Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Terminal Review

Grand Central is not only the world's largest (76 acres) and the nation's busiest (nearly 700,000 commuters and subway riders use it daily) railway station, but also one of the world's most magnificent, majestic public spaces. Past the glimmering chandeliers of the waiting room is the jaw-dropping main concourse, 200 feet long, 120 feet wide, and 120 feet (roughly 12 stories) high, modeled after an ancient Roman public bath. In spite of it being completely cavernous, it manages to evoke a certain sense of warmth rarely found in buildings its size. Overhead, a twinkling fiber-optic map of the constellations covers the robin's egg-blue ceiling. To admire it all in relative solitude, definitely avoid visiting at rush hour; those willing to brave it will be swept into the tides and eddies of human traffic swirling around the central information kiosk, the room's crown jewel with its polished marble counter and backlit, multifaced clock beaming the time in four directions.

After enjoying the thrill of the main concourse, escape up the sweeping staircases at either end, where three upscale restaurants occupy the balcony space. Any would make an enjoyable perch from which to survey the concourse, but for a real taste of the station's early years, head beyond the western staircase to the Campbell Apartment, a clubby cocktail lounge housed in the restored private offices and salon of 1920s tycoon John W. Campbell. Located around and below the main concourse are fantastic shops and eateries, making this one of the best—if somewhat labyrinthine—"malls" in the city.

To best admire Grand Central's exquisite Beaux-Arts architecture, start from its ornate south face on East 42nd Street, modeled after a Roman triumphal arch. Crowning the facade's Corinthian columns and 75-foot-high arched windows, a graceful clock keeps time for hurried commuters. In the central window stands an 1869 bronze statue of Cornelius Vanderbilt, who built the station to house his railroad empire. Also noteworthy is the 1½-ton, cast-iron bald eagle displaying its 13-foot wingspan atop a ball near the corner of 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue.

Grand Central still functions primarily as a railroad station, and might resemble its artless cross-town counterpart, Penn Station, were it not for Jackie Kennedy Onassis's public information campaign to save it as a landmark. Underground, more than 60 ingeniously integrated railroad tracks carry trains upstate and to Connecticut via Metro-North Commuter Rail. The subway connects here as well. A massive four-year renovation completed in October 1998 restored the 1913 landmark to its original splendor—and then some.

The Municipal Art Society (212/935-3960 www.mas.org) leads architectural tours of the terminal that begin here on Wednesday at 12:30. Reservations are not required, and a $10 donation is suggested. Meet at the information booth, Main Concourse.