New York City with children: Grand Central Station
by KFFVMom
(kid-friendly-family-vacations.com)
Grand Central Station
If you are visiting New York, it is but irresistible to take the famous train at the Grand Central Terminal. This train station, which is most of the time inaccurately called by many locals and tourists as Grand Central Station is perfectly constructed on 42nd and Park right in heart of midtown. It is by far the world’s largest terminal station with 44 platforms and 67 tracks. The confusion about its name by both local and tourists can be attributed to the fact that the old post office and rail station that used to exist on the same spot were named “Grand Central Station”. It has been the Grand Central Terminal since 1913 but up to this day, many still get the name mixed up.
Grand Central Station or Terminal, is the main transporter of commuters that travel from the Metro North tracks going to the counties of Duchess and Putnam to counties in Connecticut like New Haven or Fairfield. Like most modern train stations, the Grand Central houses restaurants like the Oyster Bar, fast food chains, bakeries, newsstands and the Transit Museum annex. It is also home to over forty retail shops and other small franchises.
It is interesting to note that the station has a sub-basement called M42 that serves as a room for converters that supply current to the terminal. This is the only part of the station that you will not be able to see on its map. The center of this terminal is the Main Concourse, filled with busy commuters lined up on ticket booths. There is four-faced clock in this terminal lobby just atop the information counter and is the most familiar icon in the station. On the east section, you will be able to get to the Grand Central Market. When at the Main Concourse, you my look up and admire the interesting astronomical design of its ceiling. This was actually part of the restoration which lasted 12 years that the terminal underwent. The outer area of the station is decorated by a statue of sculptures that were designed by Jules Felix Coutan.
The Grand Central Station has been home to the Art Galleries and eventually also for the School of Art that was established after a year. The Art Galleries eventually moved from the station to the former Biltmore Hotel before it ceased its operations in the early 90’s. A host of other pivotal events ensued at the Grand Central. The terminal suffered terror from the 1976 bombing perpetuated by Croatians who also hijacked an aircraft at the same time. The bomb disarming was not properly executed and an explosion ensued that killed the bomb specialist and wounded three others.
As if that was not enough, the station also braced for hard times during New York City’s financial collapse and near bankruptcy. Saved from this dilemma, Grand Central was taken over by MTA on a revitalization project that enabled them to successfully re-dedicate the station in 1998. This event did not go unnoticed by international media and thus marked the beginning of the station being a historic landmark.
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