Subway Stories

That’s just one of the personal ads on the new website Subway Crush. Similar to Craig’s List’s Missed Connections, the site lets you post a message to that hottie you just let get off the train w/out your number.

Other posts:

Ooooh Girl — You Look Like a Picnic Table!

Your roaming eyes made me glad that I wore my fav bra…

Your head looks like an alpaca

A beautiful girl who stole my heart. Dark curly hair, glasses, moving to NYC

BTW, “Smoking hot” girl on Downtown 1 train around 1pm on Thursday: Ryan wants to hear from you.

Life in New York City unfolds both above and below ground. And the city has thousands of untold stories of those who spend most of their time under its streets -from MTA workers or subway performers to the homeless sleeping on the benches of our subway cars.

This is one of those stories. And as so many others, it’s an immigrants’ story.

click image for slideshow

Ki Yong Sung, originally from South Korea, started painting over 50 years ago in his native land. Around that time the Korean and Vietnam wars ensued and he traveled both countries painting the portraits of American fighting soldiers.

“I went in the bunkers,” he says.

These days you can find him at his small portrait shop inside the Port Authority subway station. There he paints portraits of rabbis, brides, presidents, celebrities, and the regular folk. In less that a week Sung can duplicate on canvas the old and often destroyed photos that customers bring in.

The urban blog Smorg came out with a map in late January that illustrates the few stops along our subway system that are wheelchair accessible.

I gotta say I was not completely surprise with the minimalist result:

Musician: Edward Szolo from Poland

Station: Port Authority - 42nd Street

Line (s): A & C

Date: Apr. 17, 2008

Time: 11:03 p.m.

So, ever since I went to see Ira Glass at the College of Staten Island on Apr. 6, I keep running into him on the subway.

Every time I get in a subway car, sit down and look up, there he is. Staring right back at me.

Is he trying to tell me something?

Never dare a New Yorker. Unless, of course, you want to catch a bunch of girls pole dancing on your subway ride home.