New York StrapHanger Origin Video at NYC Transit Museum

Last month, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, we went to the New York City Transit Museum in Brooklyn New York on the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street. I've always wondered why they refer to New York City subway riders as strap hangers and after my visit to the NY transit museum, I found out why. Check out the video below of the author, Dallas Plummer by his videographer, Dean Lewis, as he shows the origin of the term New York Straphanger.

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There were many more interesting points of interest at the transit museum such as the period ads in the subway cars, which were funny and interesting. Interesting things such as phone numbers way back when were preceded by lettering. For example, if you wanted to call somewhere in Manhattan, the lettering preceding the number might be MU5-3015, with the MU standing for Murray Hill and that being the neighborhood.




















This photo on a period New York City subway train shows the headlines and feelings of the time. This NATA ad was interesting.












Here is a video of the author of this blog post, Dallas Plummer, as he talks about old subway trains, subway lines and website design, his website www.seoposse.com making your website popular and search engine optimization, as he uses one of the period New York subway cars as his studio and office for this discussion. Stay tuned to this blog for additional video from the New York Transit Museum visit and discussions on the old New York City subways, transit and infrastructure of the time, including what IND, IRT and BMT means in the subway system, then and now. For more information on SEO and search engine optimization, visit the website www.seoposse.com

New York Pennylvania Station Announcer is An Institution

I was waiting for my train in Penn Station this morning and I took out my camera just to record the audio of the New York Pennsylvania station announcer who is female and has been doing this for over 30 years. I can remember when I was going to a gym out in Iselin NJ in 1986 and this same announcer, announcing the train departures and arrivals for both Amtrak and New Jersey transit. Of course, New York Penn Station is the hub for the Long Island Rail Road, New York City subway and of course, Madison Square Garden. As New York Penn Station serves 4.2 million passengers a week, this woman's voice is an institution.



New York Pennsylvania Station and Amtrak Train Schedules

Updated on May 29, 2008:

Here is a story that the New York Times ran about the Penn Station Announcer which my blog post featured:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/nyregion/11amtrak.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=amtrak%20announcer&st=cse&oref=slogin