How to NYC, Lesson 2: Subways

A Working Guide to Touring / Transplanting to New York from a Midwesterner’s Perspective
When I first moved to New York a few months ago, I was totally overwhelmed and terrified for several days. Having come from a very rural background, I had no idea of what to expect. I’d done my best to do as much research as possible to prepare myself, but none of those materials could have truly prepared me for the experiences and challenges I would face.

So I’ve written this little series, How to NYC, with my fellow Midwesterners in mind. For those of you who have never traveled to a big city beyond Minneapolis or Chicago before (that’s okay!), who have never used a public transportation system before, and who have never not experienced Minnesota Nice, this is for you. (And for those of you who haven’t ever experienced Minnesota Nice, I see a pleasant trip in your near future…)

Lesson 2: THE COMMUTE
can be a serious pain the rear when you're so used to simply hopping in a car and getting to where you need to be. Learning to get around was also the thing that freaked me out the most when I first landed, but it's actually pretty easy, as long as you keep a few things in mind.

The Subway
The subway gets its own lesson, since it's the most (in my eyes) complex form of transportation for those that have never used it before. But maybe I'm just simple.

• Navigating the subway system is like reading and following signs on the interstate - you just have to know where you want to end up.
• Use mta.info's Trip Planner tool (not Google Maps) to figure out how you're going to get from Point A to Point B. It's also not a bad idea to download the subway map or subway-related apps to your phone. 
• Know if you need to head Uptown or Downtown (in Manhattan), or toward Queens, Brooklyn, or the Bronx. 
• Pay attention to how the stations are labeled before you descend into the deep, dark unknown. Sometimes, you can't always cross over to the appropriate platform once you're down in the tube.
• Some trains are express trains (they skip some stops) and some are local (they stop at all stops). When in doubt, wait for a local train.
• Nights and weekends are filled with rail construction and maintenance, which causes delays and some trains don't even run.
• Again, use mta.info. Their Trip Planner tool factors in planned schedule and route changes. There are also some phone apps out there that can help you with this too.
• All planned changes are also posted in several places in every station, next to the big subway map. They can be very confusing - read carefully!
• Fares / Metrocards
• Unless you are old or have a disability, fares are $2.50 per trip (same for buses). This means that if you have to transfer trains at some point in your journey, as long as you don't exit the station through the turn-style thingys, you will only pay that $2.50 once.
• One 30-day unlimited ride Metrocard is $112. So, if you take the subway (or buses) 11 - 12 times or more per week, you're getting your money's worth (and then some). Same math applies for the 7-day unlimited cards, which are $30.
• When inside the car:
• Minnesota Nice is applicable here. If you're sitting, offer your seat to someone who is elderly, pregnant, disabled, etc. if they are standing. 
• During "peak" (rush) hours, try to make yourself as compact as possible. If you're flying into town with several bags and plan to take public transit to get to where you're staying, consider a flight that lands in the early early morning, middle of the day, or evening, if possible.
• When standing, I find it easiest to stand facing the ends of the train. This way, your body sways with the train and not against it.
• Don't try to be the cool kid that doesn't hang onto the pole while the train's moving. You will fall, and you will no longer be the cool kid. 
• Other general rules of thumb:
• If you have to be somewhere by a certain time, add at least 10 minutes to your planned travel time.
• Except sometimes during peak hours, trains don't wait long. Get there on time or be ready to wait a while for the next one.
• When riding late at night, try to get in the first car, as this is the driver's car. At night, there are generally more people in this car, and there's always at least one person (the driver), so you're less apt to get mugged or whatever. You can also try to do this with the conductor's car (usually the middle one), but it's harder to find when you're in a hurry.
• If possible, avoid the stupid freakin' G train. It is never on time.