The Subway Above Ground

168 St

The following piece simulates a full ride on the C line of the NYC subway, where the quantity and power of the instruments at any given moment in the song correspond to the median household income of the neighborhood that you are passing through.

Instructions: if you would like to experience this offline and on a subway ride, download the media file via the button below the video. Once you start to play the file, find your station (you can use the track listing on this page as a guide), and listen to the song in the background as you ride the subway. The result is a meditative piece in which the dramatic contrasts of a song echo the dramatic differences of income in the city.

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Track Listing

• 00:02 Euclid Av $33,420 approx. median household income
• 01:16 Shepherd Av $42,217 approx. median household income
• 02:38 Van Siclen Av $37,956 approx. median household income
• 03:34 Liberty Av $30,216 approx. median household income
• 04:59 Broadway Jct $50,861 approx. median household income
• 05:55 Rockaway Av $46,678 approx. median household income
• 07:10 Ralph Av $38,617 approx. median household income
• 08:34 Utica Av $52,616 approx. median household income
• 09:59 Kingston - Throop Avs $55,266 approx. median household income
• 11:20 Nostrand Av $47,787 approx. median household income
• 12:15 Franklin Av $76,238 approx. median household income
• 13:34 Clinton - Washington Avs $84,932 approx. median household income
• 14:49 Lafayette Av $81,805 approx. median household income
• 16:26 Hoyt - Schermerhorn Sts $132,964 approx. median household income
• 17:13 Jay St - MetroTech $127,223 approx. median household income
• 18:36 High St $103,558 approx. median household income
• 21:44 Fulton St $201,436 approx. median household income
• 22:28 Chambers St $247,067 approx. median household income
• 23:48 Canal St $174,519 approx. median household income
• 24:50 Spring St $123,937 approx. median household income
• 26:03 W 4 St $121,201 approx. median household income
• 27:38 14 St $106,817 approx. median household income
• 28:42 23 St $96,234 approx. median household income
• 30:03 34 St - Penn Station $126,635 approx. median household income
• 31:07 42 St - Port Authority Bus Terminal $89,492 approx. median household income
• 32:12 50 St $111,619 approx. median household income
• 33:26 59 St - Columbus Circle $154,659 approx. median household income
• 34:59 72 St $144,752 approx. median household income
• 36:13 81 St - Museum of Natural History $129,760 approx. median household income
• 37:09 86 St $123,533 approx. median household income
• 38:23 96 St $105,993 approx. median household income
• 39:19 103 St $31,283 approx. median household income
• 40:17 Cathedral Pkwy (110 St) $64,833 approx. median household income
• 41:14 116 St $63,745 approx. median household income
• 42:24 125 St $51,490 approx. median household income
• 43:49 135 St $50,787 approx. median household income
• 45:11 145 St $45,178 approx. median household income
• 46:19 155 St $37,829 approx. median household income
• 47:21 163 St - Amsterdam Av $41,493 approx. median household income
• 48:14 168 St $32,626 approx. median household income