Exemplification Essay: The NYC Subway System

Whenever we are reminded of NYC, we think of Times Square or The Status of Liberty. However, we always forget what is right under our noses; the NYC subway system. I like to think of the subway system as a labyrinth because of it’s intricate network of passages that guides us to all over NYC. Just by looking at a map of the subway system overwhelms me because it is so hard to imagine how much work was put into making this beautiful yet complex structure. An average New Yorker may ignore the daily lives in the subway system but if you look closely you can see multiplicity of events taking place.
From the musicians trying to earn a daily living to the preachers yelling close to your ear. Sometimes you will see people doing acrobatics in the

train and other times you will encounter people selling candies in the train. I like to call them underground performers. The subway turns into a concert hall with talents floating everywhere. From Opera collective singing groups to bands playing in the middle of a big crowd. I always find occasional guitarist or violinist putting their soul and heart into their music. The subway becomes a place for singer to show off their amazing voice to collect a couple of dollars.
Every train has it’s own story.

However, the 4 train resides with me because it gives me the chance to explore the subway thoroughly. It’s always a scary feeling as the 4 train approaches the train station because it sounds like a pack of Rhinos crashing into a halt. I enter the train and quickly gaze of a seat because I know people will be racing to any open seats available. Luckily I found two empty seats and that’s where my luck ended because right next to me sat a drunk who smelled like he had been drinking gallons of liquor. Everyone around him decided to get up and move somewhere else. I decided to move carts because I can’t stand the smell of liquor. That might have been a good thing because I walked right into someone signing “Barcelona by Bill Newman.” After he finished signing I was the only one who clapped and the man turned around and gave me a big smile that I still remember till today. Most people were far too busy listening to their earbuds and didn’t even acknowledge him singing. There were no chatter or laughter, everyone is minding their own business. The mood gradually became positive as more teenagers and kids entered the train. The train ride just became a news source because you can year the gossips or the latest

trend.
As I was nearing the end of the ride I noticed something very interesting. I realized that there are sections in which a certain race or group of people live based on who gets on and off the train. They very last stop Crown Heights- Utica Avenue is where you will find majority of African Americans boarding the train and as you keep going toward Atlantic Avenue/ Barclay Center you start seeing Caucasians get on the train. You will encounter more and more Caucasians as you go past bowling green. However, once you enter Bronx all those people get off. Our city is slowly being divided so certain group of people live in a certain area and it only takes one stop for the shift to happen. It is extremely rare to see a Caucasian person take the 6 train into the Bronx. Also the 6 trains that are going toward Manhattan are always packed in the morning because people are going to school and jobs. Similarly the trains coming back to the Bronx are always packed at night because everyone is coming back home from their jobs/school.
What does this say about the Bronx? It could mean that Bronx is still developing and more jobs are available in other borrows. It could also mean that there is still some racial tension between different groups of people. Do people feel more safe living in a community that mainly has a certain type of racial group? All these questions come to my mind when riding the train. The subway is a interesting and lively place where you can encounter situations that allows you to understand NYC better as a whole.