~rk. To New<br >ity， with no<br > Everything<br >g you could<br >hin the Five<br >f the world.<br >I and take a<br >w York City<br >and foreign<br >:unities New<br >it is your job<br >Irything you<br >Jtiful， ever-<br >.~com e over-<br >"h new day<br >ach evening<br >dmiring the<br >e， spend the<br >~ust learn as<br >w city， and<br >is to love it.<br >， our section<br >~ugh in our<br >. over every-<br >ew home.<br >)lved<br >SUBWAYS ff BUSES<br >New York s subway system<br >celebrated its 10Oth birthday<br >in 2004. Besides being old，<br >the subway system is one of<br >the most comprehensive<br >transportation systems in the<br >world. It is also one of the<br >most congested; millions of<br >people use the subway system<br >each and every day. For a<br >mere two dollars， you can go<br >almost anywhere in New York.<br >Most people would agree that<br >New York s entire transporta-<br >tion system is improving all<br >the time. Despite recent<br >budget cuts， most subway<br >booths have remained open，<br >and the MTA (Metropolitan<br >Transpor-tation Authority)<br >has been cleaning up its act in<br >the formerly dirty stations.<br >On the negative side， having a<br >century-old system translates<br >into frequent repairs， delays，<br >and track changes (mostly on<br >done on weekends， check out<br >www.mta.info/nyct/subway/<br >to find out what s going on or<br >call (718) 330-1234， the MTA<br >information line). Service<br >all~rations confuse even sea-<br >so!~ed New Yorkers. Most of<br >the~time， commuters are<br >informed of track or schedule<br >changes through white<br >posters posted throughout<br >subway stations. If you see a<br >white poster at your station，<br >make sure to read it. The smell<br >of the subway is not entirely<br >pleasant either. It is stark， a<br >fleshy mix of oil， grime， per-<br >fume， and collective sweat.<br >As for the sound， they give<br >construction workers ear-<br >plugs to protect them from<br >the kinds of screeches and<br >howls you will hear on a daily<br >basis. The subway s sc-reechy<br >rhythm will soon have you<br >bringing a book and adopting<br >that patented "dont bother<br >me" New York scowl.<br >Overall， the MTA does a great<br >job with the subway system.<br >New Yorkers will complain<br >about anything and every-<br >thing， and the subway takes a<br >frequent beating. Nonethe-<br >less， more people are riding<br >subways than ever before.<br >Subway trains are the veins<br >that run through the body of<br >the city， and New York grinds<br >to a halt without them. In<br >fact， the day the city was<br >gridlocked， meaning no car<br >could move a car length<br >unless another car exited the<br >island of Manhattan， was<br >because of a transit strike<br >that shut down the subways<br >that morning.<br >Directions<br >In the city， it is always impor-<br >tant to know where you are<br >going. Before setting out on a<br >quest to a new area of New<br >York， make sure to consult a<br >subway or bus map. Always<br >be aware that "uptown"<br >means Bronx- or Queens-<br >bound， whereas "downtown"<br >means Brooklyn-bound. If<br >you accidentally pay your<br >fare and get onto the wrong<br >direction-bound train， try<br >finding an underground pas-<br >sageway leading to the oppo-<br >site track. The station that<br >allows for the most transfers<br >is the Times Square-42nd St.<br >Station. If you cannot find a<br >city living 7<br ><br >