Lest we wonder what is being addressed is the demolition of 'Old Penn'. When the decision to demolish the structure (yet leave the railroad infrastructure intact), new was 'it'. During the '50's (lest we forget NY is where I'm from), swaths of stately mansions, that today would have been restored for contemporary use, along Park Avenue were demolished in favor of 'ice cube' office buildings. The New York Central/Helmsley building had an unobstructed view up and down Park Ave; there was no Pan Am/Met Life to obscure such.
Very simply, Penn Station predated the preservation movement that saved Grand Central.
Finally, architectural treasure it may have been, but, take it from one who used it on enough occasion to state 'been there done that', the place in its later years was a dump (so was GCT); walls were cleaned only 6ft high, WWII blackout paint over the skylights remained except where it had peeled,unsightly concessions and billboards littered the place, and the final indignity was when 'the half flying saucer' landed in the Main waiting room in the form of a ticket cage that may have looked futuristic, but still, with regards to reservations and ticketing 'did it how we have for the past 100 years'.
All told, I have mixed feelings about 'Old Penn'.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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