Most of us never saw the original Pennsylvania Station in New York City. It was regarded as a highly functional architectural gem when it opened in 1910, but fifty-three years later the station was closed and demolished. Then it was replaced by something “less respected,” to put it tactfully.
About thirty years ago (that’s a guess. I don’t recall the year), Jacqueline Kennedy and some of her high-profile friends prevented the same thing from happening to Grand Central Terminal, and I’ve been grateful each time I’ve been in the terminal.
Politicians have been kicking around the idea of starting over on Penn Station for years. They’ll never bring back the original, but currently there’s a plan to create something more pleasant for passengers. The proposed design is ultra modern, so it won’t go over well with purists — like me. However, it might be an improvement over the mess that sits there right now.
A link to a New York Times opinion piece on the topic appears below:
