Public transportation has always been a tricky topic in New York, now just as much as 150 years ago. Unknown to many of today's visitors is the mass transit solution the city discovered back then, an elevated train soon called the “EL.” Unlike the above ground Subways today, which can mostly be found in Queens and Brooklyn, the original EL used to run along 3rd Avenue, from South Ferry to Grand Central. The first segment opened in 1878 and service was phased out in 1955. The Third Avenue EL was the last elevated line to operate in Manhattan and a frequent backdrop for movies. Those were the days!