Every time I visit New York City I see an old friend. Sometimes it’s just to linger over drinks; sometimes it’s for a leisurely dinner. Either way, it’s great to be back in Grand Central, the grande dame of refurbished railroad stations. I don’t mean it’s great to be back there to meet my friend; I mean Grand Central IS the friend.
Time was when grime and decay spread like fungus across her beautiful star studded ceiling, when the floors were subjected to the same punishment and the shops were nondescript. Grand Central had declined from the heyday of elegant rail travel to the humdrum of tedious commuter rush hours and the backdrop for the movie “Silver Streak.”
In 1967, the building received landmark status, which saved it from an imminent wrecking ball. But it would be another thirty years before Grand Central was restored to its former glory. For a wonderful history of the building, you might consider logging on to www.grandcentralterminal.com. Even if you’ve never been to New York or considered a building to be a friend, this site is interesting.
As for me, I had dinner with Keith and Chris in the Oyster Bar, which advertises as “below sea level at Grand Central Station.” It opened in 1913, meaning its one-hundredth anniversary is around the corner, relatively speak. Another great site to visit is www.oysterbarny.com.
We reminisced about the last time we had dinner there and about the times I’ve dragged them to the various bars in the station just for cocktails. We picked our favorite current retail store in the station. My favorite is the Grand Central market where you can buy almost anything to go, so that you have a gourmet meal at the end of your commuter trip home.
Finally, we headed home ourselves, probably with a little too much libation under our belts. But definitely not enough reminiscing. I swear I felt the old girl smile.
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