Just a couple tidbits I learned while trying to figure out the New York Subway.
- Referring to a particular line by its color instead of the alpha or numerical designation you immediately let every local around you know that you have no idea what you are doing.
- Know the last stop on the line you want to take.
- Uptown and downtown, get it straight. North, South, East, and West mean nothing. Streets and Avenues.
- Local trains can help you get to the next stop if your train hasn’t arrived.
- Express trains that follow the same path but have a different designation can be used as long as there is a all trains stop along the same path where you can catch the local. Otherwise, you’ll pass your stop and end up back tracking.
- Streets can have west and east designations. Sections of Manhattan could be “X West Xth Street” or “X East Xth Street”. 5th Ave is the east/west divider.
Good Luck!