Penn Station turns 100

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user 3575

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NYP is 100 years old as of October, 2010, according to this article.

Therein lies this gem of spin: "Penn Station opened in 1910; public areas were reconstructed in 1968." Reconstructed they were!
 
It's not what it was. I've seen pictures of it. MSG is the most famous arena in the world for a reason and it's because they torn down a beautiful station and put MSG in it's place. :unsure:

What a joke MSG is! :angry2:
 
Acela150 said:
It's not what it was. I've seen pictures of it. MSG is the most famous arena in the world for a reason and it's because they torn down a beautiful station and put MSG in it's place. :unsure:

What a joke MSG is! :angry2:
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Aloha

Well I agree with you that it was a crime what happened to NYP but Madison Square Garden is not a Joke, it is a very well managed, complete Arena facility. I have worked there a few times.
 
GG-1 said:
Acela150 said:
It's not what it was. I've seen pictures of it. MSG is the most famous arena in the world for a reason and it's because they torn down a beautiful station and put MSG in it's place. :unsure:

What a joke MSG is! :angry2:
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Aloha

Well I agree with you that it was a crime what happened to NYP but Madison Square Garden is not a Joke, it is a very well managed, complete Arena facility. I have worked there a few times.
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Apparently, the first LIRR train rolled into Penn Station on Sept 9, 1910 according to this article. It is just that Amtrak is choosing to celebrate the centenary in October.
 
Acela150 said:
It's not what it was. I've seen pictures of it. MSG is the most famous arena in the world for a reason and it's because they torn down a beautiful station and put MSG in it's place. :unsure:

What a joke MSG is! :angry2:
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I am not all sure that many outside the US know anything about MSG, so I would dispute the global claim there. I would also dispute the notion that MSG is well-known, even in this country, because of its presence over Penn Station. MSG previously occupied three different locations--including the actual Madison Square--and was well-known for housing boxing and other athletic events, as well as circuses, shows, rodeos, concerts and, of course, basketball and hockey. Most Americans outside of the New York area, unless they have traveled to Penn Station, seem to have no idea that MSG is directly on top of it. (And this is coming from someone who grew up in New York City...)
 
I'll be there tomorrow!! It is a very functional station.

Not very pretty, hot in the summer and one can see "guests"

lying on the floor in the winter, but it is a busy place

and gets the job done!!
 
Chatter163 said:
Acela150 said:
It's not what it was. I've seen pictures of it. MSG is the most famous arena in the world for a reason and it's because they torn down a beautiful station and put MSG in it's place.
unsure.gif


What a joke MSG is!
angry.gif
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I am not all sure that many outside the US know anything about MSG, so I would dispute the global claim there.
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I think "world's most famous arena" was an MSG advertising slogan. But yes, I agree, outside of the US it is not particularly well known. For example, at a trivia night I attended recently, one of the questions was "what is on top of Penn Station in New York?" and very few people knew the answer. Many people had heard of MSG from TV and movies, but not many knew what it was or what happened there.
 
I imagine Madison Square Garden is probably the most well-known sports arena, perhaps in the world, certainly in the US. However, what is not widely known is that it is located on top of New York Penn Station.
 
So what is the owner (Amtrak) of Pennsylvania Station doing to celebrate the centennial?
 
I remember traveling through Penn Station when I was a child in the 1950s. What an awesome place! The Pennsylvania Railroad built it to be functional because arriving and departing passengers didn't have to mingle. All PRR infrastructure was built to last. We have PRR to thank for the Northeast Corridor being what it is today. No wonder PRR was the "Standard Railroad of the World". You could take a through Sleeping Car from Penn Station to about 36 states around the country which was more through Sleeping Cars that any other Railroad. It's sad that they destroyed that marvelous building!
 
Chatter163 said:
I am not all sure that many outside the US know anything about MSG.........
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A lot of Canadians would be well aware of MSG in a hockey context as the rink where our Leafs, Habs, Oilers, Canucks etc play the Rangers when they are in New York. Most just wouldn’t be aware that Amtrak is in the basement!

Trivia.....what others Hockey Arenas does Amtrak arrive at?

Boston: TD* Garden: the Downeaster uses North Station which is directly below.

(*TD is the Toronto Dominion Bank)

Montreal: If the Adirondack returns to Gare Lucien L’Allier (former Windsor Station, where a new customs facility is proposed) It would be at the Bell Centre where the Canadiens play.
 
My first memory of the old station was as a young child in the early 1950's. My family was taking my grandfather there to travel to Florida for the winter.

The first sight was of the massive columns around the outside, then upon entering, the awe inspiring high ceilings with their skylights. Then the glass circles in the floor to permit the shafts of sunlight to pass thru to the lower level.

A true 'cathedral' of transportation.

The echoing public address train announcements. Then the descent to the platform. The gleaming stainless steel train (looking back, it must have been a Seaboard train). The clouds of steam rising from the sides of the cars. And finally, the magnificent GG1, headlight beaming, bell ringing, and effortlessly pulling the long train away.
 
railiner said:
My first memory of the old station was as a young child in the early 1950's. My family was taking my grandfather there to travel to Florida for the winter.

The first sight was of the massive columns around the outside, then upon entering, the awe inspiring high ceilings with their skylights. Then the glass circles in the floor to permit the shafts of sunlight to pass thru to the lower level.

A true 'cathedral' of transportation.

The echoing public address train announcements. Then the descent to the platform. The gleaming stainless steel train (looking back, it must have been a Seaboard train). The clouds of steam rising from the sides of the cars. And finally, the magnificent GG1, headlight beaming, bell ringing, and effortlessly pulling the long train away.
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I never saw the original Penn Station, and it's sad that the marvelous building was ripped down in the 1960s. I met a native New Yorker rail buff on the Crescent last winter and he recommended a great book on Penn Station's history. "The Late, Great Pennsylvania Station" is a great read if you like the history of the PRR. It's on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Late-Great-Pennsylvania-Station/dp/1568580606 but I also found it at my local library.
 
I'll agree with that! It's in my collection, and I think I'll pull it out now and reminisce!
 
Eric S said:
I imagine Madison Square Garden is probably the most well-known sports arena, perhaps in the world, certainly in the US. However, what is not widely known is that it is located on top of New York Penn Station.
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The most well known sports arena in the English speaking world, maybe. There are billions of soccer fans that probably don't even know what ice hockey or basketball is. I would suggest Old Trafford, the home ground of the world's most famous soccer team, is the world's most famous sports arena.
 
I zipped through there last Monday while connecting to the Adirondack. I saw nothing suggesting its past grandeur except the brass rails on stairways up from track level. My lasting memory will be the Amtrak ticket counter staff-- three of the rudest, least helpful people I've ever encountered. Nothing personal, of course; they were rude even to each other! I'd given the wrong ticket to my first train conductor, and he didn't catch the mistake, so I needed it reissued. Bravo, NYP, for making that a more tense experience than being interrogated at the border crossing, in a little room by myself, about a pair of half-forgotten arrests three decades ago. Being Canadians, they were most polite about it all...
 
ButFli said:
Eric S said:
I imagine Madison Square Garden is probably the most well-known sports arena, perhaps in the world, certainly in the US. However, what is not widely known is that it is located on top of New York Penn Station.
Click to expand...

The most well known sports arena in the English speaking world, maybe. There are billions of soccer fans that probably don't even know what ice hockey or basketball is. I would suggest Old Trafford, the home ground of the world's most famous soccer team, is the world's most famous sports arena.
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My cantidate is the Coliseum in Rome! Been around awhile! ;)
 
Fact of the matter is that fabulous, beautiful and grand Pennsylvania railroad station was destroyed in 1968 by people who just wanted to profit off of the real estate. All thats left is an ugly crowded basement. Half of Chicagos Union station was also destroyed around that time( as well as all other Chicago RR stations)and Bostons Grand North Station followed suit. Detroits magnificent RR station will soon follow. Many may have come to realize that historic architectural gems like these could never be rebuilt but so few seem to care.
 
dlagrua said:
Fact of the matter is that fabulous, beautiful and grand Pennsylvania railroad station was destroyed in 1968 by people who just wanted to profit off of the real estate.
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Not that I want to defend the tearing down of a landmark, but it was solvency, not profit, that motivated the Pennsylvania Railroad to sell the air rights to Penn Station. They had mounting debts that stretched back many year.
 
dlagrua said:
Fact of the matter is that fabulous, beautiful and grand Pennsylvania railroad station was destroyed in 1968 by people who just wanted to profit off of the real estate. All thats left is an ugly crowded basement. Half of Chicagos Union station was also destroyed around that time( as well as all other Chicago RR stations)and Bostons Grand North Station followed suit. Detroits magnificent RR station will soon follow. Many may have come to realize that historic architectural gems like these could never be rebuilt but so few seem to care.
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And across the pond, London Euston suffered a similar fate.
 
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