Grand Central Terminal, built in 1913 to replace a previous outdated structure, stands as a grandiose Beaux-Arts edifice. Beaux-Arts, the academic architectural style taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris during the 1830s-90s, was based on the aesthetic principles of neoclassicism. It became popular in America as a result of the City Beautiful movement,…
Tag: Grand Central Terminal
Vanderbilt’s Oak Leaves and Acorns at the Grand Central Terminal
The spectacular Grand Central Terminal owes its presence to Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of America’s first great tycoons and the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family, prominent during the Gilded Age. Cornelius Vanderbilt started his business when he launched a ferryboat service from Staten Island to Manhattan using a $100 loan from his mother. Vanderbilt’s operation eventually…
Grand Central Terminal
Please, do not, under any circumstance, call it a station. It’s a Terminal. Grand Central Terminal was built to house Cornelius Vanderbilt’s railroad network and was envisioned as a gateway to the city. It’s hard to underestimate its grandeur: every day, more than 750,000 people pass through the Grand Central, which is more than the entire…
Oyster Bar
OYSTER BAR Inside Grand Central Terminal, 89 E 42nd St A New York institution serving oysters since 1913. As you enter the room, the first thing you’ll notice is the cave-like multi-arched ceiling laid with interlocking terracotta tiles. They were created by Rafael Guastavino, whose brickwork can also be found in the Municipal Building, at…
City Beautiful Blog 