Grand Central Station is one of those New York landmarks that everyone should experience at least once.
Built between 1903 and 1913, it’s a National Historic Landmark located in midtown Manhattan. We have Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to thank for that landmark status as she was influential in the declaration and in saving this incredible building from the wrecking ball in the seventies.
You’ve likely seen it featured on tv shows and movies.
Grand Central covers 48 acres with platforms that serve 43 tracks for passenger train service. There are also a variety of stores, restaurants and event spaces.
Step inside the main concourse and you’ll find a sea of humanity zig zagging every which way. In fact, a staggering 250,000 people commute through this station every single day.
There’s an iconic information booth in the center with a four sided brass clock that I completely forgot to photograph up close.
This space is cavernous and seems even more so when you look up at the fabulous ceiling which features a highly stylized star map.
The experience was even more special this time because it was all decked out for the holiday!
It’s a sight to behold even if you just want to step inside for a minute and look around. We were there to visit Summit One, an observation tower attached to Grand Central. We also had a quick breakfast here and shopped a pop up Christmas market. Stay tuned for more on our trip through Summit.
Here’s one more picture – one of many soldiers we saw.
It was a gentle reminder that not everyone makes it home for the holidays and to be grateful for those who serve our nation.
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Given how busy (and beautiful) the place is, you sure have to wonder who would have wanted to tear it down!
Monsters. I can’t imagine. It was actually the railroad that wanted to demolish it and build a fashionable new skyscraper. That was the Penn Central Railroad. That company had already demolished the historic Penn Station just a few years before. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed when the city’s landmark preservation commission rejected their plans. There was a legal battle and the railroad bankrupted within a few years causing the building and rail line to change hands a dizzying amount of times. The building and neighborhood eventually fell into decline so we are probably lucky that attempts to replace it weren’t proposed again.
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