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61-540: Midtown Manhattan property owners and businesses created the Grand Central Partnership in the mid-1980s during a period of marked physical and economic deterioration. Once in place, GCP developed a comprehensive plan to specifically revitalize the neighborhood surrounding Grand Central Terminal , which included an ambitious capital improvement program, a privately managed sanitation, maintenance and public safety operation, business assistance initiatives,

122-522: A Starbucks coffee shop, a Rite Aid pharmacy, and an Apple Store . The Oyster Bar, the oldest business in the terminal, sits next to the Dining Concourse and below Vanderbilt Hall. An elegantly restored cocktail lounge, the Campbell , sits just south of the 43rd Street/Vanderbilt Avenue entrance. A mix of commuters and tourists access it from the street or the balcony level. The space

183-477: A caduceus below an inscripted panel that reads: "To all those with head, heart, and hand • Toiled in the construction of this monument to the public service • This is inscribed." Above the panel is a clock framed by a pair of carved cornucopias. In 2014, the foyer was named for Onassis, former First Lady of the United States , who in the 1970s helped ward off the demolition of

244-556: A rail yard and sidings ; of these, 43 tracks are in use for passenger service, while the remaining two dozen are used to store trains. Grand Central Terminal was named by and for the New York Central Railroad , which built the station and its two predecessors on the site. It has "always been more colloquially and affectionately known as Grand Central Station", the name of its immediate predecessor that operated from 1900 to 1910. The name "Grand Central Station"

305-446: A theatre in the round , spectators sit on three sides of the court. A men's smoking room and women's waiting room were formerly located on the west and east sides of Vanderbilt Hall, respectively. In 2016, the men's room was renovated into Agern , an 85-seat Nordic-themed fine dining and Michelin-starred restaurant operated by Noma co-founder Claus Meyer , who also ran the food hall. Both venues permanently closed in 2020 during

366-649: A Metro-North train before collecting them three weeks later. In 1996, some of the lost-and-found items were displayed at an art exhibition. Grand Central Terminal contains restaurants such as the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant and various fast food outlets surrounding the Dining Concourse. There are also delis, bakeries, a gourmet and fresh food market, and an annex of the New York Transit Museum . The 40-plus retail stores include newsstands and chain stores, including

427-479: A black champagne hat and carry a radio connected to NYPD channels to report emergencies to authorities. Grand Central Terminal Metro-North Railroad terminal Grand Central Terminal ( GCT ; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central ) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan , New York City . Grand Central

488-548: A board of directors and officers elected by the District Management Association, a voluntary organization made up of property owners, commercial and residential tenants in the district, as well as representatives of elected officials. The Grand Central Partnership is a not-for-profit corporation funded principally through special assessments collected from commercial property owners located within its defined geographic area. Additional financial support

549-448: A broad tourism and visitor services program, and a social services component. Since its founding, GCP has made substantial contributions to the dramatic turnaround of Midtown Manhattan, and, together with the renowned restoration of Grand Central Terminal, GCP's programs are widely credited with playing a major role in transforming the neighborhood into one of the world's preeminent central business districts. GCP's operations are managed by

610-617: A contract to refurbish the Biltmore Room into an arrival area for Long Island Rail Road passengers as part of the East Side Access project. As part of the project, the room's booths and stands were replaced by a pair of escalators and an elevator to Grand Central Madison's deep-level concourse, which opened in May 2023. The room's blackboard displayed the arrival and departure times of New York Central trains until 1967, when

671-530: A final cost of $ 75 million. In spring 2000, construction began on a project to enclose the Northeast and Northwest passages with ceilings and walls. Work on each passage was expected to take 7.5 months, with the entire project wrapping up by summer 2001. As part of the project, the walls of the passages were covered with glazed terrazzo ; the Northeast Passage's walls have blue-green accents while

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732-467: A mechanical board was installed in the Main Concourse. The Station Master's Office, located near Track 36, has Grand Central's only dedicated waiting room. The space has benches, restrooms, and a floral mixed-media mural on three of its walls. The room's benches were previously located in the former waiting room, now known as Vanderbilt Hall. Since 2008, the area has offered free Wi-Fi. One of

793-634: A precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic , Grand Central North closed on March 26, 2020. It reopened in September of that year with hours from 6:30 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. In 2021, its original hours were restored. On November 1, 2021, the entrance to the northeastern corner of Madison Avenue and 47th Street was "closed long-term to accommodate the construction of 270 Park Avenue ". After Grand Central Madison begins full service, Grand Central North will be open from 5:30 a.m. until 2 a.m., seven days

854-576: A week. The main entrance into the terminal, underneath the Park Avenue Viaduct, opens into the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Foyer. The room is a short passage with a sloped floor and arched shop windows along its side walls. It is adorned with glass and bronze chandeliers, a classical cornice, and a decorative tympanum above the doors leading to Vanderbilt Hall. The tympanum has sculpted bronze garlands and

915-402: A year, 60% of which were eventually claimed. In 2013, the bureau reported an 80% return rate, among the highest in the world for a transit agency. Some of the more unusual items collected by the bureau include fake teeth, prosthetic body parts, legal documents, diamond pouches, live animals, and a $ 100,000 violin. One story has it that a woman purposely left her unfaithful husband's ashes on

976-546: Is also noted for its library, event hall, tennis club, control center and offices for the railroad, and sub-basement power station. Grand Central Terminal was built by and named for the New York Central Railroad ; it also served the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and, later, successors to the New York Central. Opened in 1913, the terminal was built on the site of two similarly named predecessor stations,

1037-593: Is also shared with the nearby U.S. Post Office station at 450 Lexington Avenue and, colloquially, with the Grand Central–42nd Street subway station next to the terminal. The station has been named "Grand Central Terminal" since before its completion in 1913; the full title is inscribed on its 42nd Street facade. According to 21st-century sources, it is designated a "terminal" because trains originate and terminate there. The CSX Corporation Railroad Dictionary also considers "terminals" as facilities "for

1098-426: Is an information booth topped with a four-sided brass clock, one of Grand Central's most recognizable icons. The terminal's main departure boards are located at the south end of the space. The boards have been replaced numerous times since their initial installation in 1967. In their design for the station's interior, Reed & Stem created a circulation system that allowed passengers alighting from trains to enter

1159-401: Is lit by Beaux-Arts chandeliers, each with 132 bulbs on four tiers. Vanderbilt Hall was formerly the main waiting room for the terminal, used particularly by intercity travelers. The space featured double-sided oak benches and could seat 700 people. As long-distance passenger service waned, the space became favored by the homeless, who began regularly living there in the 1980s. In 1989, the room

1220-469: Is located on the upper platform level of Grand Central, in the geographical center of the station building. The 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m ) concourse leads directly to most of the terminal's upper-level tracks, although some are accessed from passageways near the concourse. The Main Concourse is usually filled with bustling crowds and is often used as a meeting place. At the center of the concourse

1281-404: Is northwest of the Main Concourse and directly beneath 22 Vanderbilt , the former Biltmore Hotel building. The room was completed in 1915 as a waiting room for intercity trains, which led to its colloquial name of the "Kissing Room", in reference to the greetings that would take place there. As the station's passenger traffic declined in mid-century, the room fell into neglect. In 1982 and 1983,

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1342-417: Is one of the world's ten most-visited tourist attractions, with 21.6 million visitors in 2018, excluding train and subway passengers. The terminal's Main Concourse is often used as a meeting place, and is especially featured in films and television. Grand Central Terminal contains a variety of stores and food vendors, including upscale restaurants and bars, a food hall, and a grocery marketplace. The building

1403-580: Is provided through corporate sponsorship of specific programs and special events and through in-kind services. Assessment proceeds and tax-exempt bonds have funded capital improvements. The Grand Central Partnership also hires "Public Safety Officers" who patrol the areas that the GCP owns or operates property on. These officers are hired at 11.00 dollars an hour and are charged to assist authorities, when necessary, by reporting incidents and maintaining order until their arrival. They are certified Security officers in

1464-675: Is the southern terminus of the Metro-North Railroad 's Harlem , Hudson and New Haven Lines , serving the northern parts of the New York metropolitan area . It also contains a connection to the Long Island Rail Road through the Grand Central Madison station, a 16-acre (65,000 m ) rail terminal underneath the Metro-North station, built from 2007 to 2023. The terminal also connects to

1525-736: The Empire Builder , the San Francisco Zephyr , the Southwest Limited , the Crescent , and the Sunset Limited under Amtrak. Destinations included San Francisco , Los Angeles , Vancouver , New Orleans , Chicago , and Montreal . Another notable former train was New York Central's 20th Century Limited , a luxury service that operated to Chicago's LaSalle Street Station between 1902 and 1967 and

1586-538: The COVID-19 pandemic . City Winery signed a lease for both the food hall and the Agern space in 2022. The firm opened a wine bar, a quick-service restaurant named City Jams, and a farm-to-table restaurant named Cornelius in these spaces that November. The Biltmore Room, originally known simply as the incoming train room, is a 64-by-80-foot (20 by 24 m) marble hall that serves as an entrance to tracks 39 through 42, and connects to Grand Central Madison. The hall

1647-598: The New York City Subway at Grand Central–42nd Street station . The terminal is the third-busiest train station in North America , after New York Penn Station and Toronto Union Station . The distinctive architecture and interior design of Grand Central Terminal's station house have earned it several landmark designations, including as a National Historic Landmark . Its Beaux-Arts design incorporates numerous works of art . Grand Central Terminal

1708-421: The 1998 renovation, which restored the ramps' original appearance with one minor change: the bridge now has a low balustrade, replacing an eight-foot-high solid wall that blocked views between the two levels. The underside of the bridge is covered with Guastavino tiling . The bridge's arches create a whispering gallery in the landing beneath it: a person standing in one corner can hear another speaking softly in

1769-604: The 47th and 48th Street entrances were open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., while the two entrances to the Helmsley Building were closed. Five years after they opened, the passageways were used by about 30,000 people on a typical weekday. But they served only about 6,000 people on a typical weekend, so the MTA proposed to close them on weekends to save money as part of the 2005–2008 Financial Plan. Since summer 2006, Grand Central North has been closed on weekends. As

1830-845: The Bronx in New York City; Westchester , Putnam , and Dutchess counties in New York ; and Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut . The MTA's Long Island Rail Road operates commuter trains to the Grand Central Madison station beneath Grand Central, completed in 2023 in the East Side Access project. The project connects the terminal to all of the railroad's branches via its Main Line , linking Grand Central Madison to almost every LIRR station. Partial service to Jamaica began on January 25, 2023. The New York City Subway 's adjacent Grand Central–42nd Street station serves

1891-414: The Main Concourse and the construction of Grand Central Tower . Vanderbilt Hall is an event space on the south side of the terminal, between the main entrance and the Main Concourse to its north. The rectangular room measures 65 by 205 feet (20 m × 62 m). The north and south walls are divided into five bays, each with large rectangular windows, screened with heavy bronze grills. The room

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1952-479: The Main Concourse ceiling. Access to the lower-level tracks is provided by the Dining Concourse, located below the Main Concourse and connected to it by numerous stairs, ramps, and escalators. For decades, it was called the Suburban Concourse because it handled commuter rail trains. Today, it has central seating and lounge areas, surrounded by restaurants and food vendors. The shared public seating in

2013-622: The Main Concourse, then leave through various passages that branch from it. Among these are the north–south 42nd Street Passage and Shuttle Passage, which run south to 42nd Street; and three east–west passageways—the Grand Central Market, the Graybar Passage, and the Lexington Passage—that run about 240 feet (73 m) east to Lexington Avenue by 43rd Street. Several passages run north of the terminal, including

2074-522: The North End Access Project, the work was to be completed in 1997 at a cost of $ 64.5 million, but it was slowed by the incomplete nature of the building's original blueprints and by previously undiscovered groundwater beneath East 45th Street. During construction, MTA Arts & Design mosaics were installed; each work was part of As Above, So Below , by Brooklyn artist Ellen Driscoll . The passageways opened on August 18, 1999, at

2135-614: The Northwest Passage's walls have red ones. The ceilings are 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3.0 m) high; the cross-passages' ceilings are blue-green, the same color as the Main Concourse, and have recessed lights arranged to resemble the Main Concourse's constellations. The passages were to be heated in winter and ventilated. Originally, Grand Central North had no restrooms or air-conditioning. The entrances to Grand Central North were originally open from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. During weekends and holidays,

2196-574: The State of New York prior to their employment. Officers are also assigned to the Partnership's Taxi Stands to maintain traffic flow and ensure the safety of visitors. GCP Public Safety Officers are often found on foot patrol with red and black variant uniforms. They often wear an Oval Eagle Top badge with no citation bars and, occasionally, one may see the officer's nameplate on a leather NYPD style badge holder. The GCP's PSOs are also often wearing

2257-452: The breaking up, making up, forwarding, and servicing of trains" or "where one or more rail yards exist". Grand Central Terminal serves some 67 million passengers a year, more than any other Metro-North station. During morning rush hour , a train arrives at the terminal every 58 seconds. Three of Metro-North's five main lines terminate at Grand Central: Through these lines, the terminal serves Metro-North commuters traveling to and from

2318-511: The concourse was designed resembling Pullman traincars . These areas are frequented by the homeless, and as a result, in the mid-2010s the MTA created two areas with private seating for dining customers. The terminal's late-1990s renovation added stands and restaurants to the concourse, and installed escalators to link it to the main concourse level. The MTA also spent $ 2.2 million to install two circular terrazzo designs by David Rockwell and Beyer Blinder Belle , each 45 feet in diameter, over

2379-483: The concourse's original terrazzo floor. Since 2015, part of the Dining Concourse has been closed for the construction of stairways and escalators to the new LIRR terminal being built as part of East Side Access . A small square-framed clock is installed in the ceiling near Tracks 108 and 109. It was manufactured at an unknown time by the Self Winding Clock Company , which made several others in

2440-423: The diagonally opposite corner. Grand Central North is a network of four tunnels that allow people to walk between the station building (which sits between 42nd and 44th Street) and exits at 45th, 46th, 47th, and 48th Street. The 1,000-foot (300 m) Northwest Passage and 1,200-foot (370 m) Northeast Passage run parallel to the tracks on the upper level, while two shorter cross-passages run perpendicular to

2501-419: The entrance. The theater's interior had simple pine walls spaced out to eliminate echos, along with an inglenook , a fireplace, and an illuminated clock for the convenience of travelers. The walls of the lobby, dubbed the "appointment lounge", were covered with world maps; the ceiling had an astronomical mural painted by Sarg. The New York Times reported a cost of $ 125,000 for the theater's construction, which

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2562-414: The first of which dated to 1871. Grand Central Terminal served intercity trains until 1991, when Amtrak began routing its trains through nearby Penn Station . Grand Central covers 48 acres (19 ha) and has 44 platforms , more than any other railroad station in the world. Its platforms, all below ground, serve 30 tracks on the upper level and 26 on the lower. In total, there are 67 tracks, including

2623-406: The floor is terrazzo . The ceiling is composed of seven groin vaults , each of which has an ornamental bronze chandelier. The first two vaults, as viewed from leaving Grand Central, are painted with cumulus clouds , while the third contains a 1927 mural by Edward Trumbull depicting American transportation. The middle passageway houses Grand Central Market, a cluster of food shops. The site

2684-458: The following routes: These MTA Regional Bus Operations buses stop near Grand Central: The terminal and its predecessors were designed for intercity service, which operated from the first station building's completion in 1871 until Amtrak ceased operations in the terminal in 1991. Through transfers, passengers could connect to all major lines in the United States, including the Canadian ,

2745-534: The hall held the Great Northern Food Hall, an upscale Nordic-themed food court with five pavilions. The food hall was the first long-term tenant of the space; the terminal's landmark status prevents permanent installations. Since 1999, Vanderbilt Hall has hosted the annual Tournament of Champions squash championship. Each January, tournament officials construct a free-standing glass-enclosed 21-by-32-foot (6.4 by 9.8 m) squash court. Like

2806-602: The north–south 45th Street Passage, which leads to 45th Street and Madison Avenue, and the network of tunnels in Grand Central North, which lead to exits at every street from 45th to 48th Street. Each of the east–west passageways runs through a different building. The northernmost is the Graybar Passage, built on the first floor of the Graybar Building in 1926. Its walls and seven large transverse arches are made of coursed ashlar travertine , and

2867-508: The platforms via 37 stairs, six elevators, and five escalators. The tunnels' street-level entrances, each enclosed by a freestanding glass structure, sit at the northeast corner of East 47th Street and Madison Avenue (Northwest Passage), the northeast corner of East 48th Street and Park Avenue (Northeast Passage), in the two pedestrian walkways underneath the Helmsley Building between 45th and 46th streets, and (since 2012) on

2928-489: The retail areas of the Graybar Passage, currently occupied by wine-and-liquor store Central Cellars, was formerly the Grand Central Theatre or Terminal Newsreel Theatre. Opened in 1937 with 25-cent admission, the theater showed short films, cartoons, and newsreels from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Designed by Tony Sarg , it had 242 stadium-style seats and a standing-room section with armchairs. A small bar sat near

2989-527: The room was damaged during the construction that converted the Biltmore Hotel into the Bank of America Plaza. In 1985, Giorgio Cavaglieri was hired to restore the room, which at the time had cracked marble and makeshift lighting. During that era, a series of lockers was still located within the Biltmore Room. Later, the room held a newsstand, flower stand, and shoe shine booths. In 2015, the MTA awarded

3050-456: The south side of 47th Street between Park and Lexington avenues. Pedestrians can also take an elevator to the 47th Street passage from the north side of East 47th Street, between Madison and Vanderbilt avenues; this entrance adjoined the former 270 Park Avenue . Proposals for these tunnels had been discussed since at least the 1970s. The MTA approved preliminary plans in 1983, gave final approval in 1991, and began construction in 1994. Dubbed

3111-427: The terminal. The clock hung inside the gate at Track 19 until 2011, when it was moved so it would not be blocked by lights added during upper-level platform improvements. Metro-North's lost-and-found bureau sits near Track 100 at the far east end of the Dining Concourse. Incoming items are sorted according to function and date: for instance, there are separate bins for hats, gloves, belts, and ties. The sorting system

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3172-688: The three, the Lexington Passage, was originally known as the Commodore Passage after the Commodore Hotel , which it ran through. When the hotel was renamed the Grand Hyatt, the passage was likewise renamed. The passage acquired its current name during the terminal's renovation in the 1990s. The Shuttle Passage, on the west side of the terminal, connects the Main Concourse to Grand Central's subway station. The terminal

3233-408: The tracks. The 47th Street cross-passage runs between the upper and lower tracks, 30 feet (9.1 m) below street level; it provides access to upper-level tracks. The 45th Street cross-passage runs under the lower tracks, 50 feet (15 m) below street level. Converted from a corridor built to transport luggage and mail, it provides access to lower-level tracks. The cross-passages are connected to

3294-490: Was among the most famous trains of its time. From 1971 to 1991, all Amtrak trains using the intrastate Empire Corridor to Niagara Falls terminated at Grand Central; interstate Northeast Corridor trains used Penn Station. Notable Amtrak services at Grand Central included the Lake Shore , Empire Service , Adirondack , Niagara Rainbow , Maple Leaf , and Empire State Express . Grand Central Terminal

3355-466: Was attributed to construction of an elevator between the theater and the suburban concourse as well as air conditioning and apparatuses for people hard of hearing. The theater stopped showing newsreels by 1968 but continued operating until around 1979, when it was gutted for retail space. A renovation in the early 2000s removed a false ceiling, revealing the theater's projection window and its astronomical mural, which proved similar in colors and style to

3416-470: Was boarded up in preparation for its restoration in 1991. During the process, a temporary waiting room was established on an upper level of the terminal. Around 1998, the renovated hall was renamed in honor of the Vanderbilt family , which built and owned the station. It is used for the annual Christmas Market, as well as for special exhibitions and private events. From 2016 to 2020, the west half of

3477-415: Was computerized in the 1990s. Lost items are kept for up to 90 days before being donated or auctioned off. As early as 1920, the bureau received between 15,000 and 18,000 items a year. By 2002, the bureau was collecting "3,000 coats and jackets; 2,500 cellphones; 2,000 sets of keys; 1,500 wallets, purses and ID's [ sic ]; and 1,100 umbrellas" a year. By 2007, it was collecting 20,000 items

3538-477: Was designed and built with two main levels for passengers: an upper for intercity trains and a lower for commuter trains. This configuration, devised by New York Central vice president William J. Wilgus , separated intercity and commuter-rail passengers, smoothing the flow of people in and through the station. The original plan for Grand Central's interior was designed by Reed and Stem , with some work by Whitney Warren of Warren and Wetmore . The Main Concourse

3599-445: Was originally a segment of 43rd Street which became the terminal's first service dock in 1913. In 1975, a Greenwich Savings Bank branch was built in the space, which was converted into the marketplace in 1998, and involved installing a new limestone façade on the building. The building's second story, whose balcony overlooks the market and 43rd Street, was to house a restaurant, but is instead used for storage. The southernmost of

3660-713: Was originally configured with two parallel passages, later simplified into one wide passageway. Ramps include the Vanderbilt Avenue ramp and the Oyster Bar ramps. The Vanderbilt Avenue or Kitty Kelly ramp leads from the corner of Vanderbilt Avenue and 42nd Street down into the Shuttle Passage. Most of the space above the ramp was built upon in the 20th century, becoming the Kitty Kelly women's shoe store, and later operating as Federal Express. The ramp

3721-552: Was returned to its original two-story volume during the terminal's 1998 restoration. The Oyster Bar ramps lead down from the Main Concourse to the Oyster Bar and Dining Concourse. They span a total of 302 ft (92 m) from east to west under an 84 ft (26 m) ceiling. A pedestrian bridge passes over the ramps, connecting Vanderbilt Hall and the Main Concourse. In 1927, the ramps were partially covered over by expanded main-floor ticket offices; these were removed in

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