Grand Central Terminal celebrates 100-year anniversary
An entrance to Grand Central Terminal. (Jan. 24, 2013) Credit: Natan Dvir
When William K. Vanderbilt, chairman of the New York Central Railroad, threw open the doors of his new 70-acre transportation palace at midnight on Feb. 1, 1913, nearly 150,000 people poured in to marvel at the Beaux Arts beauty that was as much an engineering triumph as an architectural wonder. A century on -- and thanks to a desperately needed $200 million renovation in the 1990s -- Grand Central Terminal is not only still the world's largest railway station (albeit now only for commuters), but once again the city's most vivacious and awe-inspiring interior, a must-see for tourists and a perennial favorite with locals. So make a point of stopping by sometime and wishing the Grand Dame of 42nd Street a happy 100th birthday.
