How the NYC subway system has transformed neighborhoods over 120 years

NEW YORK — The New York City subway system opened to the public 120 years ago Sunday, and over the course of those decades, it has transformed neighborhoods.
The subway can create identities within communities and, for some, it can be a lifeline to other parts of the city.
Nathan Blake, a Brooklyn resident and photographer, has an enthusiastic perspective on the subway. 
“From the sounds of the R211 acceleration, from the rackling subway cars, it’s amazing. It gives that adrenaline rush,” he said.
CBS News New York’s Elijah Westbrook caught up with Blake at the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station in Downtown Brooklyn, where he sometimes works. They took the journey to Blake’s home stop – Rockaway Parkway on the L train, the southern end point on the line.
“It is a transit desert … because in the vicinity, it’s mostly bus rapid transit,” Blake said.
It was about a 35-minute ride from Downtown Brooklyn. When they arrived, it was clear they had transcended in a different neighborhood. Canarsie is surrounded by Jamaica Bay to the south and east, offers a mix of housing, and is also home to a diverse community of residents.
“The Canarsie neighborhood has a robust culture and history. It predominantly has Caribbean heritage,” Blake said.
“And then you have the L train that essentially puts you right in the heart of all of it. How beneficial is having the L train take you from that section of Brooklyn, let’s say to portions of Manhattan or other sections of Brooklyn?” Westbrook asked.
“Well, it’s very efficient. The L train is like a unicorn. It’s like, when you’re there, you’re on the train and you go through neighborhoods,” Blake said.
Historians say subway service to Canarsie began in 1906. Today, the line serves more than 300,000 riders, according to the Regional Plan Association. That’s as much as the entire subway system of some major cities.
Canarsie is just one of multiple examples of how the subway has transformed communities and gave residents an outlet to the five boroughs.
The 7 train is another prime take on the transformation of neighborhoods, particularly in Queens.
Lisa Daglian, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, can attest to that.
“The 7 train will get you from the west end of Manhattan, all the way to the eastern end of Queens,” she said. “If you look at pictures of the 7 line being constructed, you can see the way that neighborhoods were built around the train as it was being built.”
And more to that point Concetta Bencivenga, director of the New York Transit Museum, says the subway has been credited with shaping the city’s economy.
“When you see how that line was planned, it really creates place and community in Queens. Now let’s go the other way. Very recently, we did the exact same thing. You extended the 7 line to Hudson Yards and now there’s entire neighborhood over what once was a rail yard,” she said.
Whether you rely on the 7 or the L, like Blake, getting from point A to point B just wouldn’t be as convenient for the millions of riders who use the subway.
“I can’t lose off the L train … Long live the L train,” Blake said.