Spent a fantastic afternoon time-traveling with my friend Julia today – riding on the NYC vintage train! Once a year, the MTA brings out a train with old cars, from the 1930s, and runs a few special shuttles between 2nd Ave in Manhattan and Queens Plaza. (In Queens, obviously.) What fun! The train itself hasn’t changed that much (what’s up with that MTA?) but the really fun part is that people get all dressed up like it’s 1937 and come out to ride the subway. AND there are bands playing swing favorites and folks dancing the lindy on the subway platform! NYC at it’s finest…I loved it. Really got into drawing the lovely hats many of the women were wearing, too. One of the ladies was wearing a hat she designed and made herself – she turned out to be a professor of fashion at Parsons. Beautiful work, too, she gave me her card. (see it here)

The lady on the right of the drawing above was wearing impossibly long green eyelashes. These people were listening to the music as the train swayed and rocked it’s way along 6th Ave. Some more drawings of the people, below…

Guy on the right in this drawing wearing a full military uniform, with medals. Neither Julia or I could figure out what branch of the service it was from…my guess would be the army. I just loved seeing everyone in hats – why don’t we wear them more often, they’re so stylish?

The two drawings above are of Svetlana and the Delancey 5, one of the groups of musicians performing. Loved her veil, and the old-fashioned microphone was a fun touch. Julia is friends with Svetlana, and in fact ran into a few other Russian people she knows at this event. Julia told me that Russians like to dress up like this, what fun. I agree, and was sorry I wasn’t wearing one of my Grandmother’s hats for the occasion. I did however curl my hair and wear RED lipstick – very forties. :)

The band serenaded us all the way to Queens Plaza and back. And on the platform of the 2nd Ave station – another party going on! With the Mud-Bucket Monkeys playing and people swing dancing all around. Great fun!

I loved the big guy at the right of the drawing above. His dancing style was fabulous – simply shake a leg and twirl that girl around himself. She was moving like crazy all around him like a carousel – how great is that? It’s called STYLE, baby! ha ha

And of course, there was the romantic slow ballads, and the romantic couples to dance to them. Although I guess anyone who dresses up to ride on a vintage subway on a cold snowy day in Manhattan must be a romantic. Just like my friend Julia – I’m so glad she invited me to come draw this with her, what a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Check out Julia Sverchuk’s blog HERE, to see the exciting drawings she made of the event. We had a great time together –  thanks Julia!