Featured Shop Items: Subway Map Items

The brightly-colored subway map we see in the stations around New York City and in pamphlets distributed to visitors will soon be vintage. The MTA recently announced that it plans to publish a new subway map design sometime later this month. The new map will include various color changes (including shadow lines to make the subway lines stand out better), the widening of Manhattan for easier reading, and the minimization of Staten Island, among other changes.

This is not the first time the subway map has undergone a new design, which may make you wonder if you’ll remember what the current design looks like once the new one comes out. At our Museum Shop we have many classic subway items for sale, including umbrellas and shower curtains featuring a subway map pattern, so you can remember what our design looks like far into the future.

Our number one best-selling subway map item is the umbrella ($20, see picture above). Although you don’t need an umbrella when you’re riding the subway, you will need it when you get off! 

Coming in second is the subway design watch ($35). We have it in black or clear (although currently clear is out of stock). You may wonder why someone would even need a watch these days, as cell phones and other electronic devices also tell us the time. Besides being stylish, this watch is great for finding out the time without digging your iPhone out of your bag. Hey, it's how grandpa did it! Plus, these watches have a certain Swatch flair that fits with current retro-80s trends in fashion.

The item coming in third is the subway puzzle ($15.95), which makes a great gift for map lovers. You'll learn the different lines as well as a native New Yorker as you piece the puzzle together.

Another popular item is the subway shower curtain ($30). It's a new way to multitask - take a shower and plan out your daily travels simultaneously!

We also have the Mighty Wallet ($12.50) by Dynomighty Design. This eco-friendly pocketbook is made from Tyvek and is recyclable. Its sturdy, interlocking fibers are the reason why it's so "mighty" - it will last years. It's also waterproof!

We have smaller items available, including the subway and MetroCard decks of playing cards ($4.95 each) and the subway paper cube ($5.95).

There are even items for the little ones. We have a range of children’s books that teach them about the subway. New York City Subway Trains ($19.99) by the New York Transit Museum is a book of punch-out subway trains from different eras. Subway ($6.99) is a cute book that teaches children how to ride the subway and how fun it can be. A larger edition is available for $15.99.

Hurry to own a piece of historic NYC subway map design memorabilia before a new design comes out! Come stop by the Shop at 108 Orchard Street at Delancey or give us a call at 212-982-8420 to order any of the items you’ve seen on this blog.

-posted by Devin