Thursday, October 19, 2017

GCT: A Place You’ve Been but Maybe Have Never Seen


I am talking about the glorious Grand Central Terminal, an amazing place that tens of thousands of people pass through each and every day, but don’t really see. And that is a pity, because this place is spectacular.

Located in midtown Manhattan at 42nd Street and Park Avenue, the massive structure takes up two entire city blocks. It is the meeting point for the New York City subway system and the Metro-North Railroad which takes travelers to Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties in New York, and beyond. There are 44 platforms at the station, more than any other railway station in the world. All the tracks are below ground, with 30 tracks on the upper level and 26 more on the lower, but only 43 of the total are in use for passengers.

Grand Central terminal in New York, NY. Courtesy Wikipedia
One of the most recognizable of GCT icons is the four-faced brass clock perched atop the information booth. It was designed by Henry Edward Bedford and cast in Waterbury, Connecticut.  The clock faces are made of opalescent glass, also known as opal glass or milk glass. Although it is quite beautiful, it is different than the semi-precious stone known as opal.

The ceiling was conceived in 1912, a year before the terminal opened in 1913, by architect Whitney Warren, with his friend French portrait artist Paul César Helleu, The ceiling is a portrayal of the night sky full of stars and is supposed to be an accurate depiction of the heavens, but is inaccurate, but in a complex way. Although Orion is correctly portrayed, the constellations of Gemini and Taurus are reversed both internally and in their relation to Orion. The mistake was noted almost immediately by a commuter back in 1913, but the mistake has never been corrected throughout the many renovations the ceiling has been subjected to.

There is shopping and a food hall in the station, as well as a model train exhibit at the Terminal’s transit museum. Visitors can have a free self-guided tour or even a docent led tour. Go to the ticket window labeled “GCT Tours on the Main Concourse, and have a great, or even a grand visit to this unique New York destination.