Paper #1

Grand Central Terminal

Anthony Allocca

   Grand Central Terminal often called Grand Central Station or Grand Central for short is one of New York City's most famous landmarks. The station was designed by John B. Snook and opened in October 1871.   It is a terminal station located at 42nd street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.  It was built for long distance passenger trains, it is the largest train station in the world by number of platforms, forty four with sixty seven tracks along them.  The station covers three city blocks, 42nd to 45th Streets  between Vanderbilt and Madison Avenues and beneath it are electric power facilities and loops of track where trains can turn around without backing out of the station.  (Blue Book p. 229)

   The terminal serves commuters traveling on the Metro-North Railroad to Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties in New York State, and Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut.  The design for Grand Central was an innovation in the way transit hubs were designed, and continues to influence designers to this day.  One new concept was the use of ramps instead of staircases for conducting the flow of traffic through the facility.  

   The first Grand Central Terminal became obsolete when steam locomotives were banned after a catastrophic train collision in 1902 that killed seventeen and inured 38.  Within months plans were underway to demolish the existing station and build the new terminals for electric trains.  The new Grand Central Terminal officially opened in 1913.  Hotels, office buildings, and skyscrapers soon were being built all around the new terminal including the iconic seventy seven story Chrysler Building.  The neighborhood achieved economic success as Grand Central Terminal became the busiest train station in the country.  

   In 1947, more than sixty five million people in the United States population traveled through Grand Central Station.  A decade later, in the 1950's the glory days of long distance rail travel were over.  Many travelers preferred to drive or fly to their destinations.  Prime Manhattan real estate rising and the railroads profit falling, there was talk to demolish the terminal and replacing it with an office building.  Grand Central Terminal was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.  In 1978 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the stations preservation, finding that this did not constitute the confiscation of railroad property by the government.  

   In 1994 , Metro-North took over operation of Grand Central Terminal and began extensive renovations.  The most recent of renovations is the construction of the new railroad tunnel to be used by the Long Island Railroad.   The tracks and platforms are numbered acceding to their geographical location within the station, rather than where the trains are arriving from.  The tracks and platforms are divided between two levels.  This helped passengers locate their train and to prevent them from getting lost in the large train station.   Intercity trains enter the station on the upper level, and suburban commuter trains enter the station on the lower levels. Grand Central has become a beloved Manhattan landmark and a busy commuter hub.  The terminal now houses five restaurants and cocktail lunges, a dining concourse, and over fifty shops.  The historic train station is also a magnificent site for art and cultural exhibits and other events throughout the year.  

   Grand Central has been used in numerous film and Television productions over the years.  Whether filmmakers need an establishing shot of arriving in New York or transportation scenes, the restored landmark building is visually appealing and authentic.  Some notable films such as Carlito's Way, I Am Legend, and Men in Black have been filmed at the station. 

   The Main Concourse is the cheer of Grand Central, The space is usually filled with crowds of people.  The ticket booths are also located in the Concourse, but most are booths are unused due to the introduction of ticket vending machines.  Grand Central Market, between the Main Concourse and Lexington Avenue, is a foodie's delight, with a beautiful display of edibles from top of the line suppliers.  The Oyster Bar is architecturally interesting for its Guastavino tiles supporting a vaulted ceiling, and gastronomically appealing for its twenty some varieties of oysters.  ( Blue Book p. 230)  A few days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center a large American Flag was Hung in the Concourse.  The four sided clock above the information booth is one of the stations most iconic features and has made Grand Central Station a popular meeting place in New York City. 

1) http://www.aviewoncities.com/nyc/grandcentralterminal.htm

2) http://manhattan.about.com/od/historyandlandmarks/a/grandcentral.htm
3) Carter B. Horsley, The Midtown Book, Grand Central Terminal

4)  Carol von Pressentin Wright, Blue Guide New York 4th Edition, pp. 228-230