Grand Central Station

New York’s Grand Central Station is an icon with both a glorious and shaky history.  Constructed in 1913, it replaced the old Grand Central Depot which was inadequate due to problems with congestion and with smoke from steam engines.

Built in the Beaux Arts style, the terminal (called so because trains “terminate” there) boasts 75-foot windows, a huge marble staircase, and a ceiling studded with stars.  It soon became the busiest train station in the country.  During the station’s heyday, around 1946-47, it’s estimated that about 65 million individuals passed through Grand Central each year.

By the 1950s, however, train travel was passé.  Penn Central, who owned the terminal, rallied to have it demolished and replaced with a 55-story office building, but the station was saved by concerned citizens who already recognized it as an important landmark.  Jacqueline Kennedy even joined the cause.

In 1994, Metro-North assumed ownership of Grand Central Station and completed extensive renovations, restoring the terminal so that it resembled its early years of glory.  Currently, the terminal boasts five restaurants and cocktail lounges, a dining concourse, and 50 shops.

Almost as famous as the story of Grand Central Station’s near demise is the story of “the snowmen of Grand Central.”  The term refers to the pipe fitters that worked in the steam tunnels under the terminal.  It was their job to repair and maintain the vast maze of pipes located there.