Categories: Travel & Events; Misc.

Next Stop: Grand Central Terminal in New York

By aliciak
updated 3 months ago

Grand Central Terminal is a busy hub for travelers that perfectly embodies New York, all underneath a gorgeous, albeit austere, roof. Although it is known as the place to catch a train or subway, Grand Central is packed with events, shops, a quaint market, a classy basement food court, upscale restaurants, and the mysterious "whispering gallery." Allow me to take you on a tour of one of my favorite pieces of New York architecture!

A Brief History Lesson Before the Tour

“Grand Central Terminal,” its official name, is often overlooked for the more popular designation, “Grand Central Station.” ToMAYto, toMAHto, but this structure, built between 1903 and 1913, almost didn’t survive in any form at all. The decline of train travel and rising of office buildings called for its demolishing in the 50’s and 60’s, but the Landmark Preservation Commission stepped in and magically declared it a National Historic Landmark, stopping all wrecking balls and making this guide possible. Hooray!

Brother Jimmy's To Go

109 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017

Brother Jimmy’s main Upper East Side location attracts the frat boy (gag) crowd, but the Grand Central version is for the passersby like yourself. Unless you’re a frat boy! Please don’t be, so that I can enjoy this frat-free experience. Try the hush puppies and hickory-smoked ribs, if your waistline allows or you just don’t care.

Hot & Crusty

87 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017

Call me crazy, but I am convinced these are the best bagels in the city. Crusty outside, chewy inside, smothered in butter or cream cheese, and always piping hot!

Maybe I’m mistaken on account of making the hour trek before eating breakfast, and just about anything would make me happy at that point, but I think these beat out the other contenders (H&H, Ess-a-Bagel, Bagel Hole) around town. And, the Hot & Crusty staff are always so friendly, and so early in the morning in a high-traffic area!

Ciao Bella Retail Gct LLC

Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY 10017

More than once, I have made a lunch out of various cold treats here. You see, I often found myself in Grand Central around feeding time, and I frequently succumbed to intense gelato cravings. A little champagne sorbet, cinnamon oatmeal cookie gelato, and a frozen lemonade, and that basically covers my nutritional needs, right? Right.

Junior's Restaurant

45 Grand Central Terminal New York, NY 10017

The “real” Junior’s is across the river in Brooklyn, but a lot of the menu, without all the charm, is available at this location. The steak burgers literally call my name, as do any of the super-sized sandwiches, but a word to the wise: a giant banana milkshake is NOT a good hangover cure en route to your upstate job. I learned this the hard way! The milkshakes are worth the $4.95 most other days, however.

Campbell Apartments

89 E 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017

Contrary to what you may infer from the name, the Campbell Apartment is a swanky cocktail lounge, proper attire required!

Grand Central Oyster Bar

Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY 10017

With its sweeping ceilings and stately grandeur, the Oyster Bar is a throwback to old New York, and yet, the long counter reminds me of any no-frills bus station luncheonette. Nonetheless, this restaurant has been here from the beginning (1913!), suffering a fire in 1997, but now restored to its original state with one of the longest seafood menus out there.

Secrets and Oddities

Grand Central sounds like a polished, predictable place, but here are a few surprising secrets and odd features.

There is a secret station (off limits to the public) that runs from Grand Central to the Waldorf-Astoria, 7 blocks North, that Franklin D. Roosevelt used to avoid calling attention to his polio-caused paralysis.
In front of the Oyster Bar’s entrance, have two people stand in opposite corners underneath the vaulted ceilings. Face the wall and whisper something; the sound will travel along the curve of the roof and be heard by the other person in a normal tone of voice. This is the “whispering gallery” and explains a lot when you unsuspectingly watch random people speaking into a wall and laughing!
In the Biltmore Room between Tracks 41 and 42 is the StoryCorps booth: for $10, you talk into a microphone inside a booth with the help of a sound engineer, who will tape your monologue and send it to be preserved in the Library of Congress. The most interesting tales will be played on NPR!

Shop Till You Drop

In addition to the seasonal holiday fairs that take place in Vanderbilt Hall, there are many year-round specialty shops throughout Grand Central. And with the meandering hallways, you never know what you’ll stumble upon, i.e., you will probably get lost like I do even though I have been here at least 50 times! There a few recognizable chains, such as Kenneth Cole, Banana Republic, and Papyrus, but on the whole, most retailers here are small-scale and exclusive to New York, some even to Grand Central alone.

Grand Central Market

87 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017

The Grand Central Market is a narrow and enclosed sliver of a food market on the East Side that is entirely too easy to miss. I only “discovered” it after a year of commuting through the Terminal.

Inside you will find Murray’s Cheese Shop, Oren’s Daily Roast, Li-Lac Chocolate, and stands devoted to German hams, flowers, and spices. When I declined making a meal out of Ciao Bella, I often pieced together some items from the Market: chocolate-covered marzipan from Li-Lac, a wedge of brie from Murray’s, and maybe some baguette to round it all out.