On October 27, 1904, the first line of the New York City subway opened to the public. The initial route ran from City Hall in lower Manhattan to 145th Street in Harlem. The subway offered a fast, fixed-fare alternative to surface traffic in a growing city. Its construction required major engineering projects, including tunneling under streets and rivers. Over time, the system expanded into multiple boroughs and became one of the world’s largest rapid transit networks. The subway shaped patterns of commuting, housing, and business in New York City.
