From my perspective, the icon that best represents NYC is the MTA’s New York City Subway Map (specifically the Hertz version since it’s more popular). I chose this image because the map exemplifies the interconnectedness between the five boroughs and reflects the city’s complex subway system through train service lines. Furthermore, the map portrays major geographical and landmark elements in the city, such as the parks (Central Park, Van Cortlandt Park, Corona Park, etc), rivers (Hudson River, Harlem River, East River, etc), and islands (Randall’s Island, Governor’s Island, etc). The map has become one of the most looked at maps in human history, as it helps riders figure out which stops to get off at and which trains to take to their desired location. The official subway map was not created until 1940, since three separate companies originally established the subway. Ever since, the official map has undergone numerous revisions and redesigns. The image I specifically chose is the Hertz version, which has been used since 1998, only being replaced in April 2025. In the mid-1970s, the MTA commissioned Michael Hertz to design a new subway map that was easier to read. Massimo Vignelli had already created a colorful subway map and introduced it in 1972, but few riders liked it, mainly because Vignelli’s map didn’t include the city’s geography. Hertz’s map included streets, neighborhoods, and other surface points that helped people see the span of NYC more clearly. The Hertz map was a group collaboration between Michael Hertz’s firm, an MTA committee led by John Tauranac, who studied different designs and gathered input, and Japanese designer Nobuyuki Siraisi, who rode every subway line with his eyes closed to map out the curves in the routes (Vignelli’s original map included straight lines, which were not as accurate).
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