Includes the history of the various subway lines, pictures of trains through the years and old maps of the system. New yorkers were pretty pissed when the original subway fare doubled from 5 to 10 cents. The newyork historical societys exhibit tunnel vision. First i visited the new york transit museum, and then i read this book. Two brothershenry melville whitney of boston and william collins whitney of new york citypursued the dream of his city being the first american metropolis to have a subway and the great race was on. The new york city subway map is the one map that nearly everyone in the city consults constantly. The book is accompanied by an engaging, illustrated history of the subway system. My favorite book about nyc is the power broker by robert caro. Aside from city, the only other new book that has a coherent narrative history is lorraine b.
May 04, 2015 the first underground line was a resounding success. Were excited to announce the launch of subway library, a new initiative between the new york public library, brooklyn public library, and queens library, the mta, and transit wireless that provides subway riders in new york city with free access to hundreds of ebooks, excerpts, and short storiesall ready to read on the train. Three books delve into mass transit and the creation of the subway. Building the new york subway by andrew santella scholastic. A rather suggestive comment on the liveliness of existence in new york s streets during the building of the subway was the remark of one of the workmen who officiated at this episode that in every sectionshed such a sling or else one of the mats used to hold down flying rock in blasting was kept in readiness for just such emergencies. New york city subway system a historical outlook on its construction new york city was the secondlargest city in the world in the advent of the 20th century, with the majority of its 3. The sandhogs who built the new york subway jstor daily. To celebrate the centennial of this event, the johns hopkins university press presents a new edition of gene sansones acclaimed book, evolution of new york city subways. Never built new york by greg goldin and sam lubell what would. Raskin draws on this perspective to provide an insightful look at the whatmighthavebeens of urban mass transit. The humble new york subway car has its fans, as gene sansone demonstrates in his exhaustive survey. New york s planned subway was, of course, much larger, taking longer to build, while plagued with misfortune 54 workers and civilians died during its construction before it finally opened on october 27, 1904.
The new york city subway system has been an iconic representation of american metropolitan transportation since its opening in 1904. Featuring such curios as a private subway car built in 1904 for the director of the subway, his work also provides useful insights into such imponderables as why the cars on the f line are longer than those on, say, the 1 and 9 lines. On june 15, 1953, the new york state legislature created the new york city transit authority now mta new york city transit as a separate public corporation to manage and operate all cityowned bus, trolley, and subway routes. Boston, new york, and the incredible rivalry that built americas first subway hardcover february 4, 2014. The secret subway, by shana corey the new york times. From that initial route through the completion of the ind or independent subway line in the 1940s, the subway grew to cover 722 miles. Opened in 1904, the new york city subway is one of the worlds oldest public transit systems, one of the mostused, and the one with. So be sure to look out for it today on the subway, and head on a journey to the 17th century this weekend. New yorks planned subway was, of course, much larger, taking longer to build, while plagued with misfortune 54 workers and civilians died during its construction before it finally opened on october 27, 1904. While london boasts the worlds oldest underground train network opened in 1863 and boston built the first subway in the united states in 1897. True subway geeks should make a point of visiting the new york transit museum, which was established in 1976 in a decommissioned brooklyn subway stop. Boston, new york, and the incredible rivalry that built americas first subway covers an interesting period in history, when major cities were looking to find other modes of transportation to serve their citizens due to congestion and limited places to leave carts. The longwinded lady by maeve brennan one of my favorite new york books is the longwinded lady, a collection of short essays written mostly in the 1960s by maeve brennan for the new yorker magazines talk of the town. Brennan observes the city and its ordinary people on the streets of the village and times square.
A trip through new york citys unbuilt subway system fordham university press, mr. Woven into books, movies, and popular culture over its hundredyear existence, the new york city subway system has bled into other areas of history while simultaneously creating its own. The new york subway system lacks the electronic complexity of such modern operations as the washington, d. History of the new york city subway go new york tours. Its operator is the new york city transit authority nycta, which is controlled by the metropolitan transportation authority mta of new york. Apr 15, 2016 several times each year, the new york transit museum takes a lucky group of people on a tour of a shuttered subway station in lower manhattan. There are new books every day, and theyre there to be taken, read, shared, and most importantly, enjoyed.
Graphic design legend massimo vignellis nyc subway design. Several changes to the new york city subway system have taken place in the. This book, in the same vein of grellers new york city subway cars and subway. Working with them has become an important part of our campaigns, and our authors love seeing their books all around nyc. On july 2, 1868, the west side and yonkers patent railwaythe citys first elevated trainwas to have its maiden journey. The first airconditioned subway cars werent introduced until june 1967, meaning summer in new york used to be even worse.
New york subway construction photographs, 19001908, explores the logistical challenges and remarkable effort that went into what at the time, was the largest construction project in the citys history. It was the first book about new york that i read when i arrived in the city. The february 9, 1908 edition of the new york times carries an article on page 5 entitled new york centrals plans for big bronx station. When it first opened on october 27, 1904, the new york city subway ran twentytwo miles from city hall to 145th street and lenox avenue. The first subway line in new york city opened on october 27, 1904. Boston, new york, and the incredible rivalry that built americas first subway, it quickly becomes apparent that the 19thcentury world was a dirty, slowmoving place. The first subway, the irt from city hall to west 145th street, was built in four and a half years. New york city history resources city university of new york.
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. While many books have been written about new york citys subway, few have documented bostons herculean accomplishment in beating new york. The r62 in particular was the first new york city subway car class built by a foreign manufacturer. Jun 08, 2017 were excited to announce the launch of subway library, a new initiative between the new york public library, brooklyn public library, and queens library, the mta, and transit wireless that provides subway riders in new york city with free access to hundreds of ebooks, excerpts, and short storiesall ready to read on the train. One of the great delights of the decade cyrus and i spent teaching our writing new york class was the repeated opportunity to screen clips from ric burnss monumental new york.
Oct 11, 2016 the new york city subway map is the one map that nearly everyone in the city consults constantly. In 1904, the first electric underground subway and first 4track express heavy rail line, interborough rapid transit irt in new york city. New york citys rapid transit system, the longest in the world, was built between. In this work, hood combines historical narrative, political history, geology and. View photographs and prints of the new york subway and new york city by searching the librarys photos, prints, and drawings. The 25 best books about new york city history brick underground. Sandhogs, or underground subway tunnel miners, in new york city, 1903. Books on the subway is an excellent team committed to bringing books directly to the audience. Every day, we and a bunch of book ninjas go out and leave some of our favorite books on the new york subway.
Feb 18, 1977 real new york subway riders rarely miss a chance to ride one of the new subways that have opened in the last decade or so in places like montreal, san francisco and mexico city. The history of americas largest and most famous subway system is an interesting book. I wrote a thankyou note to the author for being the one responsible for the beginning of my love affair with new york. The sandhogs who built the new york subway unlike other laborers, who toiled anonymously on bridges and buildings throughout the city, the sandhogs had an iconic status in new york city. The new york city subway is a rapid transit system owned by the city of new york and leased to the new york city transit authority, a subsidiary agency of the staterun metropolitan transportation authority mta. Today, its a godsendin fact, these days it seems impossible to survive the sticky, humid new york city summers without air conditioning on subway trains. To me it is the best peoplefriendly guide to the city. Boston, new york, and the incredible rivalry that built americas first. Farrell was superintendent of construction on the tunnel itself. Mcdonald was doing the hoosac tunnel railway job in massachusetts, mr. In some respects, the most important feature of the new york centrals vast scheme of improvement will be the building of a large station at 149th street and park avenue, in the bronx. New york city subway resources unofficial site on the new york city subway system. But one of those stories tells how a european designerwith his business partneroverhauled the entire nyc subway system, and made it what it is today.
History of new york citys elevated train curbed ny. The project is by rosy saliba kehdi and hollie fraser. For this story about a 19thcentury inventor named alfred ely beach, who built, under the radar, a kind of mini subway line in new york city, red nose studio created and photographed intricate. Apr 07, 2020 the february 9, 1908 edition of the new york times carries an article on page 5 entitled new york centrals plans for big bronx station.
This book delivers a lively account of a transformational time in american history. From an acclaimed author and a new york times best illustrated artist comes the fascinating, littleknownand true. Develop critical sensitivities such as empathy and skepticism regarding attitudes, values, and behaviors of people in different historical contexts. Hood, a professor of history at hobart and william smith college in new york. The nyc subway history facts and secrets thrillist. There have been, and will be, other books on the new york city subway. New york city contains roughly 660 miles of subway track connecting 468 subway stationsthe lowest of which is located 180 feet below street level. Without a doubt, the highlight of that film is for me, at. Produced under the auspices of new york s metropolitan transit authority, this comprehensive account of the rapid transit systems design and engineering history offers an extensive array of photographs, engineering plans, and technical data for nearly every.
New yorks transit revolution began, inauspiciously, with a delay. The first underground line was a resounding success. When it first opened on october 27, 1904, the new york city subway ran tw. Mar 30, 2016 for this story about a 19thcentury inventor named alfred ely beach, who built, under the radar, a kind of mini subway line in new york city, red nose studio created and photographed intricate. Jan 19, 2017 the entire history of the new york city subway system would need its own bookshelf. While the first underground passenger rail tunnel actually opened in 1897 in boston, it was for a street railway i. Not just a gift to me, but to the history of new york city. When the great blizzard of 1888 brought new york city to a halt, a solution had to be found. Since the first subway opened in 1904, the new york subway system and its trains have provided millions of new yorkers with cheap, fast, and remarkably reliable transportation. Occasional train delay aside, you might never look at riding the subway in the same way ever again.
A rather suggestive comment on the liveliness of existence in new yorks streets during the building of the subway was the remark of one of the workmen who officiated at this episode that in every sectionshed such a sling or else one of the mats used to hold down flying rock in blasting was kept in readiness for just such emergencies. New york citys subway is one of the oldest public transportation systems in the world. The new york city subway is a rapid transit system that serves four of the five boroughs of new york city, new york. Jul 14, 2017 the sandhogs who built the new york subway unlike other laborers, who toiled anonymously on bridges and buildings throughout the city, the sandhogs had an iconic status in new york city. Several times each year, the new york transit museum takes a lucky group of people on a tour of a shuttered subway station in lower manhattan.
The entire history of the new york city subway system would need its own bookshelf. Metro or san franciscos bart, and new yorkers have few. The new york city subway system was opened in 1904, which makes it one of the oldest in the world. The book is brief and concise which is a problem in this case because the authors compiled a great deal of information in a small book. Real new york subway riders rarely miss a chance to ride one of the new subways that have opened in the last decade or so in places like montreal, san francisco and mexico city. Mcdonald a wide reputation before he bid for the new york subway. Metro or san franciscos bart, and new yorkers have few qualms in admitting that theirs is not the worlds most beautiful subway. Passengers originally paid for a subway ride with a ticket. New york bound books is pleased to announce that silver connections volume ii by philip ashforth coppola is now back in print in a limited edition.
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