OK before I write this post you have to know I’m usually GREAT at maps and directions in general. I’m usually NOT the one to freak out when there is somewhere new to go. Just a little Google Maps and I’m ready to head out. In fact, I’m usually the one with the map in hand telling people where to turn. But something happened this weekend. I think the subway baffled me to the point I could not think straight. And also the idea of “ish”. Like it’s on 47th and 8th – ish. I knew we’d be close but just one or two blocks away seemed to add another 15 minutes backtracking and getting on course.
Take Dani and I’s trip from the hotel to Junior’s. It SHOULD have only been a cut-through a parking lot from 46th to 47th and down one building. But I got confused on my little map I had printed and marked the restaurants we were going to with “R”s. The green in the picture is what we should have done and the red is what we really did.
Basically what happened is I was headed from the hotel (A) to 51st and 9th (C) where dinner was Saturday night instead of heading towards Junior’s (B). Whoops. Should have paid attention to my map a little more. That one wasn’t so bad. I WAS going the right way IF we were going to dinner.
Our troubles continued though. We tried the subway on Saturday but the subway map I had just wasn’t clear enough on where you got on the thing and where the thing stopped. So while I could tell what line to get on, I wasn’t sure how close it would get us. I was so scared it would land us in Queens or Brooklyn (and getting us lost and wasting time, I presumed) that we just avoided it altogether. In fact, we actually bought tickets, walked down into the the place, asked a guy and he was like “why are you here? you guys aren’t lazy, you could just walk that.” So out we went, wasting our $2. We didn’t attempt it the rest of the day.
So Sunday we FINALLY got the hang of it but I had a really bad headache and we needed to carry two bags to the photo shoot so we decided to take a cab. Door-to-door service right? The green is what we SHOULD have done on the subway. The red is our cab ride (straight line) and walk (dotted line ).
I don’t know if that cab ride is exactly right but it is REALLY close. What happened is the polish-slavic parade was going down Park (I think) and the guy kept going around the block trying to get through but couldn’t. He finally dropped us off somewhere around 34th, said we needed to walk a block and pick up another cab, even waiving our $5 tip and apologizing profusely. But by that time we decided to hike it the rest of the way. But then I got confused because I thought Park Ave was the same thing as 5th and I didn’t realize 7th and Broadway weren’t the same thing anymore. Needless to say, we did some backtracking on 28th.
After this, we DID manage to do well on a few trips on the subway. We took the subway back to the hotel from the shoot, made it to China Town and also to dinner near Union Square and then back home. We were doing SO well and getting things accomplished so much faster.
Until.
The wretched Apple Store trip. I didn’t know where to get on the subway except for Times Square at 42nd, not realizing I could get on at 49th and taking the subway almost directly to the store so I decided hey, let’s take the fancy little Shuttle to Grand Central Station and head UP Lexington and then just walk a few blocks to Apple. This is how our trip went. Green is what we should have done, Red solid line where we took the subway and red dotted line where we walked.
So once again I was confused on this 5th street and Park Ave thing. The whole “ish” thing came into play again. We got confused on what direction we were going after getting off the stop at Lexington and 60th causing us to “wiki-wiki-wiki” right in front of some car holding a couple that seemed to be in the throws of a break-up. Sorry about your break-up AND the disturbance, couple on 60th. Anyway, it was a DISASTER. We spent almost THREE HOURS going to and from the Apple Store.
Please, those familiar with New York and its public transportation, don’t laugh too long at us.
I have been to NYC more times than I can count and the way I avoid getting lost is to not have a destination. Seriously! As I am usually there to visit friends, I just pick a general area of town when I am exploring alone and walk/take subway there. I am never lost if I don’t know where I’m going to start!
Sounds like you did a great job, though. Makes me miss NYC so much!!
Melissa Oyler’s last blog post..He sees the light, a moment after all goes dark
O noes!!! 🙁 This is why I love to use Google for public transit/walking on the spot, because it actually knows what time it is and what day it is and will let you know if it knows a line is closed, etc.
We had our own walking adventure on Saturday before we saw you, from the Staten Island Ferry to the Brooklyn Bridge to Chinatown.
I never got my spring rolls. I am sad. Now I want spring rolls again.
I finally figured out how to use the Google public transit thing you told me about when I got back. Live and learn I guess. I’ll be prepared for next time.
Amy’s last blog post..#HBC Family Circus
I know, it’s very obscure. I found it by accident one day, when I thought, “geez, I wish Google maps showed me how to use the subway too…”
And it does!
Also, hopstop.com works, although it isn’t my favorite.
OOHH Amy, what a story! I got dizzy just reading it! When I went to New York this summer I had a great guide. Her name is Amy also. We did not ride the subway at all, just walked and rode in taxi’s for the long trips. Well was it as much fun as you thought it was? I sure hope so. I can’t wait to hear all about it tomorrow night at church! See you then!
Wait, you left out the dotted path where you spot a puppy and then play fetch with it and then run around the fountain 10 times. 😉
BusyDad’s last blog post..I’m Smarter Than a First Grader
All I have to say is that my legs are STILL hurting!!! But it was worth the pain, it was so much fun and it made such good memories! Especially the Apple Store journey…the wiki, wiki, wiki part, I could of peed in my pants laughing so hard!
Heather W.’s last blog post..Credit Card Processing
Okay, I can’t help it. But I’m laughing HARD. NYC is (IMO) one of the EASIEST cities to navigate. So forgive me for laughing out loud at your dilemma. 🙂
On the other hand, you got to see a lot more of NYC than you were expecting, which is nice!
Jaynee’s last blog post..Miscellany
Jaynee, on paper it DID look so easy.
I can say after two painful days we learned a lot and I’d agree it’s VERY easy once you do it once successfully.
Your maps are awesome. It’s so nice to know I’m not the only person who does things like this!
(Also, btw, your girls are gorgeous, and so are your photos of them!)
Sarah Morgan’s last blog post..Don’t Vote.
My legs still hurt!
Heather W.’s last blog post..Credit Card Processing
Luckily my husband is really great with this sort of thing. He did manage to take us to Brooklyn on the subway by accident one day but for the most part, we navigate the city pretty well. Sounds like you had an interesting adventure!
Jen’s last blog post..Six Random Facts