Grand Central Rush Hour

[daveklepper]

Around noon, Standard Time, the sun does stream through the window, not blocked by the buildings each side of Park Avenue South, south of the Terminal.

 

[Overmod]

timz

Sunlight never streams thru those windows like that nowadays, does it? Something blocks it now?

The other difference between the old days and nowadays: to see the sun's rays streaming thru the air, there has to be something in the air -- like cigarette smoke.

If you remember, as I do, Grand Central (and Rockefeller Center) as black buildings, you will know what the something in the air likely was, and where it came from...

All through the '60s, it was a rare day that you could see further south than about 72nd St. from the George Washington Bridge.  Exactly twice in all my childhood could you see far enough down to the Statue of Liberty.  I do acknowledge that this was the price for the prosperity of the anthracite roads ... but I'm not sad it's gone, either.

[timz]

Sunlight never streams thru those windows like that nowadays, does it? Something blocks it now?

The other difference between the old days and nowadays: to see the sun's rays streaming thru the air, there has to be something in the air -- like cigarette smoke.

[daveklepper]

Recall that I was a GCT-WhiteNorth reverse commuter 1971 - 1996

First train trip remembered, arrival at GCT from Hartford, age 3.5, late summer 1935.

First train trip without parents, first Pullman ride, to summer camp, age 6.5 early summer 1938, GCT - Concord,  NH

Last USA RR (not subway) trip. June 1996, WhiteNorth - GCT

My only office in New York City after Klepper Marshall King moved from my Aunt's office to White Plains near White Plains North Station, the Electric Railroaders Association Headquaters in Grand Central Terminal.  I'll always be a member, and will continue to list it as one of the places where I may have leavened bread just before Passover.

But my last long-distance train trip before moving to Israel was West Palm Beach - Penn. Sta. after a relative's wedding, winter '95-96.

[Miningman]

Ok amended to simply Grand Central. I'm up here on the Canadian Shield buried in snow, constantly snowing, for a week now, what do I really know,...thinking I called it simply Grand Central and at times adding the word station. Not sure and doubt I ever referred to 'Terminal'.  That would have made for a terrible header anyway, as Overmod pointed out. Mostly I called it "New York Central railroad Grand Central". 

Was there twice, once as a toddler and once as a young man. Both times arriving by train. 

[Deggesty]

Sad to say, at least one taxi driver in Chicago did not know where Grand Central Station was. The first time I was in Chicago, I came in on the GM&O and left on the B&O. Not knowing any better, I told the driver that I wanted to go to the Grand Central Station; she drove right by it and took me to another station, but did get me to the right station in time. The ticket man in the station had trouble understanding my request for a ticket to Baltimore and a slumber room to Washington (I wanted to visit the B&O museum)

I was on my way from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Black Mountain, North Carolina, adding new miles along the way.

[Flintlock76]

I'm sure David's tongue is planted firmly in his cheek!

Most, if not all of the natives to the New York area have called GCT "Grand Central Station" at one time or another.  It's not a mortal sin. 

Beautiful cover on that "New Yorker" magazine.  Eerie, but beautiful.

[BaltACD]

Grand Central STATION

[Overmod]

But Grand Central Terminal sounds nowadays as if the place is dying of some syndrome or other.  Suggest he just emend it to 'Grand Central' as everyone knows what is meant, just like 'the bridge' is the George Washington Bridge, and "Jersey" is a brown stripe...

This ranks up there, with Steinberg's cover, as one of the New Yorker's most iconic.

(Some wisenheimer/besserwisser is sure to ask where those sun rays are coming from.  I wouldn't blame him/her -- those are actually 'rays of hope' coming from 'the East', or something.  A few big daylight LED arrays and diffusers, and we could have "perpetual springtime all year long"...)

[daveklepper]

deleted

[Miningman]

This is old hat for Japan , Greeks, Egyptians , Persians,  Chinese, they have seen this crap many times before. They have a competent society. They will hold, but for us it's new ... people can't handle lockdowns, too many liberties, not coming together in dire times . It dosen't matter one bit what the government does , whatever it is , the opposition,  are instantly against it.  That will tear society apart at this time,  which is exactly what your enemies want. 

 

Be brave, be strong , I mean what's so hard about watching TV and staying home.  Once in a lifetime opportunity.