New York City. Dirty. Exciting. Harsh. Fast. Cold (even in the Summer) I love it that way. It’s an artist’s playground. With so much going on inspiration is bound to hit you. But if I compare the City to a body, the towering buildings, bustling streets and the neon  lights are all surface attractions, skin. And it is the skin that tourists are most attracted to. I guess you can call me a tourist too. But living so close to NYC allows me to dig deeper, traverse into the veins, climb bones and smell the sweat of the world’s most famous metropolis. For me the biggest attraction is the subway…

There is always something new to be seen. What amazes me most about the subway is its connecting factor.

Not just taking people from one place to the next, but the different types of people you can see at once.

Rich, poor, businessmen, housewives and students. One train could represent 10 countries, maybe more. All of whom are squished together for the next few stops as they temporarily share a journey.

Everyone has a place to go. I like to imagine everyone’s story as to why they are in the subway at that exact moment. I always think back to those scenes in movies where the train is stuck in the tunnels. I wonder how the personalities would mesh.

As the passengers settle into their seats and standing spaces, a quietness settles over the subway car. Faces stare blankly, carefully avoiding the eyes of each other. The subway seems like a pause in time, where everyone reflects on their busy lives above the ground.

I imagine their minds speeding just as fast as the train they sit in.

A subway ride can prove to be a moment of solace if you can ignore the screech of the tracks below, which over time becomes a whisper to the trained New York ear.

The subway is a culture all on its own. Though it is reminiscent of what can be seen above, it has an exotic flavor that’s sharp on the sensory palate.

Every once in a while you can find a smile…

but it is rare. In these moments of travel we can finally catch our breath, but we know eventually we have to return to the hustle and bustle of city life. At least there is time to process our thoughts, even if only for a moment.

Lately, I’ve been driving into the city which usually takes 20 minutes without traffic. I miss taking the subway, even if my trip into the city takes two hours, it gives me time to read, think and people watch. To me that is time well spent. The skin is nice, but give me flesh and bones any day. I’m an underground tourist.