This makes me appreciate "takin' the train"

Remember those photos I teased you with last week? Well, let me show you where I took them...

That's right, I took them on the subway.

But not just any subway- rather, the Transit Museum!

Located in Brooklyn, the museum chronicles the histories of the various methods of transit in NYC.

Upon entry into the museum (which is actually a converted subway station itself), are artifacts and informational tidbits about the digging of the subway tunnels.

There were so many interesting factoids, including this sign of rate comparisons for the folks who worked in the tunnels.

A little later on in the museum...

There were displays about the various bridges throughout the city.

From my neighbor, the Queensboro Bridge...

(FYI: There are mini displays placed child-eye-level explaining the same information that's in the 'adult' display, which I think is a great way to incorporate kids.)

To the newly names Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (a.k.a. the Tri-Borough Bridge)...

There were lots of cool things to look at (like this 1936 Harlem Lift Bridge control panel).

One of the other things that I really enjoyed in the museum were the various turnstile/entrance displays.

From the current system of MetroCards...

To token machines...

And turnstiles...

Both recent versions...

And whole time-line of historical models.

A little ways further into the museum, there were even more cool things to see!

From buses...

To model trains and trolleys...

To an educational area (for class field trips)...

There was a whole lot to explore! There was even a bus that kids (and maybe a few grown-ups) could pretend to drive!

As you can tell, this museum is absolutely incredible... and I learned so much while I was there. But believe it or not, all of these photos only showed what was on the first level! So please feel free to visit tomorrow, as I'll have even more cool photos to share from the Transit Museum.

Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a great day!

A step back in time

The other day I visited a pretty cool place in NYC, and I felt like I had gone back in time!

I'll have lots more photos to show next week, but here are a couple to enjoy until Monday.

Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a great weekend!

How I get where I'm going...

As I've said before, one of my favorite things about living in NYC is the subway! It's easy, cheap, and a great way commute home after a long day at work.

As I made my way home the other day, I decided to take some photos along the way. First: my MetroCard. This tiny little piece of plastic is all I need to get onto the wonderful system that is the NYC subway!

As soon as I get underground, I slide my MetroCard through the turnstiles...

And make my way down to the subway platform.

And in a matter of moments, a train has arrived. It sounds crazy, but on hot days like these, I don't mind crowding into a packed car because of one glorious fact: the subway cars are air-conditioned!

And as I get closer to home and the cars empty a bit, I get to snag a seat and enjoy the books I've downloaded onto my Kindle!

So while I may miss driving while living in NYC, I still have plenty of reasons to love the subway!

Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a great day!!

"... a piece of sky!"

The other day I was waiting on the subway platform.

And I glanced to my right, and noticed an office building. 

I don't normally notice office buildings, but the other day the sun was shining (after endless days of rain here in NYC), and the reflection of the clouds on the mirrored panels was lovely.

And when I saw the office building, all I could think about was the movie Yentl*.

I know, it's totally weird, but the movie ends with Barbra Streisand singing the lyrics "... just a piece of sky!"... and that office building looked like a piece of sky to me.

(*If you're not intimately familiar with this Streisand epic like some of us are, here's a YouTube link that will fill you in!)

Thanks for stopping by and reading my random thoughts about nondescript office buildings in NYC- I hope you have a nice day!!

What's going on down there?

I hate to admit it, but sometimes I take things for granted here in the city. For example, the other day I was leaving a subway station... a station that I traipse through at least twice a week... and I realized that I totally take all of the cute little touches for granted!

From the ginkgo leaves inlaid in the terrazzo...

To the ginkgo leaf...

And oak leaf mosaics on the wall...

I love all of the cute little touches! (Don't you just adore this little duck family?)

So while the subway tunnel may be the last thing I remember to appreciate...

I'm going to work on that!

Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a great day!!

This is not a paid advertisement!

I spend a lot of time waiting on the subway platform.

It can be a pretty dreary thing. But do you want to know something? I often look forward to waiting for the train!

It's true- because any time I spend waiting for the train is time I can spend reading my kindle!

It's the best present I've received in a long time!

And it makes the time I spend waiting for the subway fly by!!

The days I spend lugging hardcover books in my purse are long behind me- and I couldn't be more thrilled! I never thought I would fall for an electronic gadget, but it's happened... and it's amazing!

Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a great day!

Purell anyone?

I love being able to take the subway everyday. And lucky for me, the trains on my subway line have been updated to shiny new ones, complete with digital-screen station listing and molded plastic benches that are a soothing blue color.

But every now and then, an older train will show up at my station.

The older trains have orange, bucket seats...

And years of graffiti etched into the metal.

And while they may not be as pretty and clean as the newer cars, they're so much more "NYC"... just think of all the interesting people who have ridden in those cars, sat in those seats and held onto those poles!

Actually... now that I think about it- that's totally gross! So while I go wash my hands, I hope you have a great weekend- thanks for stopping by! :)