (wrongly) assumed that it would be desolate at an early hour, but discovered that seemingly every single running club in New York City runs over the bridge on Saturday morning (who knew?).

Despite nearly being trampled multiple times, the walk was still lovely. I've walked nearly all of the city bridges (this was my third time on the Manhattan), and can say with certainty that the views from the Manhattan are unparalleled. Sure you'll get similar views from the Brooklyn Bridge, but (running clubs aside) with far more foot traffic and selfie-stick wielding tourists. The safety fence does require some ingenuity to get a proper photograph, but I eventually stopped fighting it and learned to love the framing provided by the original fence that sits beneath the chain link.

Of course the skyline of Lower Manhattan—and the profile of the neighboring Brooklyn Bridge—is a classic, postcard view, but it's when the bridge reaches land and you can see into the streets of Chinatown that I think things really get interesting. The ever-changing graffiti mixed with clotheslines and inexplicable foliage is fascinating to me—an entire city of rooftops within a city and out of view. There's really nothing like having a fresh vantage point on a city I feel as if I know so well to reinvigorate my love of New York.

Lower East Side

I was in desperate need of a city adventure on Saturday. It was threatening to be a wash out, so I headed out early hoping to get my fix before the rain started. My very favorite thing to do (maybe ever) is to get diner breakfast, so I started by picking a new-to-me diner.

I had photographed the Cup & Saucer way back for my Need Supply Co. ode-to-diners post, but it hadn't been open when I went. It's very small and narrow inside—just a counter and a few window seats—but it hit all of the classic diner buttons. The staff was friendly, the food was good and cheap and they even have the Greek/Anthora-style "It's Our Pleasure to Serve You" to-go coffee cups.

After breakfast and fueled by diner coffee, I wandered around Chinatown and the Lower East Side. Every time I find myself in the LES, I wonder why I don't make a point to be there more often. Sure it's become impossibly trendy like most of New York, but there are still wonderful old storefronts and beautiful signage around almost every corner.

I walked along the river for a bit, discovering a lot of streets I had never heard of before—Madison (Street, not Avenue), Rutgers, Cherry, Catherine, Oliver—along with wonderful views of the Manhattan Bridge and DUMBO waterfront.

The weather has been pretty terrible this month and I haven't been away from the city since Christmas—lately it seems as if that combination has taken a toll on my overall mood and left me feeling a little blah. But I'll never underestimate the power of a good diner breakfast and city stroll to clear out the cobwebs and make me fall completely in love with this city all over again.

Manhattan Bridge

I've walked the Manhattan Bridge a few times now, and I've really grown fond of its scrappiness—especially when compared with its classier and more popular neighbor, the Brooklyn Bridge. I love it much more now that I'm prepared for the constant train rattle and now that I know exactly how to find the pedestrian entrances and exits.

My most recent bridge walk was from Brooklyn to Manhattan, after a day spent exploring Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo. The sun was setting and it was pretty empty, which made for a really excellent walk. I will always appreciate that cyclists and pedestrians have their own sides of the bridge, which makes the walk much more leisurely.

There is always new graffiti to see on the Chinatown rooftops and on the bridge itself and the colors are really extraordinary. And no matter how many times I see it, the view of lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge will never not be spectacular to me—even if I have no idea how the Verizon monstrosity has the nerve to think it belongs in the same skyline as the dreamy Woolworth building.

The Manhattan Bridge

I guess I'm starting to have a thing for bridges. A few weeks ago I walked the Brooklyn Bridge for the second time, but the Manhattan Bridge has been on my list for a while, especially since I saw a photograph of the arch and colonnade in this Landmarks of New York exhibit.

Friday I got off work early (thanks 427!) so I decided to take advantage of the remaining few hours of sunlight and finally take on the Manhattan. The entrance to the bridge is in Chinatown, and while the arch and colonnade aren't hard to miss, the pedestrian walkway can be a little tricky to find. Unlike the Brooklyn Bridge, bikers and pedestrians use separate paths, on opposite sides of the bridge (if you're entering on the Manhattan side, pedestrians are on the right). You also walk below and to the side of traffic, and right next to active subway tracks so the experience is wholly different.

To someone who was familiar with the Brooklyn Bridge, I would describe the Manhattan as it's grittier, dirtier and slightly scarier, distant cousin. There is graffiti covering a large portion of the visible surfaces, and the original side barriers have since been amended with a high, curving chain link fence (presumably to discourage people from jumping onto the rooftops of the buildings below).

For a while you walk over neighborhoods in Chinatown and downtown Manhattan, and the views are amazing, particularly at, or near, sunset. You also get great views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the East River and, of course, Brooklyn. I'm not generally scared of heights — tunnels are more nightmarish to me — but I will say that the walk across the Manhattan is not for the faint of heart. Maybe it's the fact that you're closer to the water than when walking the Brooklyn, or that the whole bridge shakes violently when a train passes (and they pass frequently), but there were times when I felt a little uneasy.

It's probably because of these things that it also felt less touristy, which I'm sure could also translate into a bit "murdery," especially in the dark — I would advise sticking to daytime walks. I don't mind the graffitti, but they've also blocked off some older parts of the bridge — little charming alcoves where you could presumably pause to take in the views are now fenced off, which is a shame.

Also unlike the Brooklyn, you can't get much of a view of the bridge itself while you're walking it, but a short walk to DUMBO and Brooklyn Bridge park is all you need for that. I think the DUMBO neighborhood is super charming, and it seems as if every time I go there more cute shops and restaurants have sprung up.

I need to go back if for nothing else than to try One Girl Cookies— I was terribly impatient the last time I was there, and the line was long, but I've read good things. After my first foray into macarons was so successful, I'm eager to try out more goodies that I've been missing out on, and whoopie pies seem like a good choice (I've never had one!).

I had to stand in the middle of the street for this shot, but how cute is the Empire State Building peeking out?

I'm glad I can check walking the Manhattan off of my to-do-list, but I probably won't walk it again, if at all. The Brooklyn Bridge, construction and all, is still pure magic to me and I don't think any other bridge will be taking its place anytime soon.