New York … Grand Central Station

Hi folks!Twinny’s back!

As promised ..

From Grand Central station , New York !

Grand from the outside

Grand from the inside

Grand by design!!

Seen from the outside … One can’t help but notice the magnificent clock .. The biggest Tiffany clock in the world …

Enter and one is stunned..

With the magnificent concourse

The starstudded aquamarine zodiac ceiling

With the marble staircases

And glittering chandeliers

With the sheer size

… Of the BIGGEST STATION in the whole world …

The interesting fact about grand central station is that all the departure times on the display boards show a time different by one minute!!

Purposefully!!

So if the departure time is 12.15 … The train would actually leave at 12.16…

This is to ensure safety… So no accidents occur while the crowds rush to their respective trains… Ingenious I say!

Built in 1913 by multimillionaire VANDERBILT.

The station covers close to 50 acres …

Boasts 67 tracks and 44 platforms…

All buzzing with activity except track 61 .. Used for the entry and exit of VIPs in and out of newyork… Example president Franklin Delano Roosevelt routinely in and out , shrouded in secrecy because he had polio…

Here’s a picture of the president as he was ..

And another in his Washington home , covered. With a cape…

So with this example one learns that ….. There is always always a reason behind everything! Cape covering president Roosevelt … For a reason…!

But in grand central station there are places made for NO reason at all!! Just there for fun!

…..Tennis courts ( now owned by Donald trump).. Where John McEnroe has played

……. Opulent hidden bars to just hang out…

…..A whispering gallery ….not the best place to whisper sweet nothings … would be heard 200 feet away!

…..a kissing gallery( er…not to be taken too seriously!)
…. And a secret room… For clandestine activities in world war 2 .. Where entry strictly prohibited.. Though nothing going on there now!!

Here’s a picture of the whispering gallery…Made by mistake or by design .. One not too sure…

Now right outside grand central station is the Helmsley building.. This belonged to hotel magnate Leona Helmsley …who despite her gargantuan wealth (owner of 23 hotels and hold your breath… The Empire State Building!) used to evade taxes!!!