Did you venture to the Lower East Side last night for fireworks?  Remember your umbrella?   Well, SUBWAYblogger did.

It wasn’t bad getting there really.  We transferred at Times Square and took the downtown N train.  Not much waiting time at around 7:30pm.  Took that down to 23rd Street.

Since we got there a little ahead of schedule, there was plenty of time for a pit-stop at Shake Shack.  Here’s where the rain helped.  There was virtually no line whatsoever at the Shack.  That’s unheard of this time of year.  There’s always a line.  On average, we usually wait at least 45 minutes.  The light rain had driven everyone indoors I guess.  There were only about 10 people in front of us.  (For you Shack regulars, thats just past the point in line where you step up onto the gravelly part…past the menu sign.)

After a Shack Burger and Summer Peach custard, it was off to FDR.  Got there in plenty of time and got an excellent spot for viewing.  That was another advantage of the rain.  I can’t even imagine what it would be like if it were actually nice out.  It actually started to come down pretty heavy at about 9pm (just 20 minutes before show time).   Luckily, it stopped just in time.

Good show…yadda yadda.

Then the trek back was…well…an adventure.  The part that sucks after a major event lets out is that you are subject to moving with the crowd.  The only way to avoid it is to leave early, and who wants to be that guy?

Ended up having to hoof it to the 14th Street station.  For some reason, the 14th Street station seemed 10 times farther away than it should have.  Anyway, the N train rolled up, and everyone made a dash for it.  Just as the last people squeeeeeeeezed on, a Q train pulled in.  I was near the outside, so I bailed to catch that express train just as the doors closed behind me.  I made it onto the express and even scored a forward facing seat.  Sweet!

Of course, my connecting train at 42nd Street took forever to get there.  It’s always the last leg that screws you.

On a side note, I’ve never seen so many subway maps out at the same time.  Every other person was a tourist or someone from out of town.  They had no idea where they were going.  You could also tell they were tourists because they thought they were entitled to “breathing room” on the packed train.  They looked mortified.