New York Transport

[eleanorb]

As I'm sure everyone knows, most actors, however famous, use the Tube (Underground railway) in London if they are working in the West End theatres or for the BBC. It's easier to get across town that way and parking restrictions in the capital make it expensive and awkward to use a car

Comments

[mecurtin]

No, he would take a taxi. When he is working on a Broadway show, part of his contract may well involve having a driver take him to and from the theater.

This would *only* be the case for the star, and only on Broadway.

To be clearer: only a star could get the show to pay for a driver. Most well-known faces would take a taxi to go to work.

[eleanorb]

Most well-known faces would take a taxi to go to work.

Even if they lived more than ten miles from the theatre? Are cabs in New York so cheap that they are affordable on a lower league actors pay?

[mecurtin]

More than 10 miles puts you way out into the hinterlands, 45 minutes or more away by public transport.

In "Bonfire of the Vanities" there's a bit at the beginning (the only part I read) where a New York publisher/socialite who's falling in status is careful to conceal his subway tokens, because falling to *that* level would be dropping below a crucial line.

If you're thinking of Sir Ian specifically, his NY roles has been prominent enough that he could expect a taxi or car service from home or hotel to the theater or rehersal space.

If your goal is to get him into the subway to run into someone, it can be done, however. Heavy snow or icy rain is excellent for the purpose, because surface transport may be dead while the tube is unaffected.

[eleanorb]

Does that mean that taxis are very cheap? Do you have any idea of prices for say a ten or fifteen mile journey by any chance?

[thistle90]

A cab ride is not that bad. Say $20 for a medium within-city trip. Manhattan is only 2 miles long and an important actor would likely have a hotel in midtown, near where they are performing. They would walk or take a taxi. 15 miles would be way, way outside of the city. If you have some reason for your actor to go to the suburbs, I guess they'd get a limo driver (that's how well off suburbanites get to the airports, etc.). for that you're looking at maybe $100 or more for a one way trip. Obv. double to come back.

[eleanorb]

Ah, so it looks like the set up for actors is just very different. Using the case of Ethan Hawke who is currently working in London - he lives in a rented flat and comes in by bus or underground every day. I'd be surprised at a London company putting an actor up in a hotel since anything decent in London is very expensive.

[buzzylittleb]

This is just plain surreal /confused brit

[rosefyre]

Actually, Manhattan is 13 miles long and 2 miles wide, but thistle90 is right - someone of Ian McKellan's status would stay in the midtown area, which is very doable by taxi. Someone of his status who actually lived in New York? Would maybe live farther south (Soho, East Village, West Village, etc.) but would almost certainly not live farther north than 96th Street (though they could live on either the Upper East Side or the Upper West Side). Broadway is on the west side of Manhattan (but still semi-middle) and around the middle of the island going from North to South, maybe slightly on the South side of middle

[very_improbable]

And most Americans wouldn't expect to see a famous person on the subway or bus.

And if they did see a famous person on an NYC subway, they would probably take a picture with their phone and send it to Gawker.

[conuly]

To differentiate for non-New Yorkers - taxis are the yellow cabs that go up and down and you hail them in the middle of the street. Car service is when you call them up and they pick you up at your door. And gypsy cabs are when they're probably not licensed and they hang around at, like, supermarkets for people who need that ride home.

[donutsweeper]

The super famous ones, no- they would take a taxi.

However- as an aside- Fred Rodgers took the subway (star of the PBS show 'Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood') as did Steve from 'Blues Clues' and several soap stars have mentioned doing so in interviews (including two who did broadway as well as soaps-