Even though the Grand Central Terminal (or: Grand Central Station) in New York City is a popular touristic attraction, it is in fact also a very important transportation hub for the East Coast US-American city. Especially for the regional public trains, it is a very important spot for locals to get into and out of Manhattan. I will take you to this place in my Pictured Story, based on a visit in March 2024.
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Grand Central Terminal – Location & Access
Grand Central Terminal is located between 42 St and 45 St around Park Ave in Manhattan. Thus, it is very centrally located and key attractions like the Times Square, Rockefeller Center with Top of the Rocks, or the Chrysler Building are in short walking distance. As the building still serves as a train station, there is no admission to get into it.
You typically reach Grand Central Terminal – or briefly: Grand Central – by public transport. Subway routes, 4, 5, 6, 7 (both express and local) and S have stops close to the train station. However, it is the major station in Manhattan, for the Metro-North Railroad, serving final destinations like Poughkeepsie, Wassasic (both in New York State), or New Haven in Connecticut. Furthermore, it is one of the two Manhattan terminal stops for the Long Island Rail Road, which serves destinations all over Long Island. Of course, various bus routes pass or terminate at Grand Central Terminal as well. There are roughly 67 million passengers per year on these routes, based on 2018 estimates.
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Views of Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal has been opened on 2nd February 1913 already. It has originally been designed to operated on two levels, one for commuter rail connections and one of national intercity ones. National rail is nowadays majorly operated from Penn Station at the West side of Manhattan. Its iconic design made it become a National Historic Landmark of the United States of America.
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Visitors from all over the world have a look into Grand Central Terminal due to its very clear and iconic interior, though. It is a fascinating combination of effective passageways and lovely architecture. There are also guided tour through the building, which even used to feature a theater. Unfortunately, I missed some of the key points, so I highly recommend having a guided tour. There is even a tennis court in building. The key two areas of interest, though, can be found in the pictures below. They are namely the Vanderbilt Hall and the Main Concourse. Especially in the latter, you can explore how the train station is in parallel serving as a travel hub and one of the major touristic attractions of the city.
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“Rides on Rail” Postings
Here is everything about trains, trams and other rail vehicles:
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Travel Postings – New York
Here are all my Travel postings related to New York (city):
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