At one of the few Manhattan bagel emporiums planning to honor National Bagel Day on Jan. 15, H&H will give Rewards program members a free bagel-and-cream-cheese combination. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman) Jan. 15 Is National Bagel Day but NYC Shops Are Largely Ignoring It While bagel shops across the US and abroad are celebrating National Bagel Day on Jan. 15, the Manhattan temples of hole-y-ness,... News 12 Jan 2026 | 02:30
Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber attend a rally at McBurney YMCA on West 14th St. on January 5, 2026, to commemorate the one year anniversary of the implementation of Congestion Pricing. ( Photo: Marc Hermann/MTA) Congestion Pricing Has Raised $550M for MTA, Cut Traffic Too: Hochul One year to the day after tolling cameras were turned on from 60th Street to the Battery in Manhattan, Gov. Kathy Hochul,... News 08 Jan 2026 | 04:42
This MetroCard vending machine was shut down by 3 p.m. on Dec. 31, several hours before it was scheduled to cease allowing riders to replenish the iconic blue-and-yellow cards. Unexpired cards can still be used for several more months but can no longer be replenished. ( Photo: reddit) MTA Says ‘Happy New Year 2026’–NYC Transit Fares Rise The first Sunday of 2026 was a turning point for New Yorkers: The basic transit fare jumped by a dime to $3 for a single... News 05 Jan 2026 | 12:46
New Conduent fare gates were installed at the Broadway-Lafayette Station on Dec. 19. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman) MTA Installs New Subway Gates But Will They Really Curb Fare Evasion? Janno Lieber, chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), has repeatedly described fare evasion as the subway’s... News 26 Dec 2025 | 10:42
Best Bagel & Coffee. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman) West 35th Street Bagel War: The Hole Story, Boiled & Baked The Manhattan bagel wars have taken another turn and are cause to ponder how one block of West 35th Street has turned into... News 25 Dec 2025 | 09:39
Two years ago, this is what part of the Grand Central Terminal Train Shed looked like. The train shed is over 100 years old and badly in need of repair. JPMorganChase and Vornado Realty Trust have jointly pledged $75 million to help the MTA reconstruct the infrastructure between 46th and 53rd streets. ( Photo: Marc A. Hermann/MTA) MTA Unveils $75 Million in Construction Deals to Keep Park Avenue Sturdy The underpinnings of Park Avenue that lead into Grand Central Terminal will be getting a major overhaul. The MTA on Dec. 16,... News 18 Dec 2025 | 02:28
The new weekday routes of the F & M lines. ( Photo: NYC Transit) F or M Train Rider? Watch Those Weekday Changes Since Dec. 8, it’s been a new ballgame for the workweek on the F & M lines. New York City Transit has swapped train service... News 15 Dec 2025 | 11:20
At the Second Avenue - Houston Street station on the F line, the Nostalgia Train ends another round trip, soon to wait for another journey uptown. At each end of the trips, there is usually a pause for picture taking. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman) Time Travel, Anyone? Nostalgia Train Rides Every Sunday in December All aboard! The vintage subway nostalgia train, featuring cars with rattan seats, incandescent light bulbs, paddle fans,... News 25 Nov 2025 | 09:49
Headed toward Brighton Beach, the B train travels through much of Southern Brooklyn above the streets, flying through local stops, affording a view of NYC’s most populous borough. Soon? The diverse culture of Brighton Beach, the final stop. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman) See New York City’s Seasons— By Elevated Subway! While Manhattanites usually look at the subways as holes in the ground, they do come out of the ground, mostly in the other... News 15 Nov 2025 | 03:49
Visitors to Pier 26 in Tribeca check out the Seneca Chief replica on October 26. On the same date 200 years earlier, the original Seneca Queen completed its journey from the Buffalo through the brand new Eire Canal to Manhattan, marking a new era in the city as a thriving hub of commerce. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman) Seneca Chief Ends 500+ Mile Journey to NYC to Mark 200th Anniversary of Erie Canal October 26, 1825 was the dawn of a new era for New York and at that time, the 24-state United States when a small canal boat... News 27 Oct 2025 | 09:40
A grim-faced Governor Kathy Hochul (at mic), flanked by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch (left) and MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Leiber (second from right), demanding that Homeland Security disburse the $34 million earmarked for counterterrorism in the MTA. Of the 21 applicants for the funds, the MTA was the only one that the feds held back. ( Photo: MTA) Hochul Demands Trump Admin Restore $34 Million in Anti-Terror Funds for the MTA Tense and unsmiling, Governor Kathy Hochul spoke at a 25-minute MTA press conference on Oct. 9, calling on Kristi Noem’s... News 12 Oct 2025 | 11:18
Passing through the Port Chester station on Metro-North’s tracks, Amtrak’s Boston-bound NextGen Acela train 2170 shows off its distinctive colors and brand-new equipment. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman ) Taking a 160-mph Ride on Amtrak’s New High-Speed Train All aboard! This writer was on a preview ride from New York to Providence, RI, on Aug. 27, part of the VIP train trip between... News 08 Sep 2025 | 12:18
Shrimp, and of course oysters, are a featured offering at the new Tracks Raw Bar, which just opened in Grand Central Madison, the first and so far only restaurant in the 2-1/2-year-old station that is a quarter mile below street level. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman) Long-Awaited Tracks Raw Bar and Grill Will Be an Oasis for Hungry and Thirsty LIRR Riders Malpeques on the way to Massapequa Park? Oysters to Oyster Bay? Maybe a lobster roll to Lynbrook? Waiting for your departure... News 03 Sep 2025 | 07:32
As Amtrak Train 2154 arrived at Penn Station at 9:53am on Aug. 28,2025, history had been made. Nine years after a federal budget authorization, eight years since the first new high-speed trains were manufactured, and five years of testing, the first train to carry paying passengers had arrived in NYC. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman ) New Hi-Speed Acela Trains Hit Speeds of 160 MPH Rail transport history was made on Aug. 28 when two new higher-speed NextGen Acelas met at 10am at Penn Station/Moynihan... News 29 Aug 2025 | 06:37
Driverless taxis are being tested in Manhattan and Brooklyn through the end of September by the Waymo subsidiary of Google. For testing, though, the “driverless” cars must have someone in the driver’s seat. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman) Self-Driving Taxis Being Tested by Google in Manhattan until End of Sept. The Waymo division of Google wants to automate your shared vehicle ride in Manhattan; and the company is coming a little... News 26 Aug 2025 | 12:32
