The Yerevan Metro

The Yerevan Metro
page 3 of 5
posted on 27/10/08

(Sound Sample - The Underground Mall)

After the market comes the station itself.

But you don't go in the big front door to get to the metro, you go down these stairs under the station. The metro, is on the other side of the railroad track and you have to go through a tunnel to get to them. Like many things in Yerevan, you just have to know to station is here, there aren't any signs telling you that this is a metro stop. People spend their whole lives here, everyone in this city was born here, so everyone just know where things are. Signs for things that feel like they should have signs (like metro stations or streets) don't. People just know. So for someone like me who is new to the city, you have to explore to find out. It is similar to many cities, the longer you live here the more you know its secrets, but it is just more so here.

If you go down the stairs there isn't just a tunnel to the metro, there is a whole underground mall. This is common in Yerevan. Often busy streets won't have any pedestrian crosswalks, there will just be pedestrian tunnels under the street. And there will always be stores in these tunnels sometimes large malls. It makes sense, putting shops where the people are all walking.

The mall continues for quite a ways, 500 feet or so. The stores are all cheaper, more family shops. You wouldn't find any of the fancy chain clothing stores that line the downtown down here. I'm not sure where people get the things they sell, but they often seem slightly used or like they couldn't sell new somewhere more expensive. This is for the everyday people to get things at prices they can afford. In this mall you can get men's and women's shoes; there are markets where you can buy candy bars, produce, pastries or toilettries; there are a few cheap clothing stores; and CD and DVD stores blasting music.

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