GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL CENTENNIAL
GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL LIRR EAST SIDE ACCESS PROJECT
PARK AVENUE GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL
VANDERBILT AVE.
LIRR CONCOURSE
METRO-NORTH LOWER LEVEL METRO-NORTH UPPER LEVEL
140’
A bank of 47 escalators will connect the LIRR East Side Access platforms with Grand Central Terminal. The LIRR commuters will enjoy their own concourse on the Lower Level of GCT. Illustration by Otto M. Vondrak ©2013 Carstens Publications, Inc.
Source: MTA
through a new concourse carved out of the old Madison Avenue yard tracks on the lower level.
LIRR MEZZANINE
ABOVE: Once reserved for luxury limiteds and named trains of the streamliner age, Track 29 remains as busy as ever with a constant stream of commuters through its ornate gated entrance. LEFT: The famous four-faced clock perched on top of the information booth has been an iconic meeting place for generations. The clock faces are made from opalescent glass, while the case is polished brass. OTTO M. VONDRAK
consolidated all of its service to Penn Station, leaving Grand Central the ex- clusive domain of the commuter. Though
Metro-North had estab-
lished control of the region’s commuter rail system and was largely responsible for Grand Central Terminal, the build- ing itself still belonged to Penn Cen- tral’s successor American Premier Un- derwriters. In 1994, a new long-term lease was worked out to allow Metro- North to begin extensive renovations of the historic terminal in 1996. The $197 million project included the cleaning and repair of all surfaces, as well as the creation of new retail space within the terminal. The most dramatic change was the cleansing of the constellation mural. Long assumed to be covered with the leftovers of diesel exhaust, spectroscopic analysis revealed it to be tar and nicotine from years of people
Looking to the future Though it may not be obvious at first
glance, Grand Central is yet again changing before our very eyes to fit the needs of New York. Launched in 2006, the MTA’s ambitious East Side Access project will expand Grand Central with a new two-level, eight track ter- minal under the current lower level. A new tunnel from Queens under the East River will connect the Long Is- land Rail Road to this new terminal. The more than $6 billion project is scheduled for completion in 2019. While there will be no direct track con- nections between the LIRR and Metro- North, the new terminal is expected to serve about 160,000 customers daily
Visit the official Grand Central web site at
www.grandcentralterminal.com
smoking in the Terminal. Fully re- stored and rededicated in 1998, Grand Central had returned to greatness.
Beyond the trains, Grand Central continues to be a place of commerce uniquely tailored to New York and the people it serves. While the “Central” in the name has, and will always be for the great New York Central, today it al- so stands for the center of Manhattan. Hundreds of people who never step foot on a train frequent the shops and restaurants in the Terminal everyday. Visitors can shop to their heart’s con- tent for a wide variety of items, includ- ing shoes and clothing, glasses, make- up, gifts, wine, iPods, and more. Even the New York Transit Museum has an annex in the Terminal, with an inter- esting rail-related exhibit year-round. Grand Central has also been reimag- ined to meet the demands and tastes of today’s modern suburbanite commuter, the primary demographic that Grand Central now serves. In the scant min- utes before catching the train, com- muters can buy a book to read, flowers for someone special, a cheesecake to go, or even gourmet beverages for the train ride home. Many of the amenities of yesteryear, like the barber shop or the old Grand Central Theatre, would sim- ply not fit in today. In the same vein, who could have predicted new fixtures like the gourmet Grand Central Mar- ket or even the Apple Store in 1913? Perhaps the New York Times said it best on February 2, 1913: “Without ex- ception, it is not only the greatest sta- tion in the United States, but the great- est station, of any type, in the world.” While some of our monuments have fall- en into disuse and are merely tourist at- tractions, Grand Central is not just his- toric, it has also remained a relevant part of our lives thanks to its steady evo- lution over the years. Despite that evo- lution, Grand Central Terminal’s funda- mental purpose has not changed – it continues to serve as an efficient exam- ple of a modern train terminal – and de- finitive proof that a beautiful historical building can still be functional and per- tinent one hundred years later.
Emily Moser is graphic designer, photographer, and transportation and history enthusiast. Emily has been writ- ing about Metro-North and its stations for many years on her popular blog at
www.iridetheharlemline.com
37
1913-2013
180’
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