College Student Literally Moves From Brooklyn to Manhattan to Avoid L Train Apocalypse

Image via the New York Transit Museum

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — A college student currently attending The New School's Parsons School of Design literally moved to Midtown Manhattan from East Williamsburg last month to avoid the commuter chaos that will presumably result from the MTA's big L Train shutdown of 2017.

"We moved to Manhattan because of the L Train," Julia Edelman, 19, said, referring to herself and her boyfriend, who works in advertising in Manhattan.

"We just wanted to get ahead of it," she said.

Edelman and her boyfriend made the move in late March, she said, after hearing news of the MTA's plans to shut down L Train service between Brooklyn and Manhattan for more than a year while crews repair the Canarsie Tube beneath the East River, damaged by Superstorm Sandy.

(Unfortunately, during Edelman's move, her service dog Boogz escaped out the front door. She's now offering a $1,000 reward for the dog's safe return. More on how you can help, here.)

MTA officials have presented three possible scenarios for repairing the Canarsie Tube. In the first, which would last 18 months, the L Train would be shut down altogether. In the second, which would last three years, the tube's two tunnels would be shut down on an alternating schedule, resulting in limited L service. And in the third, which would last SEVEN HORRIBLE YEARS, the L Train would be shut down completely on nights and weekends.

Has the impending L Train shutdown caused you, too, to take drastic measures of some sort? We want to hear your story: simone.wilson@patch.com.