We love showing off the history of New York on the city streets, but now we are ready to go underground for a whole new type of tour!
Rayn Riel is a tour guide and native New Yorker who has been riding the subway since his earliest memories. He has recently created a fantastic tour for Bowery Boys Walks — The NYC Subway: Secrets Beneath Lower Manhattan.
We caught up with Rayn (when he wasn’t on the subway) to chat about his passion for New York City transit, how he started giving tours, and what you can expect on this new experience from Bowery Boys Walks.
You are a New York native. Can you offer a little background on your experience growing up here?
I grew up in New York and was always fascinated by how the city works, especially the subway. Like a lot of kids here, trains were part of everyday life, but for me, they became a real source of curiosity. I was drawn to maps, systems, and infrastructure from a young age, and that curiosity eventually led me toward urban planning and transportation. Now I get to share that sense of wonder about how the city functions with other people.
When did you take your first NYC subway ride?
Very early on. Sometimes we would ride the subway just to ride it. There is even a New York Times article from the late 1990s about that phase of my life, which still makes me smile.
Have you been to every subway stop in all five boroughs?
I have traveled across the entire system, but the subway is so vast that there is always more to discover. Even stations I have passed through many times can reveal something new if you slow down and really notice the details. There is always more to learn, and that sense of endless discovery is part of what makes the system so fascinating.
When did you decide to become a tour guide and share your love of New York subways?
In 2019, I connected with the city’s tour guide community and realized that people were leading thoughtful, in-depth tours of the subway and other infrastructure. I had no idea that was even an option. I have always loved exploring the city and showing visitors around, so it clicked right away. I began developing my own unique approach, and when tours returned after the pandemic, I focused on refining an experience that helps people appreciate how remarkable the subway system really is.
A subway tour is very different from a walking tour. What was your process in developing the structure?
A lot of learning from mentors and fellow guides, plus a lot of iteration. Over time, I developed a unique route that blends history, engineering, operations, and everyday rider experience. I am very intentional about highlighting the skill, care, and coordination it takes to run a system of this scale. There are so many dedicated people at the MTA doing complex, behind-the-scenes work to keep New York moving, and the tour is meant to give people a window into that effort.
Can you give us a teaser of one of your favorite “secrets” on the tour?
I love pointing out small, easily overlooked design details and engineering choices that quietly make the subway work. Once people start noticing those elements, they tend to walk through stations with a new appreciation for just how thoughtfully designed the system is.
Do you have a favorite subway line?
I am bad at picking favorites, but I have a soft spot for the J line. I live off it, and it runs along some of the oldest elevated rapid transit structures still in use in the city. Riding it feels like moving through layers of New York’s transit history.
If you could give subway tours in other cities, which would you choose?
London is an obvious dream city, given the history of the Underground, but I would love to explore doing tours in other cities, too. I would only feel comfortable leading tours elsewhere if I were fluent in the local language and had spent enough time there to really understand how people use the system day to day. Transit systems are deeply tied to local culture.
Any final thoughts on why people should book your tour?
The tour is designed to be a celebration of New York’s subway, how ambitious it is, how well it works at scale, and how many people it takes to keep it running. What makes this experience special is the unique route and the focus on the “why” behind the system, including why it was built the way it was, how it operates, and the great work being done every day to maintain and improve it. I hope that people leave with a deeper appreciation for the subway and for the people who make it possible.
Thanks, Rayn!
Head underground to learn the secrets of the New York City subway system!