Getting Around

So I guess it’s time to delve into some of the obvious difference between these two great cities and what better place to start than getting around. Let’s talk about Cleveland first. Northeast Ohio and actually all Ohio is in desperate need of public transportation. Take Youngstown Ohio, where I grew up. There is one public busing system that’s service has greatly decreased over the last 10 years. There was a point in time that there was talk of eliminating the bus system all together. Fortunately the service was saved but it runs fewer routes during reduced hours. Ohioans are generally very dependent on our cars. Take my family for instance (a proud GM & union family). When I was growing up we had four cars for a family of three. I had a car, my father had a truck, my mother had a car, and for some reason there was often an extra car. We were all going in different directions at different times of the day, but in retrospect it was pretty ridiculous. However, without adequate busing or public transportation, it’s difficult not to have a car.
Cleveland is much better. During my two years in Cleveland I saved a lot on gas and automobile maintenance in general. There was a fairly comprehensive transit system in that traveled east and west. (I guess too bad if you have to go north or south, just have to find a ride). Then there’s the bus in Cleveland which seems to run everywhere at all hours of the day and night (I don’t know that to be a fact because I’ve honestly never ridden the bus in Cleveland). In 2008, Cleveland RTA (Regional Transit Authority) was rated on of the best in the country. I don’t know what the ratings were based on but from my experiences the system seems great. My favorite service was the downtown free trolley. The trolley runs 7am to 7pm (it should run later for downtown) and takes you virtually anywhere in downtown Cleveland. It runs about every 10 minutes with about 4-6 cars for the two different routes. As a downtown resident and working in downtown, I loved the trolley. It picked me up and dropped me in at my front door and took me anywhere I needed to go (in downtown). The funny thing is on a nice day, every place I needed to go in downtown within reasonable walking distance (which I deemed a 25 minutes of less).
Then there’s NYC. You can get ANYWHERE on the MTA (the subway) in the 5 boroughs. It’s amazing to be in a place that you really don’t need a car. It is much more of a hassle to have a car in NYC considering the unbelievable parking costs, the need to move your car for street sweeping and trash collection purposes, and the sheer volume of traffic in NYC. The tough thing is learning the subway system (it’s not easy to learn quickly like DC). There are so many lines that take you so many places. There are letters, numbers and colors which confuses me so terribly. People keep telling me that I’ll figure it out soon, I’m trying to trust them but I’m not feeling so confident. The train is ALWAYS packed with people that reminds me that this is truly the city that never sleeps. When you don’t feel like taking the train there is are a myriad of bus lines that run everywhere too. There is the very convenient M60 bus that amongst many other places goes from LaGuardia airport to 125th and Lennox (four blocks from my place). Lastly there is the unbelievable cab system. There are yellow cabs, gypsy cabs, and car service that are all available 24/7. Cabs are everywhere. I’ve found that the different options are better for different reasons. For general travel within the city (loosely defined) the gypsy cab is great. There seems to be some level of negotiation on the gypsy cab before you get in. They often seem to be cheaper as well. I’ve found that the yellow cab is best for trips to landmarks specifically the airport because there’s a set price so you can’t be hussled too much. Lastly there’s the car service. It seems that the car service is nice at night and for entertainment purposes (travel to midtown, the club, shows, etc). So that’s my synopsis of getting around in the Midwest and the Big City.
Cleveland vs. NYC, You Decide…