What makes Grand Central Terminal so much more than a train station?

[00:00:02]This is the crown jewel of mass transit in the United States.

[00:00:07]>> Grand Central Terminal, known worldwide as a train station. Yet, the moment you step foot into the building, it feels like so much more.

[00:00:14]>> Every day, there's hundreds of thousands of stories that get created in Grand Central.

[00:00:18]>> It's a monument to New York's ambition.

[00:00:20]>> Grand Central is what makes Midtown Midtown.

[00:00:24]>> It is determination. There's really nowhere you can't get to from Grand Central Terminal. Its elegance.

[00:00:30]>> It was an architectural marvel when this place first opened >> and wonder.

[00:00:35]>> Grand Central Terminal is magical.

[00:00:40][music] >> Grand Central Terminal isn't just where New York moves. It's where it breathes, shops, dines, and dreams. Every day, almost 750,000 people enter this masterpiece of boarts design. At 48 acres, Grand Central is less a station and more a small city beneath Midtown.

[00:01:02]And it all started with the dream of one man.

[00:01:04]>> If we're going to talk about the history at Grand Central Terminal, we obviously have to talk about the Vanderbilt family, one of the most successful, influential families in American history. Cornelius Vanderbilt was referred to by many as the first American tycoon in our country's history.

[00:01:21]>> Born in 1794, Cornelius Vanderbilt lived modestly with his family on Staten Island. At 16 years old, he borrowed $100 from his parents [music] to start a passenger ferry boat between Manhattan and Staten Island.

[00:01:32]>> He was nicknamed the Commodore, actually for having control over the seas.

[00:01:36]Even then, he still knew that the future of transportation was actually going to be locomotion and steam engines. By the 1830s, we have our first train line here in New York City. And by the 1860s, we have four train lines here. That's the Hudson line, the New York Central Line, the New York and Harlem line, and the New York and New Haven line.

[00:01:57]>> The trains gave people more opportunity to not only get around New York City, but also to connect to trains going to other parts of the country.

[00:02:06]But progress quickly turned perilous.

[00:02:08]Steam trains ran along Fourth Avenue at street level, filling the air with smoke and grime. Collisions with carriages and pedestrians were common, making the street one [music] of the most dangerous and undesirable in the city.

[00:02:22]The danger demanded change. In the 1870s, engineers began lowering the tracks using a method called cut and cover, pushing the trains out of sight.

[00:02:30]>> It was built underneath Park Avenue.

[00:02:33]There was nothing here. There was no Midtown. And we opened up that area under Park Avenue.

[00:02:38]>> With the trains underground, the street began to transform. 4th Avenue was gradually redeveloped and renamed Park Avenue, emerging as one of New York City's most desirable and prestigious addresses.

[00:02:49]While 4th Avenue was being reshaped into Park Avenue, a different kind of planning was taking place. Cornelius Vanderbilts acquired controlling stakes in three of the city's railroads, imagining a future where they all met in one central hub.

[00:03:02]>> He realizes he is going to need land.

[00:03:05]So, [music] he buys this large plot of land here on 42nd Street.

[00:03:09]>> And in 1871, his vision became a reality. Vanderbilt merges those three major lines into a hub on 42nd Street, calling it Grand Central Depot. This is the first version of Grand Central, which transforms the city's transportation.

[00:03:23]>> And that is where his railroad empire is born. Grand Central Depot becomes super successful, very popular. He was right about the trains. So, [music] as that depot stays in Vanderbilt Family Control, they end up renovating it and reopening it in 1900 under the name Grand Central Station. [music] >> This second version of Grand Central added better steam train ventilation, more tracks, and upgraded ticketing areas, waiting rooms, and baggage circulation.

[00:03:50]>> Now, of course, Vanderbilt knew the trains were going to be popular, but [music] nobody could anticipate the problems that steam engine trains would cause.

[00:04:00]Steam engines emit smoke that's really dark, really thick, really coarse. Makes visibility very challenging, >> which was causing a lot of fires, a lot of damage, uh, and accidents from that.

[00:04:11]>> It's hard for [music] train conductors to move those trains safely. And unfortunately, in 1902, there's a major train accident that happens in New York City. Not here at Grand Central Terminal, though. The two trains collide. It unfortunately kills 15 people. That deadly crash in the Park Avenue tunnel shook the city to its core. And the legislature passed a law that all steam engine trains had to be phased out of Manhattan by 1908.

[00:04:35]The Vanderbilt family solution, electrify the trains and start over.

[00:04:39]Grand Central Station was demolished and a new grander terminal was proposed.

[00:04:43]>> The Vanderbilt grandsons, [music] they decided to host a architectural contest.

[00:04:49]The winner was Reed and STEM. [music] Very exciting for them.

[00:04:52]>> But there's more to the story. Of course, >> the Vanderbilts decided [music] to choose a second late winner, the architecture firm of Warren and Wetmore.

[00:05:00]Those were some reasons probably linked to nepotism because Warren and Wetmore did have some relational ties to the Vanderbilt family.

[00:05:06]>> The two firms divided the work and the result was a masterpiece.

[00:05:11]Construction on [music] Grand Central Terminal began in 1903 and took a decade to complete. When the doors finally opened on February 2nd, 1913, it was the third version of Grand Central. This terminal redefined urban transit [music] with a groundbreaking two-level design.

[00:05:25]Inner city trains on the upper level, commuter trains [music] on the lower level.

[00:05:29]>> Grand Central was a huge innovation when it was built.

[00:05:33]>> Was the first all electric [music] train station in the world.

[00:05:38]>> The price tag $80 million, equivalent of more than $2 billion today. Spread across 48 acres, it has 46 passenger tracks and [music] 30 platforms, more than any other train station in the world. The scale of construction was staggering. Streets were rerouted. 25 miles of pipes and sewers had to be relocated and almost 3 million cubic yards of dirt and rock had to be removed. Enough to fill almost 1,000 Olympic size swimming pools.

[00:06:03]>> We were able to [music] build this amazing terminal in the heart of what became Midtown and a [music] two-level train shed. It's a train yard that all the trains come into.

[00:06:16][music] But the artistry above it was breathtaking and included a popular design of the era.

[00:06:20]>> Bose Arts was an art style very popular in the late 1800s up until about the 1920s. And much of it is represented here [music] in the terminal, including these grand entrances that you see.

[00:06:35]Complimentary matching staircases has that symmetry to it. [music] Very, very typical of Bose arts. We also have these very large arched windows.

[00:06:47]>> And as you go past the sweeping staircases and massive archways, [music] make sure to look up to the ceiling, which continues to stop New Yorkers in their traps.

[00:06:54]>> One of my favorite things is actually to be in here and watch people as they walk into this central space and they look up at the ceiling and they're just like their mouths drop. This constellation mural depicts the sky and what it looks like during the winter [music] zodiac.

[00:07:10]It depicts over 2500 stars, some of which do light up. But believe it or not, which is pretty crazy to think about, knowing how famous this mural was, it actually wasn't supposed to be there. Originally, for the project, they wanted the ceiling to be a skylight.

[00:07:25]They actually ran out of money, which is the reason they decided to do the mural.

[00:07:29]And thank goodness that happened because I think this is one of New York City's most prized possessions. Well, one thing we know [music] was definitely intentional were the acorns all around the terminal.

[00:07:40]>> When you plant an acorn, it grows into a mighty oak. And so when the Vanderbilts built Grand Central, that's what they use as their motif. And you see that reference throughout the building.

[00:07:49]>> It's more than decoration, though. The Vanderbilt [music] family motto was, "From an acorn, a mighty oak shall grow." That motto is etched into the fiber of the terminal. So next time you're in Grand Central, [music] try to spot one or two or three or well, you get the point.

[00:08:06]Looking for acorns can work up an appetite. And luckily, Grand Central has just the place. An iconic spot on the lower level. Grand Central Oyster [music] Bar, known for its tiled, vated ceilings, and of course, oysters. But when it first opened its doors, it was called the Grand Central Station Restaurant, and it's technically older than the terminal itself.

[00:08:23]>> Grand Central Terminal opened on February 2nd, 1913.

[00:08:28]And this place opened on February 1st, 1913. So, by just a day, this place is older than the train station itself.

[00:08:36]>> Today, the Oyster Bar continues its weekday service, much as it has for generations, and anchoring the terminal's lower level.

[00:08:43]>> So, I find that the best way to really take in the beauty of Grand Central Terminal, you have to see it from the vantage point of the main entrance.

[00:08:52]>> Crowning the facade is a sculptural masterpiece designed by the French academic [music] sculptor Jee Phelipe Coutan. The glory of commerce was installed in 1914 and are among the largest sculptural groupings [music] ever mounted on an American building.

[00:09:06]>> Mercury is the god of communication, of commerce, of travelers. So naturally, he has to be front and center here at Grand Central Terminal. To his right, our left, the man looking up at him, that man is Hercules. He is the god of strength. So really reinforcing the idea that the railroads are strong, the railroads are tough. And to Mercury's left, our right, the woman with her head in her hands, that woman is Manurva. She is the goddess of wisdom. So it is really celebrating the wisdom of the Vanderbilt family and specifically Cornelius Vanderbilt in understanding that the railroads were the way of the future.

[00:09:43]>> And just beneath the gods is a 14t wide Tiffany glass clock constructed and designed by the self- winding clock company. And it's been ticking since 1914.

[00:09:52]>> The number six up in the clock is a door. If my hand was the number six, that door will open towards the building. A platform will come out. It can fit about one or two people on it.

[00:10:05]They will do their work, clean it, fix the hands to reflect the time.

[00:10:09]>> And that's just one of the terminals many hidden wonders.

[00:10:13]Grand Central Terminal. It's more than a train station. It's a landmark. It's New York's past and present, where every glance reveals an icon. Take this clock for instance. sitting above the information booth looking over the main concourse.

[00:10:28]>> This iconic lock behind me, we New Yorkers like to joke if I'm telling you, hey, meet me at Grand Central Terminal at the clock, [music] this is the clock we are talking about. It is said to be worth anywhere from $10 to $20 million because it is made of solid opal glass for [music] those clock faces. Now, guess what? That clock is not made of solid opal, but it is made with opaline, which is [music] more of like milk opal.

[00:10:53]So, it's fake opal glass on those clock faces. It [music] has no actual concrete value, but knowing how iconic it is, people don't really know how much it would be worth.

[00:11:04]>> Okay, let's just say the clock is priceless.

[00:11:08][music] Just beneath the iconic clock and the busy concourse, Metro North Railroad takes center stage, keeping trains running on time. Metro North is the descendant of many different passenger rail services going back to as early as 1832.

[00:11:24]In 1968, Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central joined together to form Penn Central. Later on that year, the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad [music] also joined the Penn Central.

[00:11:36]That carried on till about 1976 when the government formed Conrail. Penn Central services were then transferred to Conrail and then that carried through till about 1983 when Metro North and the MTA took over complete operation.

[00:11:51]>> Today, Metro North has three main arteries, the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines that flow into the terminal along with other mass transit.

[00:11:58]>> This is really the temple of mass transportation. You have Metro North, you have New York City subways downstairs, you have New York City Transit buses outside the doors, and then most recently, we have Grand Central Madison with Long Island coming into this terminal as well. So, it's really a convergent of all the MTA agencies coming together for one really magnificent building.

[00:12:18]>> To say it's a welloiled machine is an understatement.

[00:12:20]>> It's like you're in charge of a moving orchestra. We have about 700 daily trains that come in and out of here. If you look at our peak operation in the morning, we have a train arriving about every minute or so and a train turning every 2 and 1/2 minutes. So, it's we're at maximum capacity in the Park Avenue tunnel.

[00:12:39][music] Grand Central's destination drawing hundreds of thousands of commuters and visitors who come simply to experience the space.

[00:12:49]>> We have an average daily ridership of about 235,000 customers. and then coming through this terminal. On top of that, we probably have threearters of a million people pass through here daily, not riding our trains, just taking part in various restaurants.

[00:13:03]>> It was designed specifically as a transportation hub, but also to have all these other amenities. The idea being that there would be office buildings around in this area as well. And so, the designers wanted to provide all of those different amenities to everyone that was passing through. [music] We have 92 retail spaces plus we have six kiosk spaces. We have everything from watch repair, optitionian, boutique businesses like Apple right behind us.

[00:13:33]I think one of the really special things about Grand Central is that [music] most of our businesses are small businesses or they're familyowned businesses. We have quite a few legacy tenants whose families have been here generations.

[00:13:45]>> Let me see your wrist. Grand Central Watch was [music] started by my grandfather Max Cavell. He started with learning little skills in watch making and he trained as a watch maker.

[00:13:56]Eventually [music] when an opportunity came up and a place opened in the Roosevelt Passageway which is now the 45th Street Passageway, that's [music] where he started the business and today we exist in the same location 74 years [music] later.

[00:14:11]It's very unique to be in a family business, especially to have one that [music] goes for three generations. And being there this long is a small miracle. [music] >> Grand Central has always been a place where time matters. But it's also a place full of surprises. High above the concourse on the fourth floor of Grand Central Terminal lies a secret few commuters know exists. Tennis courts.

[00:14:37]With one full-size court and two practice courts, anyone can make a reservation to hit some balls.

[00:14:42]>> The Vanderbilt Tennis Club also has some hidden history to it. This floor is where [music] CBS studios used to broadcast the nightly news.

[00:14:50]>> Here in Studio 41 in the control room in the Grand Central Building in New York.

[00:14:54][music] >> For nearly three decades, CBS operated two studios and control rooms out of the terminal. What are now tennis courts was one studios where the likes of Edward R.

[00:15:02]Muro and Walter Kankite delivered the news to people across the country, including presidential elections.

[00:15:07]>> They were located here in Grand Central Terminal until 1964, [music] which is when they moved to their permanent office space on 57th Street.

[00:15:16]>> So, next time you're swinging a racket up there, just remember you're playing where Kronhite once called it the way it is.

[00:15:25]From breaking news to backhands, the upper floors of Grand Central have seen it all. And while the past echoes above, new chapter is unfolding below. After nearly two centuries, Grand Central welcomed a second commuter rail system, the Long Island Railroad. In 2023, Grand Central Madison opened with a sleek, modern concourse that now connects Long Island commuters directly to Manhattan's east side. No transfers, no Penn Station, a project many years in the making.

[00:15:51]>> It was from the 1960s it was first thought of. Uh they began to progress with that. uh in the mid 1970s it was halted due to budgetary issues. Then it really became alive again so to speak towards the end of the 90s in the early 2000s where it became a serious [music] project.

[00:16:09]>> At the time it was the largest construction project in North America.

[00:16:12]A12 billion undertaking 15 stories [music] below ground spanning over 700,000 square ft.

[00:16:18]>> We actually have four caverns of escalators that [music] take people down from the main concourse down to the mezzanine level. It's about 15 stories below ground, but the escalators are actually an attraction unto themselves.

[00:16:31]>> With a depth of 140 ft, Grand Central Madison is the deepest train station in New York City. For some, the journey from the tracks to street level can take up to 10 minutes.

[00:16:42]>> It's always fun to [music] watch people seeing the escalators and taking videos and pictures and selfies on it.

[00:16:48]>> And the numbers are catching up to the vision. Originally projected to draw 40% of Manhattanbound LIRR riders, Grand Central Madison now sees close to 42%. A sign that commuters are embracing the change.

[00:17:00]Today, Grand Central thrives. Put them on the outbound conversation.

[00:17:04]>> It's a place where the past and present share the same tracks, but that legacy nearly disappeared. In the 1970s, developers proposed tearing it down.

[00:17:14]People were leaving the city in order to find homes in the suburbs. Of course, their revenue, their income, and their interest left with them. So, by the ' 60s, '7s, 80s, this place felt kind of unrecognizable.

[00:17:30]>> By the 1980s, the once stunning celestial mural above the main concourse was hidden beneath layers of soot from cigarette smoke. Over the years, the terminal had become a shadow of its former self. New Yorkers feared it might meet the same fate as Penn Station.

[00:17:42]Pennsylvania Station was an architectural marvel and a sight to behold, but unfortunately in 1963 it was demolished in order to make way for Madison Square Garden. The loss of Penn Station sent shock waves to the city. If it could happen here, could Grand Central be next? And even though Grand Central was given landmark status in 1967, developers had plans, big ones. A skyscraper looming over the terminal, but one voice rose above the noise.

[00:18:10]Thankfully, someone comes into the picture to not only save the integrity of Grand Central Terminal, but to protect its future, and that person is Jacqueline Kennedy Onases.

[00:18:22]>> In 1975, Onasis held a press conference inside Grand Central's Oyster Bar. She formed the committee to save Grand Central Terminal and pleaded with Mayor A. Beam to preserve the building even as the city faced a financial crisis.

[00:18:33]>> She is basically asking this man, "Can you please find the money that you do not have to save this building?" In that letter, she writes this beautiful quote.

[00:18:42]Is it not cruel to let our city die by degrees, stripped of all her proud monuments [music] until there will be nothing left of all her history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by the past of our city, where will they find the strength to fight for her future? [music] >> Others joined the fight and eventually their efforts paid off. In 1978, the US Supreme Court upheld the landmark law, securing Grand Central's protection and preserving its place in history.

[00:19:11]>> She is truly one of my heroes, and she is a big reason why we have so many fantastic buildings still standing in New York [music] City.

[00:19:22]>> Thanks to the first lady, Grand Central Terminal was saved for many future generations to enjoy and marvel.

[00:19:28]>> We consider ourselves one of New York's greatest public spaces. this community within this space.

[00:19:35]Hundreds of thousands of people come through every day and we are a part of their journey. [music] And the purpose of this building was transportation plus always. We're just continuing that original vision from 1913.

[00:19:51]>> [music]