Latest / Abide Meditation App / 😴 The Most SOOTHING Story for DEEP SLEEP_ A Dreamy Evening at Grand Central Terminal - Part

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😴 The Most SOOTHING Story for DEEP SLEEP_ A Dreamy Evening at Grand Central Terminal - Part · Abide Meditation App

0:02
Speaker 1: Welcome to get sleepy. Where we listen, we relax, and
0:09
Speaker 1: we get sleepy. As always, I'm your host, Thomas, thank
0:18
Speaker 1: you for being here. It's no secret that train journeys
0:24
Speaker 1: make some of the most soothing bedtime stories. There's something
0:30
Speaker 1: so inviting about coasting through the countryside, cocooned in comfort,
0:37
Speaker 1: watching the world pass by as travel goes. It may
0:43
Speaker 1: be the most enchanting way to be transported from one
0:47
Speaker 1: location to another, with almost no effort required on your
0:53
Speaker 1: part to make it happen. But what of the beginnings
0:59
Speaker 1: and end points. There's also something uniquely magical about the
1:05
Speaker 1: convergence of so many travelers, so many journeys, and so
1:11
Speaker 1: many stories all gathered in one spot, especially when it
1:18
Speaker 1: comes to the grand historical stations and terminals of a
1:23
Speaker 1: hundred years ago. The beginning or endpoint of the trip
1:29
Speaker 1: has a tale to tell all of its own. So
1:35
Speaker 1: tonight we'll immass ourselves in the first of a two
1:38
Speaker 1: part adventure written by Alicia Stephan and read by Simon,
1:46
Speaker 1: It's a dreamy tour of Grand Central Terminal, which many
1:51
Speaker 1: have long considered the most gracious portal to New York City.
1:59
Speaker 1: As we roam it fabled whrese and learn its secrets,
2:04
Speaker 1: will come to understand how much the terminal itself has
2:08
Speaker 1: become an immutable part of history. And the great news
2:14
Speaker 1: is you can hear part two of this story tomorrow
2:18
Speaker 1: night in a special Tuesday Bonus episode, freely available to
2:24
Speaker 1: all listeners. It's that time of year where we love
2:28
Speaker 1: to bring you some special treats and surprises, so do
2:33
Speaker 1: join us again tomorrow night for part two. As for
2:40
Speaker 1: the here and now, it's time for us to unwind,
2:45
Speaker 1: slow down, and prepare for a good night's rest. Let's
2:53
Speaker 1: keep it really simple tonight. If you have your own
2:58
Speaker 1: routine or technique you prefer to follow, feel free to
3:03
Speaker 1: stick with that, or you can just join me for
3:09
Speaker 1: a few deep, relaxing breaths. On the inhalations draw in
3:19
Speaker 1: a sense of calm, and with the exhalations let go
3:26
Speaker 1: of any tension, stress, worry, or burden. Let's try it now,
3:38
Speaker 1: breathing in and absorbing peace and calm, then letting the
3:48
Speaker 1: breath go and allowing burdens and thoughts or sensations to
3:56
Speaker 1: flow out with it. Breathing calm, exhale tension one more
4:10
Speaker 1: time together, breathing in fully and slowly, steadily letting it
4:20
Speaker 1: all go. Now you're feeling a little more settled and relaxed,
4:32
Speaker 1: give yourself up to the luxury of your own bed.
4:38
Speaker 1: It is your compartment for the night. As these upcoming
4:45
Speaker 1: scenes pass before your mind's eye, let yourself drift along,
4:52
Speaker 1: even if sleep descends upon you before the end. After all,
5:01
Speaker 1: Grand Central Terminal has stood for over a hundred years,
5:07
Speaker 1: and its story will be there for you to finish
5:10
Speaker 1: whenever you feel like it. Now, picture yourself standing on
5:19
Speaker 1: the storied streets of New York City. Dusk is falling,
5:27
Speaker 1: and this is where our story begins.
5:56
Speaker 2: As you approach Ground Central Terminal, evening is just about
6:01
Speaker 2: to fall. The crush of people and traffic around you
6:06
Speaker 2: has a life of its own. It's so massive, so thick,
6:13
Speaker 2: and so teeming with energy that you feel like you're
6:17
Speaker 2: floating through it, a detached observer of a natural phenomenon.
6:25
Speaker 2: Yellow cabs crawl by you, issuing boisterous reprimands to each
6:30
Speaker 2: other spontaneously. People get out of them and merge with
6:36
Speaker 2: the current of black and gray cloud pedestrians on the sidewalk.
6:42
Speaker 2: You are part of a river, and it is pulling
6:45
Speaker 2: you steadfastly along. Together, you're flowing toward the station that
6:52
Speaker 2: serves as a symbolic gateway to New York. You float
6:58
Speaker 2: through this ocean if you calmly, as if to deepen
7:03
Speaker 2: the romance of the atmosphere, Mother Nature is dimming the
7:07
Speaker 2: lights in the sky around you, taking over for the
7:13
Speaker 2: setting sun. The sidewalks and streets of Manhattan respond as
7:20
Speaker 2: the brightness is leeched from the sky. Almost simultaneously, electricity
7:26
Speaker 2: picks up where the sun has left off. White orbs
7:32
Speaker 2: on lamp posts and in storefronts cast their glow across
7:36
Speaker 2: the pavement, giving each passing figure a mysterious aura. You
7:44
Speaker 2: approach the station from Park Avenue, heading straight for its
7:48
Speaker 2: most magnificent facade. Tilting your head upward at the intersection
7:55
Speaker 2: of forty second Street, you gaze in awe at the
7:59
Speaker 2: facemous clock, topped with a massive statue called Transportation. It
8:07
Speaker 2: features the Greek gods Mercury, Hercules, and Minerva. At fourteen
8:16
Speaker 2: feet in diameter, it is rumored to be the largest
8:19
Speaker 2: example of Tiffany glass in the world. The collection of
8:25
Speaker 2: statues is even larger, at forty eight feet in height.
8:32
Speaker 2: They weigh a total of fifteen hundred tons, appearing to
8:38
Speaker 2: hold up this weight effortlessly. The street level exterior of
8:42
Speaker 2: the building boasts graceful arched windows twice as tall as
8:47
Speaker 2: they are wide. You can count ten doric columns, which
8:53
Speaker 2: suit the Greek gods on the clock perfectly. This exquisit
9:00
Speaker 2: landmark building was created to match the Beaux Arts style
9:05
Speaker 2: of the nearby Public Library. Grand Central Terminal is considered
9:11
Speaker 2: to be a beautiful example of how this type of
9:14
Speaker 2: architecture merges classical elements with decorative French flourishes. It is
9:22
Speaker 2: a sight to behold. You are meeting a friend for
9:27
Speaker 2: a quick drink and an appetizer at the famous Campbell
9:31
Speaker 2: Apartment bar inside the terminal. Checking the minutes on the
9:37
Speaker 2: enormous clock, you see that it is almost time for
9:41
Speaker 2: your reservation. You cross forty second Street and enter the
9:46
Speaker 2: station through a stately and largely empty hall. You're not
9:53
Speaker 2: sure what this room is for, but it looks like
9:56
Speaker 2: it used to be important. You admire the ostentatious four
10:02
Speaker 2: tiered chandeliers that hang from the ceiling of this tall space.
10:09
Speaker 2: You keep walking straight ahead because the spacious heart of
10:13
Speaker 2: the terminal beckons like the streets outside it is filled
10:19
Speaker 2: with activity. A sea of people move in every direction,
10:26
Speaker 2: each with a secret purpose of their own. Some want
10:32
Speaker 2: only to catch their commuter train home. They walk with determination,
10:39
Speaker 2: carrying tote bags and briefcases. Others are clearly here for
10:45
Speaker 2: the first time. They stand in small clusters, wearing backpacks
10:51
Speaker 2: and peering at maps. Many of these people are looking
10:57
Speaker 2: upward in awe of the incredible sites that surround them.
11:01
Speaker 2: At eye level and above, so many people, so many
11:07
Speaker 2: lives converging, yet nobody runs into anybody else, Demonstrating the
11:15
Speaker 2: genius design of its ambitious creators, The main concourse accepts
11:20
Speaker 2: an unending stream of people and allows them to fan
11:25
Speaker 2: effortlessly out into its various tracks and corridors. It does
11:32
Speaker 2: so without interrupting their journeys. They are together, but they
11:39
Speaker 2: do not impede one another. They are unwitting partners in
11:45
Speaker 2: a cosmic dance at this hub of humanity. At the
11:52
Speaker 2: center of it all is perhaps Grand Central's most iconic landmark,
12:00
Speaker 2: golden four faced opal clock stands atop the round information booth.
12:08
Speaker 2: The clock and the booth are the center of attention. However,
12:15
Speaker 2: even they seem small underneath the impossibly tall vaulted ceiling,
12:22
Speaker 2: which is covered with an elegant murror of the constellations.
12:28
Speaker 2: On the sides of the concourse. More enormous arched windows
12:33
Speaker 2: let in what light there is to be had amongst
12:36
Speaker 2: the towering skyscrapers of Midtown. Gracious staircases at either end
12:44
Speaker 2: of the concourse allow visitors to ascend to the second
12:48
Speaker 2: floor balcony level. That is where you will need to
12:53
Speaker 2: go in order to meet your friend. Moving with hundreds
12:59
Speaker 2: of other visitors, you make your way through the crowd
13:02
Speaker 2: and proceed to the second level. There are some diners
13:08
Speaker 2: sitting out on the balcony overlooking the concourse. You, however,
13:15
Speaker 2: are headed to the luxurious enclave inside the Campbell bar.
13:21
Speaker 2: Turning to the left, you step into the low lights
13:24
Speaker 2: of the entryway and a greeted by the host. When
13:30
Speaker 2: he hears that you're meeting someone, he tells you she
13:33
Speaker 2: has already arrived. Smiling, he leads you through the plush
13:39
Speaker 2: interior to where your friend is waving at you. She
13:45
Speaker 2: is sitting at a small table right in front of
13:48
Speaker 2: what was once a large safe for storing money and valuables. Now,
13:55
Speaker 2: of course, it merely serves as a fascinating decoration, or
14:00
Speaker 2: at least you assume so. You lean back in your
14:05
Speaker 2: luxurious leather chair and run your hand over the nail
14:10
Speaker 2: head trim. Your friend has ordered some soft pretzel bites.
14:18
Speaker 2: They arrive with warm cheese sauce on the side. You
14:25
Speaker 2: request your favorite beverage from the server, and she nods
14:29
Speaker 2: agreeably and says she'll be right back. Turning to your friend,
14:36
Speaker 2: you comment on how cozy and yet magnificent this room is.
14:43
Speaker 2: She tells you she's been here numerous times before and
14:47
Speaker 2: proceeds to share a little of its history. You're not
14:53
Speaker 2: surprised to hear that during the jazz Age, the Campbell
14:57
Speaker 2: Bar was once the private office of one one of
15:00
Speaker 2: the people on the railroad's board of directors. After all,
15:06
Speaker 2: the leather and brass decorps really calls to mind a
15:09
Speaker 2: men's club. At once intimate and impressive, the space manages
15:17
Speaker 2: to feel like a secret hideaway without sacrificing all of
15:22
Speaker 2: the high ceilinged glory of other parts of the terminal.
15:28
Speaker 2: Looking up, you estimate the ceilings are over twenty feet high.
15:35
Speaker 2: Dimly through the darkness, you can see that they are painted.
15:41
Speaker 2: Although night has fallen. Outside, you can see the lights
15:45
Speaker 2: of Manhattan illuminating the beautiful lead glass windows behind the bar.
15:52
Speaker 2: No expense has been spared to bring this space back
15:56
Speaker 2: to its original beauty. You and your friend spend an
16:02
Speaker 2: hour in the pleasant glow of the stone fireplace, catching
16:06
Speaker 2: up on your latest news. Alas, the time goes too
16:12
Speaker 2: quickly and she tells you regretfully that she has a
16:16
Speaker 2: train to catch. After settling your tab with the server,
16:22
Speaker 2: you make your way out of the velvet darkness of
16:25
Speaker 2: the campbell bar and part from your friend on the landing,
16:32
Speaker 2: she disappears into the crowd, becoming one with it, making
16:37
Speaker 2: her way to the track where her train will depart.
16:42
Speaker 2: As you watch her disappear, you are vaguely aware of
16:46
Speaker 2: a tour guide speaking to a small group of people
16:49
Speaker 2: behind you. They are gathered on the landing of the balcony.
16:57
Speaker 2: You can't quite make out what he's saying, but you're
17:00
Speaker 2: curious to know. Stepping a little closer, you melt into
17:07
Speaker 2: the outer edge of the group, just as they begin
17:10
Speaker 2: to move away from the main terminal and toward the
17:13
Speaker 2: outer wall of the station. Intrigued, you follow them. You
17:21
Speaker 2: soon find yourself in a stairwell you'd never noticed before.
17:28
Speaker 2: It's by far the prettiest side stairwell you've ever seen.
17:34
Speaker 2: They don't make emergency exits like this anymore, you think
17:38
Speaker 2: to yourself. Even behind the scene, spaces at Grand Central
17:45
Speaker 2: get the decorative treatment. Artful flourishes abound. The tour guide
17:52
Speaker 2: is explaining the purpose of a large round window that
17:57
Speaker 2: looks out on the exterior of the station. It is
18:02
Speaker 2: surrounded by metalwork of the same design as that that
18:06
Speaker 2: you see in the railings of the staircase. He explains
18:12
Speaker 2: that this circular portal cranks open. It is used as
18:17
Speaker 2: an access point for the workers who clean the enormous
18:21
Speaker 2: clock outside. Members of the tour murmur appreciatively as each
18:29
Speaker 2: person gazes at the window, imagining themselves going through it.
18:37
Speaker 2: The tour moves on. You hear the guide saying something
18:43
Speaker 2: about visiting the hallway outside the tennis club. In the
18:49
Speaker 2: back of your mind, you think, how funny it is
18:52
Speaker 2: that there's a tennis club at Grand Central Terminal. However,
18:59
Speaker 2: you remane in the stairs looking at the circular window.
19:06
Speaker 2: The buildings outside are ablaze with light. Now, after losing
19:13
Speaker 2: yourself in your thoughts for a few minutes, you realize
19:17
Speaker 2: you are all alone in the stairwell. Feeling oddly as
19:23
Speaker 2: if you shouldn't be there, you exit back into the
19:27
Speaker 2: main concourse. Then you stop, unable to believe your eyes.
19:36
Speaker 2: It is completely empty. The lights are on, everything is
19:43
Speaker 2: as it was, except that you are the only person there.
19:50
Speaker 2: In awe of the silence, you are irresistibly drawn to
19:54
Speaker 2: the center of the concourse, near the clock. Gazing up
20:00
Speaker 2: at the balconies and the ceiling, You slowly turn in
20:05
Speaker 2: a circle, mesmerized by its emptiness. The room feels as
20:12
Speaker 2: if it is expanding around you, making you smaller and smaller.
20:20
Speaker 2: Then you hear a friendly voice say it's quite a marvel,
20:25
Speaker 2: isn't it. Turning, you see a man standing in front
20:30
Speaker 2: of the entrance to the large empty hall where you
20:34
Speaker 2: had first entered the station. He is wearing a structured
20:40
Speaker 2: cap with a metal badge on it and a dark
20:44
Speaker 2: matching uniform with shiny buttons straight up the front of
20:48
Speaker 2: the jacket. You stare at him in surprise, but he
20:54
Speaker 2: acts like this encounter, the two of you alone on
20:57
Speaker 2: the concourse, is the most actual thing in the world,
21:03
Speaker 2: as if you were old friends. He starts up a conversation.
21:08
Speaker 2: Did you know that there are sixty seven tracks here.
21:12
Speaker 2: Of course, only forty three of them are actually used
21:15
Speaker 2: for passenger trains right now. The other ones are for
21:19
Speaker 2: equipment storage. Still, during the morning rush hour, a train
21:25
Speaker 2: arrives just about every minute. You survey the long line
21:30
Speaker 2: of platform entrances and ponder that amazing math in your head.
21:36
Speaker 2: Turning back to him, you smile, saying, that's a lot
21:39
Speaker 2: of passengers. He nods as if you are a clever student.
21:47
Speaker 2: Then he says, oh, yes, there are about sixty seven
21:52
Speaker 2: million riders a year. Of course, not everyone who comes
21:57
Speaker 2: here actually gets on a train. Between actual passengers and
22:02
Speaker 2: people who just want to visit, there are about seven
22:06
Speaker 2: hundred and fifty thousand people in here every day. You
22:12
Speaker 2: are impressed by this huge figure, and once again turn
22:16
Speaker 2: your head upward to see the constellations on the ceiling.
22:21
Speaker 2: He looks up as well, smiling fondly. Now there's another
22:28
Speaker 2: set of impressive statistics about that up there, he continues,
22:33
Speaker 2: Did you know it's ten stories high? And can you
22:37
Speaker 2: imagine there are only twelve constellations painted up there in
22:42
Speaker 2: gold leaf, but there are a total of two thousand
22:47
Speaker 2: five hundred stars. The Vanderbilt family and the New York
22:53
Speaker 2: Central Railroad folks sure had a grand vision when they
22:56
Speaker 2: built this place. Here's a little secret, I'll tell you, though,
23:02
Speaker 2: the man says, lowering his voice as if in confidence,
23:07
Speaker 2: the mural is backwards. Surprised by this piece of information,
23:14
Speaker 2: you look again. You never would have noticed. Seeing your reaction,
23:20
Speaker 2: the man adds, The official story from the people in
23:25
Speaker 2: charge was that the mural was that way on purpose.
23:29
Speaker 2: They say it was supposed to be the divine perspective
23:34
Speaker 2: from above. Sounds to me like a big story, but
23:39
Speaker 2: who knows. You both continue to view the ceiling in
23:44
Speaker 2: silence for a moment, as you think about how wonderful
23:47
Speaker 2: it is that it has lasted over a century. A
23:53
Speaker 2: few of the two thousand, five hundred stars appear to
23:57
Speaker 2: twinkle brightly at you. Then he speaks again. Now, this
24:04
Speaker 2: ceiling got pretty dirty over the years. In the nineteen nineties, though,
24:10
Speaker 2: they undertook the task of cleaning it and bringing it
24:14
Speaker 2: back to its original glory. He points to the corner
24:20
Speaker 2: near the zodiac signe of the crab. Then he adds,
24:26
Speaker 2: you see that little black square. You follow with your
24:30
Speaker 2: eyes and spot it a tiny speck on the ceiling.
24:36
Speaker 2: Then he says, that's the one brick they purposely left dark.
24:42
Speaker 2: Incredible change, isn't it. You are amazed. It is indeed
24:49
Speaker 2: quite a restoration. He goes on to tell you that
24:54
Speaker 2: you can see all kinds of little secrets by looking
24:58
Speaker 2: upward in this terminal. For example, the Vanderbilt family has
25:05
Speaker 2: subtly decorated many unexpected spots with acorn and oak leaf emblems.
25:13
Speaker 2: This was in recognition of their family motto, which was
25:17
Speaker 2: that great oaks from little acorns grow. To demonstrate his point,
25:25
Speaker 2: your new friend turns and points to the top of
25:28
Speaker 2: the clock on the information booth, revealing that one of
25:32
Speaker 2: those embellishments is right there. Looking closely, you see that
25:39
Speaker 2: he is correct. He goes on to say that it's
25:45
Speaker 2: like a scavenger hunt to find them all, and that
25:49
Speaker 2: you should pay special attention to the light fixtures, the
25:53
Speaker 2: carvings under the west stairs, and the detail above the
25:58
Speaker 2: train gates. You are delighted by this inside information and
26:04
Speaker 2: are determined to start paying more attention. Lowering his gaze
26:10
Speaker 2: to the information booth, he offers the impressive statistic that
26:15
Speaker 2: the people who work there answer about a thousand questions
26:20
Speaker 2: every day. As you peer inside this famous little fishbowl
26:26
Speaker 2: in the center of the concourse, you realize that you
26:30
Speaker 2: aren't sure how people get in and out. You ask
26:35
Speaker 2: your guide and he agrees that it's a great question.
26:41
Speaker 2: He tells you that it is accessed by a spiral
26:45
Speaker 2: staircase in the center that is hidden from view. It
26:50
Speaker 2: leads to the information booth exactly one floor below on
26:55
Speaker 2: the lower concourse. Then he tells you that in the
27:00
Speaker 2: interest of modern safety, there is now an emergency exit
27:05
Speaker 2: up top as well, but the staircase remains the usual
27:11
Speaker 2: method by which the friendly staff take their places and
27:15
Speaker 2: depart again when they go. As you peek through the glass,
27:22
Speaker 2: imagining the spiral staircase inside, you realize that your guide
27:27
Speaker 2: has started walking toward the east side of the terminal.
27:32
Speaker 2: It seems to assume you will follow, and you do.
27:38
Speaker 2: Even as you're ambling lightly behind him, you are aware
27:42
Speaker 2: of the luxury of space around you. You wonder when
27:47
Speaker 2: anyone last found themselves almost alone here. Your knowledgeable friend
27:54
Speaker 2: steps into the opening of what is known as the
27:57
Speaker 2: gray bar passage. As you walk in his footsteps, you
28:04
Speaker 2: look up and notice there is a faded mural on
28:07
Speaker 2: the ceiling. You think to yourself that it should be restored,
28:13
Speaker 2: much like the mural in the concourse. Still, it is
28:19
Speaker 2: yet another elegant detail that separates Grand Central from an
28:24
Speaker 2: ordinary station. Your impromptu guide stops in front of the
28:31
Speaker 2: window of an ordinary looking beverage store. You are puzzled,
28:37
Speaker 2: what can he possibly want to show you here? The
28:42
Speaker 2: lights are on inside and the door is unlocked, just
28:48
Speaker 2: like everything else in the terminal. It's as if it's
28:52
Speaker 2: open just for you, but there is no shopkeeper on duty.
28:59
Speaker 2: You pass a blind through the doorway and stand surrounded
29:03
Speaker 2: by store displays. You are unsure of why he has
29:08
Speaker 2: brought you there. Holding up a finger as if to
29:13
Speaker 2: increase your suspense, he says, did you know there used
29:18
Speaker 2: to be a movie theater at this terminal? You raise
29:22
Speaker 2: an eyebrow. You had not known this, and you find
29:25
Speaker 2: it to be a marvelous tidbit of information. He goes
29:31
Speaker 2: on to tell you that the theater opened in nineteen
29:34
Speaker 2: thirty seven. Despite the compact nature of the space you're
29:40
Speaker 2: currently standing in, the theater did once seat up to
29:45
Speaker 2: two hundred and forty two people, he tells you. According
29:51
Speaker 2: to some it was once advertised as the most intimate
29:55
Speaker 2: theater in America and was open until midnight. People who
30:02
Speaker 2: were waiting for their trains could just come in and
30:06
Speaker 2: watch newsreels or animated films. They never had to worry
30:12
Speaker 2: about missing their trains because there was an illuminated clock
30:17
Speaker 2: over the screen. Not this, your guide gives you a look,
30:23
Speaker 2: as if to say how clever it is you are
30:28
Speaker 2: thinking the same thing. Then, pointing upward, he directs your
30:35
Speaker 2: attention to a beautiful celestial mural up high above all
30:41
Speaker 2: the tidy rows of modern merchandise. He tells you that
30:47
Speaker 2: the mural had been hidden by a false ceiling for years,
30:51
Speaker 2: but the renovation in the nineteen nineties had uncovered this.
30:56
Speaker 2: Grand Central's other night sky, a companion to the one
31:02
Speaker 2: in the concourse. Swiveling your gaze to the back of
31:07
Speaker 2: the store, you can still see the little square for
31:11
Speaker 2: the projection booth. It is proof of how the present
31:16
Speaker 2: has been quietly living here in the footprint of the past.
31:23
Speaker 2: Just from touring the Concourse and the theater, you already
31:27
Speaker 2: feel like you know Grand Central Terminal pretty intimately. But
31:32
Speaker 2: your Guide is not done showing you it's hidden marvels
31:38
Speaker 2: beckoning for you to follow him. He sets out in
31:41
Speaker 2: a diagonal line straight across the concourse to its west side.
31:48
Speaker 2: Trailing slightly behind him, you once again sneak an upward
31:53
Speaker 2: glance at the many elegant architectural details, marveling at how
31:59
Speaker 2: they quietly can bind to create such magnificent effect. You
32:06
Speaker 2: muse to yourself that it must really make commuting feels
32:10
Speaker 2: so much more worthwhile. Your uniformed friend does not stop
32:17
Speaker 2: when he reaches the corner of the concourse. Instead, he
32:22
Speaker 2: proceeds into the passage and takes a left. You follow
32:29
Speaker 2: him past modern, well lit retail stores that line the
32:33
Speaker 2: spacious passageway. They too, are deserted. In a short while,
32:42
Speaker 2: he stops right in the middle of a passage and
32:45
Speaker 2: turns to you, spreading his hands wide. You walk closer
32:52
Speaker 2: to him and survey your surroundings. You are standing under
32:57
Speaker 2: yet another of the many elliptical arches in the terminal.
33:03
Speaker 2: In fact, this little alcove is a square formed from
33:08
Speaker 2: four such arches. It is beautifully tiled, which is typical
33:15
Speaker 2: of the architect's universal eye for detail. You are still
33:21
Speaker 2: not sure, however, why you are here, Acknowledging your puzzlement,
33:27
Speaker 2: your friend reveals his purpose. He tells you this is
33:33
Speaker 2: the spot known as the whispering gallery. He tells you that,
33:40
Speaker 2: thanks to the tight fit of the tiles and the
33:43
Speaker 2: construction of the arches, you can stand in one corner
33:47
Speaker 2: and whisper something and he will hear it in the
33:51
Speaker 2: opposite corner. You have heard of such a phenomenon before.
33:58
Speaker 2: The Cathedral of Saint Paul in London comes to mind.
34:04
Speaker 2: This is your first time in a whispering gallery, however,
34:08
Speaker 2: so you are compelled to try it out. You walk
34:13
Speaker 2: to one corner as he goes to the other. While
34:18
Speaker 2: you are trying to think what to say to him,
34:21
Speaker 2: he appears to have no hesitation. Clear as day, you
34:27
Speaker 2: hear the words. You see Grand's central terminal is made
34:33
Speaker 2: of magic. You smile at his fanciful message. It's exactly
34:41
Speaker 2: what you'd been thinking. Turning back to you, emotions all
34:47
Speaker 2: around him, as if including the entire building in his
34:51
Speaker 2: next thought. What's not obvious to the eye, he says,
34:57
Speaker 2: is the revolutionary forethought they into the design of the
35:02
Speaker 2: entire station. Never before had such a clever system been
35:08
Speaker 2: devised to move passengers from one place to another without
35:13
Speaker 2: having to take the stairs and without causing pedestrian traffic
35:18
Speaker 2: jams all over the place. You nod thoughtfully as you
35:24
Speaker 2: picture the terminal as it was when it was full
35:26
Speaker 2: of people. It was true for the incredible number of
35:32
Speaker 2: daily visitors and commuters that passed through this temple of
35:36
Speaker 2: commerce and transportation, there was relatively little congestion. Like the
35:44
Speaker 2: cogs and wheels in a music box. The terminal moved
35:48
Speaker 2: everyone around in harmony. Motioning to the ground at his feet,
35:54
Speaker 2: he says, and the size of it. Did you know
35:59
Speaker 2: that Grand Terminal has the largest basement in all of
36:03
Speaker 2: New York City. You make an expression of surprise. You
36:10
Speaker 2: have not known this. He nods emphatically. Almost fifty acres,
36:17
Speaker 2: he says. You can hardly get your head around this figure.
36:24
Speaker 2: Your uniformed friend begins walking back up the ramp toward
36:28
Speaker 2: the main concourse, and you follow him, taking a final
36:33
Speaker 2: look at the whispering Gallery as it disappears behind you.
36:39
Speaker 2: It retreats as if slipping back into a wrapped gift box,
36:44
Speaker 2: waiting for the next delighted visitor. As you walk on,
36:51
Speaker 2: your companion asks you if you happen to know that
36:54
Speaker 2: there was a very busy lost and found at Grand Central.
36:59
Speaker 2: You'd never thought about this, You say that you imagine
37:04
Speaker 2: people frequently leave things on their trains, Yes, and everywhere
37:11
Speaker 2: else in the station, he says. He tells you that
37:17
Speaker 2: an office on the lower concourse rescues about two thousand,
37:21
Speaker 2: five hundred items every month. Incredibly, something like half eventually
37:29
Speaker 2: make it back to their owners. You imagine the surprising
37:34
Speaker 2: things that must have gone through this lost and found
37:37
Speaker 2: and chuckle to yourself. Your attention shifts back to the
37:44
Speaker 2: magnificence of the main concourse as you approach its center again,
37:51
Speaker 2: gesturing to the top of the information booth clock, your
37:55
Speaker 2: friend tells you that the point at the peak is
37:58
Speaker 2: actually a compass that is aligned to true north. Further,
38:05
Speaker 2: he says it's set to the atomic clock at the
38:09
Speaker 2: Naval Observatory in Washington, d C. This means it is
38:15
Speaker 2: accurate to within one second every twenty billion years. Then
38:23
Speaker 2: he gets a merry look in his eye and says,
38:27
Speaker 2: you know what's not accurate the listed train departure times.
38:34
Speaker 2: You are very puzzled by this suggestion and look at
38:37
Speaker 2: him with open skepticism. After all, train departures seem like
38:44
Speaker 2: the paragon of timeliness to you. He shakes his head.
38:50
Speaker 2: He says, the train times are purposely set one minute
38:55
Speaker 2: prior to when they will actually leave, so people will
38:59
Speaker 2: not be late when they are boarding. Your jaw drops
39:04
Speaker 2: open when you hear this. The idea that this clever
39:09
Speaker 2: ruse is accepted practice is amazing to you. A perfectly
39:16
Speaker 2: accurate clock here is paired with universally incorrect departure boards.
39:24
Speaker 2: The wonders of Grand Central Terminal do not cease. You
39:31
Speaker 2: realize your guide has strolled southward in the concourse and
39:35
Speaker 2: is looking into the large empty waiting room you had
39:38
Speaker 2: walked through when you first entered hours ago. Gesturing to it,
39:44
Speaker 2: he says, this was quite a swanky spot back in
39:48
Speaker 2: the day people used to wait here for their trains
39:52
Speaker 2: when Grand Central was still used for inter city travel.
39:58
Speaker 2: You move across the gleaming marble floors and follow him
40:03
Speaker 2: as he drifts further in that direction. He tells you
40:08
Speaker 2: it is called the Vanderbilt Room. Pointing to the very grand,
40:14
Speaker 2: four tiered chandeliers, he says, just think there are one
40:20
Speaker 2: hundred and thirty two lights on each one. Then he
40:24
Speaker 2: adds the Vanderbilts wanted to show off the fact that
40:28
Speaker 2: they were using all electricity at Grand Central. If you
40:34
Speaker 2: really look around, you'll see every bulb in every light
40:38
Speaker 2: fixture is exposed for just that reason. You turn your
40:44
Speaker 2: head upward and regard the soaring ceilings and their fancy
40:49
Speaker 2: chandeliers thoughtfully. Your friend further explains that this hall is
40:55
Speaker 2: now used mainly for special events because Grand's Central no
41:00
Speaker 2: longer services into city traffic that he adds goes to
41:06
Speaker 2: Penn Station. You are glad that he has answered your
41:12
Speaker 2: question regarding the emptiness of this big space. Walking in
41:18
Speaker 2: a small arc and sweeping his arms wide, your guide
41:23
Speaker 2: seems to get quite caught up in his historical visions.
41:29
Speaker 2: He tells you of the amazing luxuries the station once
41:33
Speaker 2: offered travelers. For example, a New York Times newspaper article
41:39
Speaker 2: from nineteen thirteen boasted of amenities for ladies, including hair stylists, manicurists,
41:48
Speaker 2: and even private dressing rooms that came with a maid.
41:52
Speaker 2: If the lady would pay twenty five cents. For men,
41:58
Speaker 2: one might get a private barber shop shave for just
42:01
Speaker 2: a dollar an hour, or he could perhaps patronize a
42:07
Speaker 2: more public barbershop where the article boasted he could get
42:12
Speaker 2: a shave in any of thirty languages. Since travelers from
42:17
Speaker 2: all the nations of the Earth pass through Ground Central,
42:23
Speaker 2: a haberdasherie was provided for travelers in case of a
42:26
Speaker 2: wardrobe problem, and even the sick visitor would find an
42:31
Speaker 2: emergency physician on site. Your uniformed guide drops his hands
42:38
Speaker 2: and shrugs, as if to say, what more could there be?
42:45
Speaker 2: As a final pronouncement on this history, lesson, he points
42:49
Speaker 2: out that one important thing about Grand Central has not
42:54
Speaker 2: changed over the years. It's as much a destination for
42:58
Speaker 2: commerce as it is for travelers. Its beauty is matched
43:05
Speaker 2: only by its enticing usefulness. This, you, suggests, maybe why
43:14
Speaker 2: it has survived so gloriously, where other stations have gone
43:19
Speaker 2: the way of the wrecking ball. Looking around, you swallowed
43:25
Speaker 2: by the stately silence of this grand meeting place, this
43:29
Speaker 2: repository of human experiences. You know that he is right.
43:38
Speaker 2: This place is a work of art that continues to
43:42
Speaker 2: serve its citizens with style. You are pondering this thought
43:48
Speaker 2: provoking idea when your guide pulls a pocket watch from
43:52
Speaker 2: his jacket and his eyes widen. My goodness, he says,
44:00
Speaker 2: if we don't get you to track thirty four, you'll
44:03
Speaker 2: miss your train. You look at him and shake your
44:07
Speaker 2: head in confusion, telling him you weren't planning to travel anywhere.
44:14
Speaker 2: Slipping his watch back into his pocket, he grins at
44:18
Speaker 2: you reassuringly. Oh, but you are in for the most luxurious,
44:25
Speaker 2: most legendary ride of your life, he says, fine dining,
44:31
Speaker 2: beautiful views, and then a peaceful night's sleep. Step lively,
44:38
Speaker 2: because you won't want to miss your first ride on
44:41
Speaker 2: the famous twentieth century limited train. He sweeps his arm wide,
44:50
Speaker 2: indicating that you should walk back to the main concourse,
44:54
Speaker 2: where presumably he will direct you to the track where
44:58
Speaker 2: you are now expected. Suddenly, you know that this next
45:05
Speaker 2: leg of your adventure was destined to happen. As soon
45:12
Speaker 2: as you start moving, your uniformed friend walks quickly to
45:16
Speaker 2: get ahead of you. He calls back to you that
45:20
Speaker 2: he will direct you to your departure track. You glide
45:26
Speaker 2: smoothly across the Tennessee marble that adorns the concourse, drifting
45:32
Speaker 2: past the information booth and its marvelous clock, as if
45:37
Speaker 2: in a trance. The constellations in Grand Central's interior night
45:45
Speaker 2: sky wink merrily at you from far above they are
45:52
Speaker 2: wishing you farewell. For now your guide vanish into the
46:00
Speaker 2: gloom of the passage at the northwest corner of the concourse.
46:05
Speaker 2: You can barely see his retreating form, but he calls
46:09
Speaker 2: to you that you are right on time. You have
46:16
Speaker 2: a peaceful and confident feeling that all is going as planned.
46:22
Speaker 2: Although you are not sure what that plan really is,
46:31
Speaker 2: you do feel one thing for sure. As you move
46:35
Speaker 2: toward the entrance the track that he four, you know
46:40
Speaker 2: that another one of your dreams is about to come true.
47:00
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Speaker 3: MS mom not to w us.
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Speaker 1: S the.
1:30:46
Speaker 3: Younger one, the wom.
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Speaker 3: Mos most.
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Speaker 3: W dan wo moss the wom, the.
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Speaker 5: Happy you.
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