Image via Complex Original
It took 10 years of labor and $2 billion (adjusted for inflation) before the new Grand Central Terminal opened on Feb. 2, 1913 at midnight. That first day, over 150,000 people visited Grand Central. When it opened, The New York Times proclaimed: "Without exception, it is not only the greatest station in the United States, but the greatest station, of any type, in the world."
This year marks Grand Central Terminal's 100th birthday, highlighting its illustrious history, trailblazing ingenuity, and international importance.
To commemorate the centennial, and in honor of the greatest transit hub in New York—and possibly, the world—these are 10 Reasons Grand Central Terminal Is One of the Coolest Places in NYC. All aboard.
RELATED: 25 NYC Tourist Activites That Are Actually Cool
RELATED: The 50 Coolest Places in New York City Right Now
LIKE COMPLEX CITY GUIDE ON FACEBOOK
The Hidden, Secret Passages
Not all of Grand Central Terminal's history is so obvious to the naked eye. The secret (well, not-so-secret, now) Track 61 was a platform on a single-line rail used by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and ran to a passage at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, where a freight elevator would take his armor-plated Pierce Arrow car to street level once it was unloaded from the train. FDR's hyper-reinforced train car still sits under the Waldorf, and the track has actually been put to some use since FDR's presidency—it was a site for Andy Warhol's 1965 "Underground Party."
It's an Unlikely, Awesome Cultural Hotspot
Grand Central Terminal's got more than just visually-appealing architecture and ways to get out of the city (and get out, quick). It often boasts art and music exhibitions from acclaimed performers and artists, in addition to food tastings and demonstrations with rare items from Grand Central's history. The offerings include (but aren't limited to) installation art, photography exhibits and performance art, as well as tastings from local restaurants and food vendors. There are also lectures from experts and authors for the historically-inclined. Grand Central essentially doubles as a museum, if the museum itself was an integral piece of American history. There's even a yearly ping pong tournament. Seriously: Grand Central's got it going on.
The Kissing Room
The Biltmore Room, also known as "The Kissing Room," is a sequestered spot in Grand Central Terminal, where, decades ago, people would meet up with loved ones, and passengers could travel up to the luxurious Biltmore Hotel (which is familiar to anyone who read The Catcher in the Rye, of course). The nickname, though? It was coined in light of its reputation as the location where significant others, family members and friends would wait in anticipation of arriving military troops. Since the closing of the Biltmore Hotel and reduction of certain train lines, the Biltmore Room's no longer a meeting spot, and it now houses shoeshine kiosks, a newsstand and a flower stall. That said: There are plans in motion place to renovate the area, and restore the space to its classic Kissing Room aesthetic (and romantic glory).
The Artwork
Sirshasana—the olive tree-inspired sculptural chandelier hanging above the entrance to the Grand Central Market—was influenced by by Greek and Hindu lore. Its artist Donald Lipski said that the olive tree represents "freedom and purity," and allows the sun to "flood the market with light." As if the breadth of shops and wares wasn't enough to entice you to visit the Grand Central Market, you can hang out underneath a unique sculpture with 5000 crystal pendants.
People Love It. A Lot.
Grand Central's more than just a meeting spot for residents of the tri-state area—it ranked #6 on Travel+Leisure's list of the "world's most-visited tourist attractions," which credited it with 21,600,000 annual visitors. Representatives from Grand Central note that people from countries all over the world travel to New York for the sole purpose of visiting it. Between the history, the architecture and the shops, Grand Central Terminal's a doubtless inclusion on the list of New York's most desirable tourist spots, and stakes a claim to one of the most widely-traveled. 750,000 people travel through Grand Central, daily, which makes it the most heavily-trafficked train station in the world.
The Whispering Gallery
Right outside the (really, really good) Grand Central Oyster Bar and Restaurant is the incredibly fun and weirdly awesome Whispering Gallery. Visitors can carry on hushed conversations from opposite sides of the room as if they were standing next to each other (if you try it, you might want to be careful about what you're whispering). The arched design and glazed tiles carry the sound waves via the room's perfect acoustics, and the construction's a popular spot for marriage proposals if you're in the market for a place to pop the question.
It's Not Ugly
There's no shortage of public transportation options in New York City, but what the other major hubs lack, Grand Central has in spades: Aesthetically pleasing architecture (characterized by its Beaux-Arts style). Subway stations, the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Penn Station can't hold a candle to the artistry of Grand Central's design. It's like putting three dumpsters next to a chandelier. Both the Port Authority and Penn Station give off too much of an industrial-dungeon vibe. Grand Central, though, is abundant with quality: The clock in the Main Concourse, which has been valued at between $10-20M, the aforementioned architecture, and of course, the constellations painted on the ceiling (which, oddly, were painted backwards).
The Movie Cameos
If there's a movie or TV show set in New York City, chances are it's had at least one scene set in or near Grand Central. Having recently been shown in the background in The Avengers, it's also played a part in scenes from North by Northwest and the waltz scene in The Fisher King, among others. Both the terminal's interior and exterior are eminently recognizable, from the clock, to the arched windows, to the outside decor. A brief shot of Grand Central's really all it takes to provide the viewer with plenty of context.
The Shopping
Grand Central's well known for its beautiful concourse and (obviously) the transportation, that its market might get pushed to the wayside. But it'd be a mistake to neglect the 68 shops which offer any item or service that you might need, and more than a few you'd want. It's rather easy to get an expert trim and shave at the Art of Shaving, then head over to Beer Table Pantry to pick up one of their 100 bottled beers, and afterwards swing by Junior's to pick up a cheesecake to bring home. Then there's the actual market itself, usually pretty busy, and with stalls from Li-Lac Chocolates—Manhattan's oldest chocolate house—hundreds of cheeses from Murray's Cheese, vendors of fresh seafood, spices and more. Throw in an Apple Store that overlooks the entire station, and you've got one of America's coolest shopping centers that isn't one.
The History
The veneer of Grand Central Terminal began to fade around the 1970s, as a result of rising property prices and lacking quality and maintenance. Threatened by renovations that would have torn apart significant portions of the Terminal, and would have sent it the way of the original Penn Station, Grand Central was saved with the help of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who led a successful movement to have it designated as a National Historic Landmark. Later, in 1996, construction began on a massive revitalization project and concluded two years later, which helped to restore the luster to Grand Central Terminal.