Taking the M5 Bus in New York City

Owning a car in New York City (NYC) is a burden.  First, the streets are always congested.  Second, you need to park your car somewhere.  If you don't have a garage it means you have to park on the street.  That is like trying to play the lottery because street parking is a matter of luck.  You can circle the block around your apartment for an hour and still would not find a parking spot unless you are lucky to catch someone leaving in front of you.  Then you have to check the street cleaning sign.  If you did not move your vehicle on street cleaning days your car will be towed.  

The preferred mode of transportation for most New Yorkers is the subway.  It's an antiquated system that is over 100 years old.  It's noisy, sometimes dirty, and not always safe.  Recently a woman was pushed onto the track in front of a subway train.  There are homeless people sleeping on the train.  In the winter the subway stations are cold.  In summer they are hot.

Taking the bus in NYC is another alternative.  But it is slow - by traffic jams and passengers taking time to get on and off the bus.  Because I have plenty of time when I visit NYC I like to take the bus.  It sounds like a mundane task but you can turn it into an interesting journey.  

M5 Bus at 88th St and Riverside Parkway

Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument

Dog Walkers

I started the bus ride at Riverside Parkway and 88th St at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at Riverside Park.  This monument was built in the early 1900s' to honor New York State's veterans who fought in the Civil War.  Riverside Park is a park popular with local residents on the west side of Manhattan, next to the Hudson River, and stretching from 72nd to 158th streets.  You can encounter all kinds of New Yorkers here:  walkers, joggers, bicyclists, skateboarders, dog walkers, homeless people, etc.  This scene plays out in front of you while waiting for the bus.

New York City implemented a system of checking your oncoming bus schedule.  You text 511123 with the number of the bus stop that is displayed.  In this case my message is 404855, the number for that specific bus stop.  The return message will show when the buses are arriving.

How to find out bus arrival time

Response from the System

 There is also a QR code at the bottom where you can scan to find out the arrival times.  You have to bookmark the QR code for every bus stop that you use frequently.

The driver is also the conductor.  You either scan your Metrocard, pay with credit card or cash, and take your seat.  I like to seat almost to the back so that I can get a good view of what's going on in the bus.  The front of the bus is supposed to be reserved for older and other passengers who need help.  On NYC buses there are a lot of people who need help.  These are those who have trouble walking down the stairs of the subway stations and fighting with the crowd.  On the bus, things can move slowly.  The driver can lower his ramp so that a physically challenged passenger can easily get on the bus with his or her walker or wheelchair.  It's near impossible to do that on the subway train.

Inside the M5 Bus

Passengers with walkers

The buses are modern and clean.  Some are electric or hybrid.  There is even USB ports to charge your phone.

USB Port

The bus goes south on Riverside Parkway to 72nd Street where it turns left to go east until Broadway.  This is where the traffic starts to get busy because Broadway Avenue is one of the main arteries of NYC. South of 72nd Street on Broadway are some major commercial buildings, including a Mormon Church.  If this stretch looks familiar to you it's probably because you've seen it on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Then it stops at Columbus Circle, a high-end locale for shopping and ultra-expensive apartments.  It's also across the street from the southwestern corner of Central Park.  As it rounds the roundabout to go east on 59th Street it starts encountering heavy tourist traffic.  On the left is Central Park and on the right is a row of very expensive hotels and apartments, naturally so because it commands a north-looking view of Central Park.

At 5th Avenue the bus turns right going south.  Here comes the showcase of Capitalism with the signature stores of the world's most famous brands:  Apple, Saks 5th Avenue, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany's, etc.

Bergdorf Goodman Store

The Plaza Hotel

The Apple Store

Tiffany's

Namesake Building of a Much Despised President

On 5th Avenue the bus goes on a crawl.  It's congested with traffic and pedestrians, both local workers and a lot of tourists.  The latter are either sight-seeing or shopping.  This is also where the iconic Rockefeller Center is located.  The Christmas tree is gone.  So is ice-skating.  You'll have to wait until the end of the year.  Across the street is another famous landmark - St. Patrick's Cathedral.  Another popular intersection coming up is 42nd Street where the New York Public Library is located on the southeast corner.  Many famous writers from New York have spent time here.  42nd Street is another busy artery where Grand Central Station, Bryant Park and the Times Square subway station are.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Riding the M5 bus is like taking a bus tour through NYC's most popular destinations.  It's proof that riding a city bus does not have to be boring.  Gaze around you.  Watch the people - riders and pedestrians.  Gawk at the landmarks.  Best of all, it's safe and cheap:  only $2.75 for a one-way ride.