On Tuesday my group and I went on a trip to Grand Central Terminal in order to plan our creative project. Because we have been researching Grand Central’s history, we instantly noticed all of the innovative additions to the station. First we noticed all of the multimedia screens, showing trains’ arrivals and departures. As we continued walking we saw the escalators. In the terminal’s last renovation (in the 1990’s), escalators were added for convenience, millions of dollars to install. There were many restaurants, clothing stores, shoe-shine stands and waiting areas similar to a mall. It seemed to me that it was difficult to find actual trains. I wondered whether the terminal was too fancy. In a 1913 New York Times article some people felt the same way, they compared the terminal to a “Mausoleums” and a “National Bank”. I did notice some things were unchanged such as the Whispering Gallery, The Tunnels, the busy atmosphere, and the design. This trip helped me realize that, although we are a constantly progressive nation, somethings are better left untouched.
– Leandra Grinage
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