This is the third in a new NBC 4 series documenting happenings on the New York City subway from week to week. Some 5.6 million people ride the subway each day, which makes it not only a hot spot for talent scouting and people watching, but also a snow-globe of sorts for some of the strangest behavior in the city.
This week: a pair of twins who got famous in the subway appear on the 'Ellen' show, the music of Bach takes over the tunnels and a dog lost in the storm is reunited with its owner.These are the top 4 moments from the subway Mar. 16 to 23.
READ MORE:
- Off the Rails: Buskers Like the Beatles, Man Under a Train and Corgi in a Backpack Highlights on the NYC Subway This Week
- Off the Rails: Subway Stampedes, a Beer Called 'Delayed' and a Busker Who Has Never Given Up
1. Shock Horror! Penn Station Empty at Peak Hour
It was bizarre, it was unnerving: empty train stations in New York City at rush hour.
After a storm dubbed the 'four'easter' blew into New York, dropping inches of snow across the city Wednesday, many feared Penn Station would become a nightmare as people tried to get home.
But when reporter Andrew Siff arrived at Penn Station at rush hour, he found the eerie opposite -- an empty station. It seemed New Yorkers heeded transit advice to stay home, or to head home early.
MUST READ: New York Subway Singer Mike Yung, Stabbed 9 Times, Tries One Last Time to Make an Album
2. Twin Buskers Go from NYC Subway to 'Ellen'
The twin subway buskers from Brooklyn who gained viral fame in recent weeks for their covers of the Beatles got on the express train to some national TV exposure.
Amiri and Rahiem Taylor performed "Eight Days a Week" on Thursday's broadcast of "Ellen."
A video of the brothers covering a Beatles song in the subway earlier this month racked up millions of views in less than two days, with New Yorkers stunned at how similar they sounded to the real thing.
READ MORE: Twin Subway Buskers in Viral Beatles Cover Video Appear on 'Ellen' Thursday
3. Little Dog Lost
7 Most Reviled Subway Behaviors Revealed
As the snowy nor'easter roared in Wednesday, an adorable dog somehow managed to get swept away from its owners.
But it was subway officers to the rescue, with the NYPD Transit Chief tweeting Wednesday afternoon that police were able to reunite the dog with his owner, just hours after police tweeted a photo of the dog.
"This little guy lost his way - anyone recognize this pup? Our officers found him a few mins ago near Hoyt/Schermerhorn station in Brooklyn," the original tweet said.
READ MORE: Dog Lost Near Subway During Storm Reunited With Owner
4. Bach Takes Over the Subway
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Commuters are in for a treat this weekend as Bach in the Subways takes over for its seventh year in celebration of the revered composer's 333rd birthday.
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Bach in the Subways, which began on Wednesday and will run through Sunday, was an initiative that was started in 2011 by cellist Dale Henderson. He believed that the decline in appreciation for classical music was mainly because of the fact that there was less of an opportunity for people to experience classical music live.
Henderson invited musicians to join him in playing Bach's music throughout various New York City subways, and was joined by two other cellists in his first year. He encourages the musicians not to accept donations.
READ MORE: Bach Is Taking Over the Subway This Week
Subway Etiquette: Canvas on the Commute
Thai artist Pairoj Pichetmetakul has been taken his painting to New York's underground for his art project 'Subway Journey'. He's been painting on trains for almost three years in Thailand, Japan and New York.
He said commuters generally enjoy seeing him painting on the commute. "A lot of people watch behind me and some of them want to be in the painting," he said. This particular work below saw him painting on the train for five hours.
Dog of the Week
Alfie is a "chill" dog who has no problem hopping in a bag for a ride on the subway.
