Posts Tagged ‘Subway’

Who Will Be Miss Subways 2019?

Perhaps it’s you?

The City Reliquary and Riders Alliance are seeking contestants who believe they should be the public ambassador for the New York City subway in its time of crisis. Despite the potentially “miss”-leading title, we welcome contestants of all gender identities!

TO ENTER: Send the following in an email to [email protected]:

  1. A short essay telling us why you want to be Miss Subways 2019, what your favorite subway line is, and why it inspires/enrages/enchants you;
  2. A detailed description of your proposed performance. Show your love for our subterranean system through song, dance, poetry, or any other talent: Rubik’s cube solving, hula hooping, speed knitting, playing the sousaphone…surprise us!
  3. A photo and/or short video (< three minutes).

The deadline for entries is SEPTEMBER 29, 2019 at 11:59 pm! Contestants will be notified of their acceptance on a rolling basis.

Competition will be fierce! The more compelling your entry, the greater the chance of being selected as a final contestant!

Miss Subways 2019!

An illustration of the Statue of Liberty wearing a sash reading "Miss SUbways 2019." Art by Ben Wigler.
Art by Ben Wigler.

Tickets are Available Now!

The Third Annual Miss Subways Extravaganza will take place on Thursday, October 3, 2019! We’re returning to Littlefield, 635 Sackett Street in Brooklyn, for this year’s celebration of the weird, wild, frustrating, entertaining, and vital circulatory system that is our city’s subways.

With cascading malfunctions and literal cascades happening all too frequently, it can be difficult to find things to celebrate about our transit system. But let’s not forget the bright spots of the past year in subway news: the L Train shutdown was downgraded from “apocalypse” to merely “difficult.” New York passed a congestion pricing plan which will help speed up city buses and raise additional revenue for transit. A new fare payment system is on its way. And…well…there’s always a chance of seeing a dog in a bag. Our subways need advocates and ambassadors more than ever!

This event serves as a call to arms for subway supporters and lovers of the NYC underground. A modern take on the Miss Subways pageants held in NYC between 1941 and 1976, subway riders of all ages and gender identities are encouraged to participate! In a night of performances spanning the classy, the trashy, the weird, and the whimsical, contestants will demonstrate their devotion to their subway line of choice. But only one can take home the transit tiara! Our panel of distinguished judges, with assistance from the audience, will select this year’s public ambassador, Miss Subways 2019.

All proceeds from the event support the City Reliquary, NYC’s finest cabinet of city curiosities, and Riders Alliance, a membership organization dedicated to winning better transit by organizing bus and subway riders into a powerful political constituency.

If you’re interested in being a contestant in the Miss Subways Extravaganza 2019, click HERE for more information on applying!

The Bronx is Up and the Battery’s Down

Last year was also the 100th anniversary of the subway system which was celebrated by a ride of the entire length of the 1-9 lines. First below ground, then above riding Broadway from the Bronx to the Battery.

broadwayride.jpg
 

Five riders stop to represent the five boroughs at the “Crossroads of the World.” Times Square was once known as Longacre Square before the famous newspaper moved its headquarters to this neighborhood from lower Manhattan. Times Square also celebrated its 100th birthday in 2004. Mayor McClellen was honored to operate the first subway train from City Hall and rename Times Square in the same year, 1904.