There are lots of things within the confines of the NYC subway system that you may expect to see. Trains, obviously. Lots of people going to/from work. Tourists. Buskers.
But not raccoons.
Well, guess what? Surprise!
Continue reading “You Don’t Expect To See These In The New York City Subway System”
During our visit to Manhattan over Thanksgiving weekend, we planned a day where we’d have the chance to do something we hadn’t done in a long time and it involved us taking a boat. No, we weren’t going to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty. We weren’t going to Ellis Island either. We’d done both of those things before. Our trip was more important, we were going to Staten Island.
Yes, that Staten Island.
Sharon lived there for much of her life and for as long as I knew her before we moved to Florida. Once I got to go back to New Jersey for my reunion, she wanted to go back to her home borough for the Staten Island versions of authentic New York pizza and Chinese food (Note from Sharon: cuz they don’t taste ANYTHING like the pizza and Chinese you get in Manhattan).
One perk of going to Staten Island is that when you take the Staten Island Ferry from Manhattan, you get what might be the best view of the Statue of Liberty from the water. Even better than the boats that take you to Liberty Island. The kicker is, the Staten Island Ferry is free.
Continue reading “The Best Way To See The Statue Of Liberty”
New Yorkers are a breed unto themselves. And I can say that because I lived in New York for the first 35 years of my life (Brooklyn and Staten Island, REPRESENT!). As a general rule, we’re quick. We’re street smart. And we understand the system, to the point of knowing how to work it to our advantage. Or if not, at least how to work it over. 😉
So when the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority – they oversee the public transportation system of subways, trains, buses, etc, in 12 counties in lower New York, including the 5 boroughs of NYC) updated their rules to say, “No person may bring any animal on or into any conveyance or facility unless enclosed in a container and carried in a manner which would not annoy other passengers,” (Section 1050.9, section H, paragraph 1) New Yorkers stepped up to the challenge. Take a look…
Continue reading “NY Mass Transit Made A Rule About Pets, So New Yorkers Said, “Hold My Beer…””
If you’re going to be in one of over 20 big cities around the world this weekend, heads up that you might be exposed to something you may consider to be a little on the unusual side, especially in the dead of winter: people riding the subway without any pants on.
Yup.
Here’s more about it…
We visit New York regularly and when we do, we eventually end up taking the subway to get around town when it’s more convenient than getting an Uber or taxi, or walking. Because it’s not on my packing list, I’ll occasionally forget to bring our old MetroCards with us and after a while, I end up with a collection of cards that looks like this.
The MTA doesn’t it make it easy to end up with an empty MetroCard. First of all, the subway doesn’t accept contactless payments like other cities such as Chicago do, so you’re forced to buy a card. The fare machines are set to offer you a set amount when purchasing a card, like $10. However, the subway fare is $2.75 per ride. It doesn’t take a genius to find out those amounts aren’t evenly divisible so if you don’t know better, you’re going to have a leftover balance on your card.
Just to make the math harder, the MTA adds a bonus when you reload your card for more than $5.50.
Put $5.50 or more on your card and receive a 5 percent bonus. For example, a $20 purchase gives you $21.00 on your card. Refill your card to use the balance.
Continue reading “Here’s How To Never End Up With A Balance On Your New York MetroCard”
