Enjoying the subdued subterranean grandeur of New York's Penn station, the Big Apple's answer to Birmingham New Street (the original and beautiful Penn station came down during the decade of Grand Uglification and was replaced with the less than endearing Madison Square Gardens and Penn Plaza). Grand Central is, on the other hand, pretty awesome. Though waiting there isn't especially useful if the train is coming in from Philadelphia.
We've talked about this before, I do believe...
Mordor Central has a bigger, slightly uglier, sibling and their name is New York Penn.
Honestly, I felt right at home ;-)
It did feel familiar.
They are talking about replacing Penn Station and Madison Square Garden (have been for some time) though whether it happens is doubtful considering the sums they've spent on other infrastructure post 9-11 and Sandy and underinvestment in Amtrak. Anyway, Grand Central is a lot nicer. The US still has many rather grand train stations (30th Street in Philadelphia, Union in DC and LA, etc.) Apropos of nothing, we did a tour of the lingering underground bits of Euston station the other months, which was interesting and we got to freak people out on the Victoria underground platforms by dispatching our disembodied voices through the overhead ventilation grills (we were lurking in the ventilation shaft). I should point out that this behaviour is not officially sanctioned by TfL.
Anyway, back to New York, my wife, bless her, decide to emerge in the New Jersey Transit section of the warren. And not tell me this (sensibly I was waiting on the Amtrak concourse). Helpfully, rather than tell me about the NJ Transit signs on the walls around her she supplied helpful navigational aids like 'I can see a Dunkin Donuts.' I don't think there's anywhere in the urban US where you can't see a Dunkin Donuts.
