Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Artists Bring Free Pirate Wi-Fi "Notwork" To The L Train This Week
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Nov 14, 2011
Modified Nov 14, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Nov 14, 2011
Modified Nov 14, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
While you've been busy yapping away on your cell phone along the 14th Street corridor, a group of techno wizards have been working to set up a free wifi network on the L train, from Morgan Avenue to 8th Avenue. But don't expect to simply browse through your morning blogs—"The L Train Notwork" isn't exactly an online free-for-all.
Every day this week (Monday through Saturday), from 8 a.m.-10 a.m., in the last two cars of the train, users can log on to the "The L Train Notwork," a pirate wi-fi intranet from the minds behind the creative collective WeMakeCoolSh.it. As the creators explain it, the content on the notwork was been tailored to the "creative class" riding the train from Bushwick through Manhattan, and will feature things like a live chat room/dating site, curated content from local authors, poets, and visual artists, news feeds from popular sites, and more.
Artists will be on the train every day this week, carrying tiny portable battery powered web serves that create wifi hotspots accessible to mobile devices on the train in shopping bags, none of which will be installed or left alone on MTA property. They promise that "nothing will look suspicious and everyone involved in the project will have a project description to provide anyone, official or otherwise, who wants to know more." [via FreeWilliamsburg]
Tagged
internet
l train
MTA
notwork
pirate
WeMakeCoolSh.it
wifi
Jamie Feldmar
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
In 1972, legendary documentarian William Greaves filmed a party he threw for Harlem Renaissance luminaries. With help from his family, "Once Upon a Time in Harlem" brings that decades-old footage to theaters.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 21, 2026
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
Before they attempt to fend off LeBron James and the 76ers on Tuesday, the Knicks will have a chance to show off their winning mentality through their tunnel fits.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
Before they attempt to fend off LeBron James and the 76ers on Tuesday, the Knicks will have a chance to show off their winning mentality through their tunnel fits.
By
Sonia Rao
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
By
Sonia Rao
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .