The Hidden Side Of Grand Central Terminal - NYC Revealed

New York City is the heart of America’s train system. At its center stands Grand Central Terminal. The station’s Beaux-Arts style has attracted both tourists and commuters alike for over a century. But keeping it all on track requires hundreds of conductors, station managers and rescue workers.

Join Cheddar & CuriosityStream as we explore the unique histories and modern challenges, defining the future of each of New York City's one-of-a-kind infrastructure systems, in NYC Revealed.

Watch 13 minute versions here on Cheddar's YouTube page. You can also watch the full 24 minute episodes on CuriosityStream and on Cheddar's live network.

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[celebrityrog]

The original Penn Station was literally the absolutely most beautiful rail station in THE WORLD. It was the most beautiful interior of ANY American building and would have stood the test of time for HUNDREDS of not Thousands Of years

[jfei]

I was too young to know it but my mom always bemoaned how they tore down the original Penn Station saying that it was a travesty that they ever did that.

[JeffinBville]

During the renovation I, and my fellow commuters each day would walk out of the train platform and into the main hall at GCT and if they had moved the scaffolding over the weekend and a new section had been completed, there'd be a significant backup as people walked out the doors, looked up, stopped in their tracks and said, "Wow!"

[luxuryhub]

As an indigene of New York I can assure you that this mega project will be one of the most transformative projects in New York city history. With all of the traffic congestion coming into New York city, by rail, the 40 or so minutes that traveling into and out of city towards Long Island is immense.

[benevolencia]

I was born in 1960 New York City, and I can still remember everything about the subway. I was a toddler at a time, getting wheeled in by my mom, the smell, graffiti, everything about it I love.

Growing up, we had the park to play in, I can remember the smell of the gravel, and the horses, the hotdog and pretzel vendors. I especially loved those huge granite rocks in Central Park that I would climb. They’re not that huge now when I go back and look. But then it was like the first “mountain” I conquered.

I hope everybody is as happy of the place they grew up in as I am of my hometown New York city

PS: But the most fun was hiding underneath the station platforms and putting pennies and nickels on the track watching them get smashed flat as the train wheel passed over.

[caesar]

3:24 Fun Fact: This photograph cannot be replicated today because of adjacent skyscrapers blocking the sun.

[TheLiamster]

I remember seeing a proposal to demolish Grand Central Terminal and build a skyscraper called the “Hyperboloid”. The Hyperboloid looked cool but losing GCT would have been catastrophic

[abarratt]

250k passengers per day is a lot, probably seems quite crowded, but can you imagine what it's like to experience the 467k passengers per day in Tokyo Central Station? That's 170million people per year, or about 2% of the global population passing through annually... And, just down the track, there's Shinagawa station, which gets 378k passengers daily. Tokyo is one very busy place!

Glad NY saved Grand Central 🙂

[timfonteyne]

All I want is them to bring back old Penn Station.

[RoccosVideos]

98% on time rate is very impressive especially for such a busy place. 👍

[ericcarabetta]

Grand Central is such a cool and unique space it's hard to believe it's part of the same system as Penn Station which is a total dump and nightmare to pass through.

[sandyfeet]

THANK YOU...I loved this!!! First set my feet at Grand Central Station in 1958 having eyes wide open I fell in love with this magnificent architectural wonder and I am still in awe of it today. I saw The Pan Am Building being built and changed to become The Met Life Building across 42nd street there was The Texaco Building and The Bowery Savings Bank Building (now another Cipriani) which brings back so memories of my past. I worked at The Chrysler Building and later The Graybar Building and had lunch down at the Oyster Bar way before Cipriani took over the West Balcony. Because I worked in the City my father and I used to meet and catch up at the Horn & Hardart at the corner of 42nd and 3rd Avenue before catching the commuter back home to Westchester. Christmas was the best of times and it brings back wonderful memories!! I miss and love NY, so THANK YOU! I will forever be grateful to Mrs. Kennedy-Onassis along with Ms. Bess Myerson for their vision and fighting for Grand Central it was a labor of love. Can't say the same for Penn Central which was beautiful and NOW NOT SO MUCH, the low ceilings and the amount of traffic makes one feel claustrophobic or maybe going to the slaughterhouse. 👺

[jamesthedoctor]

Skipper: Status report!?
Rico: Kaboom?
Kowalski: All aboard, sir.
Private: Choo-choo!
Kowalski: Incorrect, Private. NYC outlawed Steam engines, I mean: “Choo-choo’s, over a century ago. Their smoke was resulting in too much…
Rico: Kaboom!

[BatCaveOz]

Only 700 trains per day from Grand Central? That doesn't sound right.
Flinder's Street Station, In Melbourne, Australia has over 1500 departures per day, and it isn't one of the world's great train stations.

[FinancialShinanigan]

As a NYC commuter, glad the LIRR transformation is happening

[DavidWRyan]

I worked in the Graybar Building, and I would go through GSS every day. And every day I would marvel at it.

[dustin]

I commute to the city daily from Long Island for work. It makes me so angry thinking about what Penn used to be. Yes, the new Monihyan hall is spectacular compared to what we had, it has nothing on the original Penn. It is true what Yale professor Vincent Scully, Jr has said, “One entered the city like a god; one scuttles in now like a rat.”

[hwangjam]

Very interesting! Glad they didn't demolish Grand Central!

[bonniefoerster]

My name is Bonnie and I'm 78 years young and I live in Salt Lake City Utah I was born in Atlantic City New Jersey and I grew up in New York City. I worked at 2:30 park Avenue so I went to grandcentral everyday this is such an amazing video thank you for sharing💜

[DigitalAndInnovation]

1) arteries go one direction 2) the network is not extensive- it is the minimal to get by with 3) you are right about Penn Station being destroyed. The current station out-dates me- but I can imagine a lot of folks would equate it to demolishing GCT.