As 2025 comes to an end, we’re digging back into our archives to revisit some of our favorite stories of the year. See them all here.
Walk onto the New York subway, the L in Chicago, or the BART in San Francisco, and the vibrancy of the city comes past the turnstile. Sometimes it’s in the form of a dancer’s boot missing your chin by scarcely an inch, or eight young music lovers who have yet to discover the magic of headphones and the concept of courtesy. Life follows. That’s because it’s where the people are.
Our little 1 Line is somewhat static, sterile, a bit too clean by comparison, and devoid of connections to other train lines that would make it feel like the vasculature of the city. The 1 Line can feel, at times, distinct from the rhythm of the city. A carnival ride sawing back and forth.
To be fair, the 1 Line has only been around since 2009, its spine lengthening year by year. Everything north of Northgate came last year. The middle part—Northgate to University District—opened in 2021. It’s a baby.
