somehow amidst all the political hoopla i missed the centennial of the new york subway system. you’d think seeing as how i ride the thing damn near every day it would have been called to my attention somewhere along the way. blank stares? check. total disregard for rules of foot traffic? check. parasitic over the shoulder newspaper reading? thermostat set to “hades?” dr. zizmor ads? check, check, check.  a giant flashing sign that reads your subway system is now 100 years old, so stop glaring hatefully at the guy with his giant backpack in your face and feel free to romanticize about your beloved subway’s long and storied history! nope. with that in mind i’ve rounded up a whole slew of subway related links for your reading / viewing / romanticizing pleasure. enjoy.

stories-
if the subway had never been?

true but strange. “little moments, the minor triumphs, epiphanies and turning points that are almost forgotten.”

a few questions for a historian.

opening day. “History was being made the day the subway opened, and everyone in NewYork knew it.”

finding beauty underground. ” A ride on the subway is not usually what one considers an aesthetically pleasing experience…”

the subway crush. “...in reality, I never said a word.”

paging dr. zizmor “an a to z of the subway.”

multimedia-
newsday’s story of the subway. includes audio and video presentations.

subway art “new york’s underground treasures.” an audio piece from npr.

riding alone. “remembering riding the subway, alone, at nine years old.” npr audio.

celebrating the subway in film and song. image gallery and a bunch of audio.

new york underground via pbs. (check out the technology timeline)

not really multimedia, but check out this little info graphic.

subway art-
nyc trains graffiti from the mid 80’s.

graffiti @149th street history including dondi, the fabulous 5ive, the fantastic partners, the death squad, and iz the wiz.

art for transit a guide to all commissioned subway station art, organized by subway line. also includes lirr, metro-north, and bridge/tunnel.

canal st. station scan the interview with mike combs from earlier this month and try to solve the puzzle.

sites-
nyc subway great site. sections include, historical development, maps, cars and yards, and subway tech, among others.

forgotten new york has a nice section devoted to subways and trains. really neat stuff.  esspecially liked checking out the ride as it was in 1907, and the 1930’s. endless cool “forgotten” history here.

also of note is the abandoned stations site which collects photos of long closed destinations. very cool. urban archeology.