Inside Grand Central Terminal, there is a cavernous space where two large ramps lead down to the famous Grand Central Oyster Bar.
Vast enough for a good-sized cathedral, 302 feet long and 84 feet high, the ramp hall is the brilliant interstitial space, under chandeliers and skylights, between the main concourse and what was once the main waiting room on 42nd Street. Ample ramps converge from east and west. They meet at a great tiled vault, a whispering gallery with astonishing acoustical properties, under a bridge between the concourse and the old waiting room. The vault is a forecourt to the venerable Oyster Bar and the dining concourse.
The impressive hall is made so by leaving the aesthetic of the building as is, a rarity in New York. The MTA has not placed large corporate ads on the walls, or large murals on the floor, there are no hanging signs advertising movies or YouTube.
A recent article in the New York Times talks about how the lack of advertising revenue in the hall is a hot point of debate in the MTA, and who is fighting to keep it as-is.
via New York Times
Matt Coneybeare
Editor in Chief
Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.
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