Grand Central used to be a noisy and unpleasant train station. It is still noisy, with millions of people rushing through it, but it has become not only a transportation hub but also a marketplace of spectacular beauty. My words could not possibly describe it — you have to see it to appreciate it. (I found some good pictures at Haviland.org)
Most of us are always in such a hurry to catch a train or run to a meeting that we don’t notice what is around us – me included. Today I had a meeting at an office on Fifth Avenue right around the corner from the train station. I had a choice of inbound trains – one would get me there a half hour early and the other fifteen minutes late. I chose the former. The architecture and grand decor of the main hall is stunning with ornate columns and a star-lit ceiling that appears to be 100 feet up.The Grand Central web site says that "the revitalized Grand Central combines the romance of train travel, the history of a magnificent terminal building from a bygone time, a destination for superb restaurants, and convenience of outstanding retail shops. It’s unlike any other New York attraction right in the heart of midtown". After a four year monumental effort, the is surely as grand, or maybe grander, than when it first opened in 1913.
There are more than twenty-five places to eat at Grand Central. My colleagues and I had lunch at Metrazur — it was great and is now a new entry in my favorite restaurants list. If you want to pick up something on the way to catching a train, there are a dozen sections in the Grand Central Market where you can buy fresh seafood, fruit, vegetables, breads, and gourmet delights of all kinds. In addition there are 48 retail stores offering goods of all kinds. I stopped in to say hello to Bruce Nevins at Grande Harvest Wines. This is one very stylish wine store with a décor to match the Terminal.
A very unique store was Oliviers and Co., a French retail store specializing in olive oils from around the Mediterranean. In addition to the 23 vintage extra virgin olive oils, the store stocks a wide variety of related products including vinegars, macerated olive oils (not sure what that means), tapenades, and olive-related kitchenware. They have samples to help customers select oils to suit their tastes. I have always wondered about how to select oil. The store salesperson said it depended on what you plan to use it for. Good answer.
The only thing that Grand Central doesn’t have is WiFi. I stopped into Starbucks. They had the latte but no WiFi. Hundreds of Starbucks have it but not this one. I checked out a few other corners of the station but no WiFi signals to be found. I then tried a café across the street from the New York City library and next to an office building. Seemed like a good candidate but still no WiFi. There are thousands of WiFi hotspots in NYC — see NYCwireless. You can find where they are at various web sites, but alas, you have to be connected to find the sites!
Note: Every Wednesday and Friday at 12:30 pm, there is a free tour of Grand Central Terminal run by the Municipal Arts Society. Meet at the information booth on the Grand Concourse. For more information on this tour call (212) 935-3960.
