Riding Trains Under The Ground
My first day in New York City included my first trip on the subway system. So first impression? It's a bit dingy, makes me think of a dirtier version of the Berlin U-Bahn because of the squareness of the tunnels and that the Tube is far superior. That last one surely shouldn't surprise anyone.
We took a number 1 train from 14th Street and 6th Avenue to Columbus Circle (I keep wanting to call it 'circus'). Well, we started at 14th and 6th but to get to the 1 platforms we had to walk to 7th Avenue. It was a bit like Bank for the tourist confusion factor. Along the journey there were several trash cans, some of them overflowing. Something you never see on the Underground for various reasons.
Once at platform level the ambiance didn't improve much. The thing we really noticed was how filthy the tracks are. Sure it's a bit sooty and mucky along the tracks but these look like they are never cleaned and are used as make shift garbage bins. The platforms in some cases can be quite narrow. I found the whole experience a bit claustrophobic.
Our silver train approached and we hopped on. The trains themselves are a bit like those airstream caravans on the outside. But with more American flags. Inside is quite minimalistic but at least was pretty well clean. As we made our way North you could see that there are stations in much better nick then the one we started at but they still all basically look the same. I'm keen to check out more stations to get a better feel for it all. For all the dingyness it still has a certainly quality to it. Not everything can be the same as London I suppose 
A Lil Look Around Aldwych Station
TFL currently have an exhibition on about the current and forth coming upgrades to various Tube lines. They just happened to host it in a station that's been closed since 1994 that geeks like me would love to have a look inside. What a clever ploy. The station in question is Aldwych (formerly Strand before Charing Cross was renamed Strand for a while, all very confusing). Since closing it has been used for filming, training and private hires. The exhibit takes up the majority of the ticket hall; the platform level was off limits. The info on display can be seen online anytime, I was there to take a poke around.
The Surrey Street entrance and exit.
Interior of the original 1907 lift, the only one left on the network.
Lift exterior.
Booking hall found behind some temporary hoardings.
Phone booths, also behind the hoardings.
There's a few more photos to see over at Flickr.
Oh, Canada Day
LOOK LOOK!
Lord tunderin', the Tim Horton's tent at the Trafalgar Square Canada Day do had doughnuts this year. And a massive queue. And no Ice Capps. Melted or sold out, who knows? After standing in the queue for what must have been around 30 minutes I got to the counter and asked if there was a limit on how many doughnuts you could buy. As there was a limit on the number they had, and everyone was buying one, I was worried there was. Thankfully the lady at the counter said 'heavens no!'. So I got myself a chocolate dip and a Boston cream.
The Boston cream was especially cold, so I figured they must have been shipped in a cooler. I reckon that's the only way they could do it. Even if they were just shipped from one of the few Horton's locations in the UK.
The next culinary delight was a heap of curly fries. They were a bit dear at £5 a servering. The stall was a bit tricksy and didn't post the price for them, just that cheese was £1 extra. The donoughts were crazy cheap at just £1 each.
The best part of the whole thing was this. While standing eating my curly fries there was group next to me doing the same. One of the guys in the group dropped his empty styrofoam container and a girl in the group shouted 'you can't litter, it's Canada Day!'. Fantastic.
Oh and I was the only person in ear shot that cheered when the MCs asked if there was anyone from P.E.I. there. No cheers for any of the territories, shame.
Things Seen and Heard
Some random things I've seen and/or heard in the past few days:
1. A guy driving around East London in a crappy lil' hatchback blasting out Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. Rickrollin' the neighbourhood.
2. A mint 1970's (possibly 60's) Mercedes parked in a street off Oxford Street with a top hat and umbrella in the back window.
3. Guy behind me on the train to Cambridge blaming the lack of seats first on the Tories, then on bankers. The sombre bloke beside him responding with 'it's got nothing to do with bankers' a few times before giving up.
4. A guy on the train to King's Cross who looked exactly like Toby from the US version of The Office, right down to the facial expressions.
Memorised
Welcome to this National Express service for London Liverpool Street.
We will be calling at Shelford, Whittlesford, Great Chesterford, Audley End, Newport, Elsenham, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Bishops Stortford, Sawbridgeworth, Harlow Mill, Harlow Town, Roydon, Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Tottenham Hale and London Liverpool Street.
I remember the first time Pat and I heard that announcement at Cambridge Station and were baffled by the long list of fantastically named stops. Mounfitchet!
What’s all this then?
Flickr Photos
Tweets
- Staten Island truly is garbage island. The ferry ride there and back was rather good though. 6 hrs ago
- Holt crap, I slept until 1pm today. Missed a major thunder storm as well. Harumph! 15 hrs ago
- Other than my phone screwing up, had a lovely walk around lower Manhattan today and a short stroll in Central Park this evening. 1 day ago
- Anyone have experience with their iPhone not being recognised in iTunes after making a call using an over-seas network? 1 day ago
- Just giggled to myself while looking at all the GE microwave in the kitchen, thinking Head of Microwave and TV Programming. #30Rock 1 day ago
- More updates...
Neat Links
- Lady Gaga Kidnaps Commissioner Gordon (The Onion)
- The Saint in WC1... (Bollards of London)
- Sub-Zero brand ice cream (Super Punch)
- London Underground’s “secret” tube station (IanVisits - The Blog)
- Squidgey sculpture feels like rolls of fat (Boing Boing)