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MTA built a special entrance to the original City Hall stop
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Today it is simply a part of everyday life, whooshing us to work, to shows, to games, and back home again. But what is routine for New Yorkers of 2004 was a pure, civic-engineering wonder exactly 100 years ago today, when the first subway train rolled out of Lower Manhattan to forever change the nature of the five boroughs.
That first ride -- which set off from the now-closed original City Hall station at 2:35 p.m. on October 27, 1904 -- was re-lived this morning by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Peter Kalikow, Lt. Governor Mary Donohue, and others.
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| 1917 Lo-V Train was restored for the centennial |
The officials joined a slew of VIPs and MTA workers aboard a 1917 "Lo-V" subway train parked inside the century-old station, which is located underground just southwest of the City Hall building. And then off they went for a 20-minute ride along the No. 6-train route, terminating to fanfare at Grand Central's 42nd Street Shuttle platform.
Today's celebration was a culmination of MTA- and city-organized events that have built momentum for the centennial all year long. The events and exhibits will continue over the coming weeks at the Transit Museum and throughout the system -- bringing vintage subway trains out of retirement today through Friday. The "Centennial Specials" date back as far as the 1900s and will make guest appearances on the 1, 3, N, W, and 42nd Street Shuttle routes.
The mayor kicked off today's celebration outside of City Hall, where he proudly pointed out how frequently he rides the subway -- to and from work as well as to meetings and events -- telling onlookers that he has only been yelled at in the subway once, by a man demanding he "fix the Knicks!"
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| Bloomberg awards Thomas Merrick for 46 years with NYCT |
"I guess you can say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The Bronx is still up and the Battery is still down, and people still ride in a hole in the ground," Bloomberg said, quoting the 1949 Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly classic "On the Town." He added, "The most important thing is that we have comfortable, safe, affordable mass transit."
At the podium, Bloomberg declared the day "Subway Centennial Day," and along with Kalikow awarded certificates for exemplary service to Anthony "Rocky" DiGraziano and Thomas Merrick, who have worked for the subway system since 1946 and 1948 respectively.
Lt. Governor Donohue praised the system as "an engineering marvel," adding, "The Irish immigrants, Italian, African-American -- they toiled long and hard [to build this system]. We owe them a big debt of gratitude. It is truly the greatest transit system in the world."
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| A barbershop quartet harmonized outside City Hall |
The pre-ride festivities brought together scores of city, state, and MTA workers, students from the Tweed Courthouse school, bagpipers, a barbershop quartet, and actors in turn-of-the-century passenger and subway conductor costumes. Also in attendance was the newly crowned Miss Subways, Caroline Sanchez-Bernat of Queens -- who was quite possibly the most-photographed of all VIPs at the celebration.
When time came to board the train, Bloomberg, Kalikow, and Donohue led the way down the specially made entrance to the remarkable old City Hall station. Besides having a distinctly historical air, the platform stands out in several ways from today's bustling stations. It is shorter, only able to accommodate four cars on a sharp curve (the reason for its closing in 1945), and has grand, vaulted ceilings lined with polished Guastavino tiles.
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| Actors dressed in period costumes marked the occasion |
The 1917 Lo-V train parked on its tracks was decorated much like the original train that first departed from the station a century ago, and Bloomberg stood front and center just as Mayor George McClellan did in 1904. In the following four cars -- each painted their original olive-green tone -- riders found restored décor, including beige, cane-woven seats, overhead fans, exposed light bulbs, fully opening windows, and vintage ads from companies such as Campbell's Soup, Royal Baking Powder, and Wrigley's Gum.
"It's fun to have the opportunity to catch a glimpse into some New York history," said rider Ron Spitzer, an audio technician who lives near Gramercy Park. "It's a visceral learning experience."
After breezing past the No. 6 local stations -- turning the heads of riders waiting for the next real train and garnering waves from MTA workers along the way -- the Lo-V finally terminated at Grand Central station. The old-time band kicked off, the next shuttle train pulled into the station, and subway riders kept on moving.
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