A Lifetime on the New York City Subway

by Diane Leon   

There hasn’t been a time the New York Transit System was not a part of my life. I grew up in the 1950s with the Third Avenue El train outside my window on 53^rd and Third Avenue. Days were spent looking out of the first floor window of the old five storey tenement. In between yelling down to my friends, I also talked to people who waited on the platform. On other days I skated and crossed the cobblestone street of Third Avenue. I’d hang on the black iron pillars while the El train roared above and two- way traffic swished around me. When the El came down in 1955 I was eleven years old and hated to see it go.  

As a kid, a New York City summer offered me the opportunity to go to the beach. For 15 cents we took the new token to Coney Island. Crowds of people all in search of an escape from the heat of the city packed into green colored trains on the outside and inside. People sat on the yellow wicker seats and others held onto the porcelain hand straps. These were the days of no air-conditioning and often times the non-working overhead fans made it a very hot ride. It was worse on the way home. The heat made my sunburn ache and sand stuck to my body. Torn wicker seats ripped ladies nylons and when I got up to leave I walked around with the imprint of the wicker design on my legs for fifteen minutes.  After the wicker came red cushion seats which I loved. The interior was painted in a gray-green.  Change was in the air. 

By 1966 it cost 20 cents a ride. Finally in 1967 air-conditioning was introduced on the F train. As the Cultural Revolution was happening on the streets the subway got me to my job in the music industry where I worked with the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kiss and many more in talent agencies into early 80's. Where else, but in New York City can you spend a night at Studio 54 and take the train home at 3 AM? Concerts, parties, hanging out all night in Greenwich Village were part of my life. Without the subway it would have been impossible to go from place to place for only 20 cents a ride.   

The graffiti filled trains during the mid 70's- 80's reflected the deteriorated stated of the New York.  The drug culture was in full force and crime was up. Those who didn’t ride the trains missed a tough time in the City. Personally, I liked the way the trains looked from a distance with the colorful bubble letters and tags. However, inside of the cars it was a mess if it got on your clothing. By 1986 the fare went from 90 cents to $1.00 and graffiti was off the trains.   

After decades of daily rides, I wonder how commuters can measure the time spent.  What do we really get out of our daily train rides?  Just think of all the daydreaming we do, all the newspapers, books we read and iPod music we listen to as we move from station to station. I guess in a way it’s our quality time, especially if you get a seat and the trains not too crowded. Then it’s a luxury ride.   

Diane Leon was born in New York City.  She currently lives in Queens and is an artist, writer and adjunct associate professor of arts at New York University, SCPS, Liberal Arts Degree Program. DL4@nyu.edu.