Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as
Penn Station—is the major intercity
rail stationA railway station, train station, railroad station, or station yard is a facility at which passengers may board and alight from trains, and/or where rail-transported freight may be loaded or unloaded. Historically, the term depot has also been employed in North America...
and a major commuter rail hub in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
. The station is located in the underground levels of
Pennsylvania PlazaPennsylvania Plaza is the office, entertainment and hotel complex occupying and near the site of Pennsylvania Station, between 31st and 34th Streets and Seventh and Eighth Avenues in New York....
, an urban complex located between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue and between 31st Street & 33rd Street in
Midtown ManhattanMidtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
, and is owned by
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a blend of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union Station...
. Serving 600,000 passengers a day (compared to 140,000 across town at
Grand Central TerminalGrand Central Terminal — often popularly called Grand Central Station or simply Grand Central — is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City...
) at a rate of up to a thousand every 90 seconds, it is the busiest passenger transportation facility in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and by far the busiest train station in North America.
Penn Station is at the center of the
Northeast CorridorThe Northeast Corridor is the busiest passenger rail line in the United States by ridership and service frequency. The route is fully electrified and serves a densely urbanized string of cities from Washington, D.C., in the south through Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, Newark, New...
, an
electrified passenger railA railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
line extending south to
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
, and north to Boston. Intercity trains are operated by Amtrak, while commuter rail services are operated by the
Long Island Rail RoadThe Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York that has been classified as a Class II railroad by the Surface Transportation Board. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, servicing around 81 million passengers each year, and...
and
New Jersey TransitThe New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the state of New Jersey, United States, and Orange and Rockland counties in New York...
. The station is also served by six
New York City SubwayThe New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
routes.
Penn Station is the
busiest Amtrak station in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The station saw 4.3 million Amtrak boardings in 2004, more than double the traffic at the next busiest station,
Union StationUnion Station is the grand ceremonial train station designed to be the entrance to Washington, D.C., when it opened in 1908.It is one of the busiest and best-known places in Washington, D.C., visited by 32 million people each year. The terminal is served by Amtrak, MARC and VRE commuter railroads,...
in Washington, D.C. Penn Station's assigned
IATA airport codeAn IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association...
is ZYP. Its Amtrak and NJ Transit station code is NYP.
Amtrak
- Acela Express
Acela Express is Amtrak's rail service that uses high-speed tilting trains. Acela operates along the Northeast Corridor in the Northeast United States between Washington, D.C., and Boston via Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York.The tilting design allows the train to travel at higher speeds on...
to Boston, Providence, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington
- Adirondack to Montréal
Montreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
- Cardinal to Philadelphia, Washington, Cincinnati, and Chicago
- Carolinian
The Piedmont is a daily passenger train that travels between Raleigh and Charlotte with a run time of 3 hours and 9 minutes including intermediate stops at Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury, and Kannapolis...
to Philadelphia, Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, and Charlotte
- Crescent
The Crescent is a passenger train operated by Amtrak in the eastern part of the United States. It runs daily from Pennsylvania Station in New York City to New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans, Louisiana as train 19 and returns on the same route as train 20. Most of the route of the...
to Philadelphia, Washington, Greensboro, Atlanta, and New Orleans
- Empire Service
{| The Empire Service is a train service operated by Amtrak within the state of New York in the United States. Trains on the line provide frequent daily service along the 460-mile Empire Corridor between New York City and Niagara Falls, New York...
to Yonkers, Croton-Harmon, Poughkeepsie, Rhinecliff, Hudson, Albany, Schenectady, Amsterdam, Utica, Rome, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls
- Ethan Allen Express
The Ethan Allen Express is a 241-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York City and Rutland, Vermont via Albany. The total trip is scheduled to be completed in 5.5 hours...
to Albany and Rutland
- Keystone Service
Amtrak's Keystone Service provides frequent passenger train service along the Amtrak-owned Keystone Corridor and Northeast Corridor between Harrisburg Transportation Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Penn Station in New York via 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.The trains consist of...
to Philadelphia, Lancaster, and Harrisburg
- Lake Shore Limited
The Lake Shore Limited is a daily passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. The train runs between Chicago and Albany, NY, where it divides into two sections that provide thru-service to New York and Boston The train, which rolls on routes formerly...
to Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, and Chicago
- Maple Leaf to Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and Toronto
- Pennsylvanian
{| The Pennsylvanian is a 444-mile daytime Amtrak train running between New York and Pittsburgh via Philadelphia. The trains travel through Pennsylvania's capital, the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, suburban and central Philadelphia, and pass through New Jersey up to New York.Trains run once daily in...
to Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh
- Northeast Regional to Boston, Providence, New Haven, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, and Newport News
- Palmetto
| The Palmetto is an 829-mile passenger train service operated by Amtrak from New York City south to Savannah, Georgia via the Northeast Corridor to Washington, DC, then via Richmond, Virginia, Fayetteville, North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina...
, Silver Meteor| The Silver Meteor is a 1389-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Silver Service brand, running from New York City south to Miami, Florida via the Northeast Corridor to Washington, D.C., thence via Richmond, Virginia, Fayetteville, North Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina,...
and Silver Star to Philadelphia, Washington, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Miami
- Vermonter
|}Amtrak's Vermonter is a 611-mile passenger train service between St. Albans, Vermont, New York City and Washington, D.C. One trip runs in each direction per day....
to New Haven, Springfield, and St. Albans
MTA
- Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York that has been classified as a Class II railroad by the Surface Transportation Board. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, servicing around 81 million passengers each year, and...
(to Woodside stationWoodside is a railroad station on the Long Island Rail Road's Main Line in the Woodside neighborhood of Queens. Woodside is the first station east of Pennsylvania Station, and is the only Queens station on the Long Island Rail Road that serves both the Port Washington Branch and the other LIRR...
and points east)
- New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
- From Penn Station:
- trains at 34th Street – Penn Station (IND Eighth Avenue Line) station
- trains at 34th Street – Penn Station (IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line) station
- From Herald Square
Herald Square is formed by the intersection of Broadway, Sixth Avenue and 34th Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was named for the New York Herald, a newspaper originally headquartered there. The Square also gives its name to the surrounding area...
, one block east at Sixth AvenueSixth Avenue is a major avenue in New York City's borough of Manhattan. Although the Avenue's official name was changed to Avenue of the Americas in 1945 by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia New Yorkers remained faithful to the old name...
:
- trains at 34th Street – Herald Square (BMT Broadway Line) station
- trains at 34th Street – Herald Square (IND Sixth Avenue Line) station
- New York City Transit buses:
- M10: To West 159th Street and Harlem River Drive in Washington Heights
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
via Central Park West and Fredrick Douglass Boulevard
- M16: To Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City. It is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey....
via Eighth Avenue or Waterside PlazaWaterside Plaza was a Mitchell-Lama Housing Program funded rental apartment complex constructed in 1974 and located in the Kips Bay section of Manhattan, New York City.- Overview :...
, Kips Bay via 34th Street
- M20: To Lincoln Center via Eighth Avenue or Battery Park City via Seventh Avenue
- M34: To Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is a large convention center located on Eleventh Avenue, on the West side of Manhattan in New York City. It was designed by architects I. M. Pei and partners. The revolutionary space frame structure was built in 1986 and named for United States Senator Jacob K....
or FDR Drive via 34th Street
- Q32: To 81st Street and Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City, USA. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3...
via Madison Avenue, Queensboro Bridge and Roosevelt Avenue
New Jersey Transit
- Montclair-Boonton Line
{| The Montclair-Boonton Line is a commuter rail line on New Jersey Transit Rail's Hoboken Division. It is a consolidiation of the Montclair Branch and the Boonton Line, formed when the Montclair Connection opened on September 30, 2002...
to Secaucus JunctionThe Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey opened on December 15, 2003...
, Newark (Broad Street)Newark Broad Street is a New Jersey Transit commuter rail station at 25 University Avenue in Newark, New Jersey. Built in 1901-03 by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad to serve its line from Hoboken to Denville, the station's historic architecture includes an elegant clock tower and a...
and MontclairMontclair is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is the 50th largest municipality in New Jersey by population. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 38,977....
, with connecting service to BoontonBoonton is a Town in Morris County, New Jersey that was chartered in 1867. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 8,496. The town was originally called "Boone-Towne" in 1761 in honor of the Colonial Governor Thomas Boone....
, DoverDover is a Town in Morris County, New Jersey on the Rockaway River. Dover is 39 miles west of New York City and west of Newark, New Jersey...
and HackettstownHackettstown is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 10,403. The town is located in the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley....
- Morris and Essex Lines to Secaucus Junction
The Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey opened on December 15, 2003...
, Newark (Broad Street)Newark Broad Street is a New Jersey Transit commuter rail station at 25 University Avenue in Newark, New Jersey. Built in 1901-03 by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad to serve its line from Hoboken to Denville, the station's historic architecture includes an elegant clock tower and a...
, SummitSummit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States, and an affluent bedroom community of New York City. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 21,131...
, MorristownMorristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 18,544. Its estimated population in 2004 was 18,842. It is the county seat of Morris County...
, DoverDover is a Town in Morris County, New Jersey on the Rockaway River. Dover is 39 miles west of New York City and west of Newark, New Jersey...
and Gladstone-Peapack, New Jersey
- Northeast Corridor Line
The Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail operation run by New Jersey Transit along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. It is the successor to commuter services provided by the Pennsylvania Railroad along the section between Trenton, New Jersey and New York Penn Station...
to Secaucus JunctionThe Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey opened on December 15, 2003...
, Newark (Penn Station)Pennsylvania Station in Newark, New Jersey is a major transportation hub in Newark, New Jersey. Located at Raymond Plaza, between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard, Newark Penn Station is served by the Newark Light Rail, New Jersey Transit commuter rail, Amtrak long distance trains, the PATH...
, Newark Airport, New Brunswick, Princeton Junction, and Trenton (connects to SEPTA trains to Philadelphia, and River LineRiver Line refers to several railroad lines:*Jubilee line of the London Underground*River Line in northeastern New Jersey runs from Jersey City north to Selkirk, New York along the Hudson River...
light rail to Camden, New JerseyThe City of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
)
- North Jersey Coast Line
The North Jersey Coast Line is a New Jersey Transit commuter rail line which provides service between New York Penn Station/Hoboken Terminal and Long Branch/Bay Head...
to Secaucus JunctionThe Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey opened on December 15, 2003...
, Newark (Penn Station)Pennsylvania Station in Newark, New Jersey is a major transportation hub in Newark, New Jersey. Located at Raymond Plaza, between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard, Newark Penn Station is served by the Newark Light Rail, New Jersey Transit commuter rail, Amtrak long distance trains, the PATH...
, Newark Airport, Perth Amboy, and Long Branch, with connecting service to Point Pleasant Beach and Bay Head
- ACES
The Atlantic City Express Service is a premium weekend service offered by Caesars Entertainment and the Borgata, and operated by New Jersey Transit under contract, between New York City and Atlantic City, New Jersey, operating along the Northeast Corridor and Atlantic City Line.-Synopsis:In June...
(express service) to Pennsylvania Station (Newark)Pennsylvania Station in Newark, New Jersey is a major transportation hub in Newark, New Jersey. Located at Raymond Plaza, between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard, Newark Penn Station is served by the Newark Light Rail, New Jersey Transit commuter rail, Amtrak long distance trains, the PATH...
and Atlantic City Rail TerminalThe Atlantic City Rail Terminal is Atlantic City, New Jersey's train station. It is the final stop on NJT's Atlantic City Line from Philadelphia and Atlantic City Express Service from New York City and Newark, New Jersey. The Atlantic City terminal is a 5-track, 3-platform terminal located inside...
.
Passengers can transfer at
Secaucus JunctionThe Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey opened on December 15, 2003...
to
Main LineThe Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by New Jersey Transit in the United States that runs from Suffern, New York to Hoboken, New Jersey. It runs daily commuter service and was once the former north-south main line of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad...
,
Bergen County LineThe Bergen County Line is a commuter rail line and service owned and operated by New Jersey Transit in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The line loops off the Main Line between the Meadowlands and Glen Rock, with trains continuing in either direction along the Main Line...
, and
Pascack Valley LineThe Pascack Valley Line is a commuter rail line operated by the Hoboken Division of New Jersey Transit. The line runs north from Hoboken, New Jersey through Bergen County and into Rockland County, New York, terminating at Spring Valley. Service within New York is operated under contract with...
trains.
Passengers can transfer at
Newark (Penn Station)Pennsylvania Station in Newark, New Jersey is a major transportation hub in Newark, New Jersey. Located at Raymond Plaza, between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard, Newark Penn Station is served by the Newark Light Rail, New Jersey Transit commuter rail, Amtrak long distance trains, the PATH...
to
Raritan Valley LineThe Raritan Valley Line is a diesel powered commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit , running out of Newark Penn Station, with most trains terminating at the Raritan station. Some weekday trains continue further west and terminate at High Bridge. Connections to New York Penn Station...
trains.
PATH
Port Authority Trans-HudsonThe Port Authority Trans-Hudson is a rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York with New Jersey, and providing service to Jersey City, Hoboken, Harrison, and Newark. It is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey...
(PATH) service to
HobokenHoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 38,577. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
and
Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population of Jersey City was 240,055, making it New Jersey's second-largest city, behind Newark. As of the Census Bureau's 2007 estimate, the population had grown to 242,389...
does not technically serve Penn Station, but is located only a block away, at
33rd StreetThe 33rd Street PATH station, opened on November 10, 1910, is located on Sixth Avenue , between 32nd and 33rd Streets in Manhattan, under Herald Square....
and
Sixth AvenueSixth Avenue is a major avenue in New York City's borough of Manhattan. Although the Avenue's official name was changed to Avenue of the Americas in 1945 by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia New Yorkers remained faithful to the old name...
. It was once accessible via underground passageway, but this has been closed to the public for security reasons, and now the only access is via the surface streets.
Continental Airlines
Continental AirlinesContinental Airlines is a United States certificated air carrier. Based in Downtown Houston, Texas, it is the fourth-largest airline in the US based on revenue passenger miles. Since 1998, Continental's marketing slogan has been "Work Hard, Fly Right."Continental operates flights to destinations...
operates a ticketing counter in the Amtrak section.
History
Pennsylvania Station is named for the
Pennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(PRR), its builder and original tenant, and shares its name with several stations in other cities. The current facility is the substantially remodeled underground remnant of a much grander structure designed by
McKim, Mead, and WhiteMcKim, Mead, and White was a prominent architectural firm in the eastern United States at the turn of the twentieth century. The firm's partners were Charles Follen McKim , William Rutherford Mead , and Stanford White , along with many other associates and designers.McKim and White had both worked...
and completed in 1910. The original Pennsylvania Station was an outstanding masterpiece of the
Beaux-ArtsBeaux-Arts architecture denotes the academic neoclassical architectural style that was taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The style "Beaux Arts" is above all the cumulative product of two and a half centuries of instruction under the authority, first of the Académie royale...
style and one of the architectural jewels of New York City. The station's air rights were optioned in the 50's. The option was executed soon after. The option called for the demolition of the
head-house-Rail terminals:In the context of rail transport, head house refers to that portion of a passenger terminal not housing the tracks and platforms themselves. Typically, the head house contains ticket counters, toilets and baggage facilities, if there are any. Frequently the head house is centered on...
and
train shedA train shed is an adjacent building to a railway station where the tracks and platforms are covered by a roof. It is also known as an overall roof...
, to be replaced by an office complex and a new sports complex. The tracks of the station, which were located well below street level, would remain untouched. Demolition began in October 1963. The
Pennsylvania PlazaPennsylvania Plaza is the office, entertainment and hotel complex occupying and near the site of Pennsylvania Station, between 31st and 34th Streets and Seventh and Eighth Avenues in New York....
complex, including the fourth and current
Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City. It is also the name of the entity which owns the arena and several of the professional sports franchises which play there. There have been four incarnations of...
, was completed in 1968.
Planning and construction
Until the early 20th century, PRR's rail network terminated on the western side of the Hudson River at
Exchange PlaceExchange Place was a rail terminal in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving as the main New York City terminal of the Pennsylvania Railroad before 1911, from which passengers from points west would board ferries bound for Manhattan. After 1911, with the establishment of New York Penn Station, the...
in
Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population of Jersey City was 240,055, making it New Jersey's second-largest city, behind Newark. As of the Census Bureau's 2007 estimate, the population had grown to 242,389...
. Manhattan-bound passengers boarded ferries to cross the Hudson River for the final stretch of their journey. The rival
New York Central RailroadThe New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
's line ran down Manhattan from the north under Park Avenue and terminated at
Grand Central TerminalGrand Central Terminal — often popularly called Grand Central Station or simply Grand Central — is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City...
in the heart of Manhattan's business district.
To address its competitive disadvantage, the Pennsylvania Railroad considered building a rail bridge across the Hudson. This option was rejected when the other railroads using ferries across the Hudson River from New Jersey declined to participate jointly in a bridge project, which was required to obtain state approval. The alternative was to tunnel under the river, but a tunnel's length would be difficult to ventilate and too long to be compatible with
steam locomotiveA steam locomotive is a locomotive powered by steam. The term usually refers to its use on railways, but can also refer to a "road locomotive" such as a traction engine or steamroller....
s. Moreover, the New York state legislature had adopted legislation prohibiting operation of steam locomotives in Manhattan after July 1, 1908. The development of the
electric locomotiveAn electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from an external source. Sources include overhead lines, third rail, or an on-board electricity storage device such as a battery or flywheel system....
at the turn of the 20th century, however, made feasible the construction of a tunnel for an electrified railroad. On December 12, 1901, PRR president
Alexander CassattAlexander Johnston Cassatt was the 7th president of the Pennsylvania Railroad from June 9, 1899 to December 28, 1906. Frequently referred to as A.J...
announced the railroad's plan to enter New York City by tunneling under the Hudson and building a grand station on the West Side of Manhattan, south of
34th Street34th Street is a major cross-town street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, connecting the Lincoln Tunnel and Queens-Midtown Tunnel. Like many of New York City's major crosstown streets, it has its own bus lines and four subway stops serving the , and trains at Eighth Avenue, the , and ...
.
Beginning in June, 1903 the
North River TunnelsThe North River Tunnels carry Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and New Jersey Transit rail lines under the Hudson River between Weehawken, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan, New York City...
, two single-track tunnels, were bored from the west under the Hudson River and four single-track tunnels were bored from the east under the
East RiverThe East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
. This second set of tunnels linked the new station to
QueensQueens is the largest in area, the second-largest in population, and the easternmost of the Five Boroughs which form New York City. The Borough of Queens' boundaries are identical to those of the County of Queens , a subdivision of the State of New York in the Northeastern United States.Located on...
and the Long Island Rail Road, which came under PRR control (see
East River TunnelsThe East River Tunnels are 4 single-track railroad tunnels that extend from the eastern end of Pennsylvania Station under 32nd and 33rd Streets in Manhattan and cross the East River to Long Island City in Queens. The tracks carry Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak trains travelling to and from Penn...
), and
Sunnyside YardSunnyside Yard is a large coach yard, a railroad yard for passenger cars, in Sunnyside, Queens in New York City.-History:The Pennsylvania Railroad completed construction of the yard in 1910. At that time Sunnyside was the largest coach yard in the world, occupying 192 acres and containing 25.7 mi...
in Queens, where trains would be maintained and assembled. Electrification was initially 600 volts DC–
third railA third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost fully...
, later changed to 11,000 volts AC–overhead
catenaryOverhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
, when electrification of PRR's mainline was eventually extended to Washington, D. C. in the early 1930s.
The tunnel technology was so new and innovative that in 1907 the PRR shipped an actual diameter section of the new East River Tunnel to the
Jamestown ExpositionThe Jamestown Exposition was one of the many world's fairs and expositions that were popular in the United States early part of the 20th century...
near Norfolk, Virginia to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the
Jamestown SettlementThe Jamestown Settlement Colony was the first successful English settlement on the mainland of North America. Named for King James I of England, Jamestown was founded in the Virginia Colony on May 14, 1607...
. The same tube, with an inscription indicating that it had been displayed at the Exposition, was later installed under water and remains in use today. Construction was completed on the Hudson River tunnel on October 9, 1906, and on the East River tunnel March 18, 1908. Meanwhile, ground was broken for Pennsylvania Station on May 1, 1904. By the time of its completion and the inauguration of regular through train service on Sunday, November 27, 1910, the total project cost to the Pennsylvania Railroad for the station and associated tunnels was $114 million (approximately $2.5 billion in 2007 dollars), according to an
Interstate Commerce CommissionThe Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland...
report.
The railroad paid tribute to Cassatt, who did not live to see the completion of his great edifice:
Occupying two complete city blocks from Seventh Avenue to Eighth Avenue and from 31st to 33rd Streets, Pennsylvania Station when completed covered an area of and was one of the first rail terminals to separate arriving from departing passengers on two different concourses.
Original structure (1910–1963)
The original structure was made of pink granite and was marked by an imposing, sober
colonnadeIn classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, as in the famous elliptically curving colonnades that Bernini added to the façade of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, which embrace and define the Piazza...
of corinthian columns arranged in
Doric orderThe Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of Ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian....
. The colonnades embodied the sophisticated integration of multiple functions and circulation of people and goods. McKim, Mead and White's Pennsylvania Station combined frank glass-and-steel train sheds and a magnificently proportioned concourse with a breathtaking monumental entrance to New York City. It was immortalized in films (see link below). From the street, twin carriageways, modelled after Berlin's
Brandenburg GateThe Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the main symbols of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city center at the intersection of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which one formerly...
, led to the two railroads that the building served, the Pennsylvania and the Long Island Rail Road. Its enormous main waiting room, inspired by the Roman
Baths of CaracallaThe Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy were Roman public baths, or thermae, built in Rome between AD 212 and 216, during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla. The extensive ruins of the baths have become a popular tourist attraction....
, approximated the scale of St. Peter's nave in Rome, expressed here in a steel framework clad in
travertineTravertine is a terrestrial sedimentary rock, formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals from geothermally heated hot-springs. Similar deposits formed from ambient temperature water are known as tufa.-Features:...
. It was the largest indoor space in New York City and, indeed, one of the largest public spaces in the world. Covering more than , it was, said the Baltimore
Sun in April, 2007, “As grand a corporate statement in stone, glass and sculpture as one could imagine”. In her 2007 book,
Conquering Gotham: a Gilded Age Epic – The Construction of Penn Station and Its Tunnels, historian Jill Jonnes called the original edifice a “great Doric temple to transportation”.
During the more than half-century timespan of the original station under owner
Pennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(1910-1963), hundreds of intercity passenger trains arrived and departed daily, serving distant places such as
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
and
St. LouisSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
on “Pennsy” rails, and beyond on connecting railroads to
Miami, FloridaMiami is a major coastal city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida. With an estimated population of 424,662 in 2007, Miami is the largest city within the Miami metropolitan area, which is the...
, and the west. In addition to the Long Island Rail Road, other lines using Pennsylvania Station during that era were the
New HavenThe New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968. Commonly referred to as the New Haven, the railroad served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
and the
Lehigh Valley RailroadThe Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was incorporated 1846-04-21 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad Company. On 1853-01-07, the name was...
s. For a few years during
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
and the early 1920s, arch rival
Baltimore and Ohio RailroadThe Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
passenger trains to Washington, Chicago, and St. Louis also used Pennsylvania Station, initially by order of the
USRAThe United States Railroad Administration was the name of the nationalized railroad system of the United States between 1917 and 1920. It was possibly the largest American experiment with nationalization, and was undertaken against a background of war emergency.- Background :On April 6, 1917, the...
, until the Pennsylvania Railroad terminated the B&O's access in 1926. The station saw its heaviest usage during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but by the late-1950s intercity rail passenger volumes declined dramatically with the coming of the
Jet AgeThe Jet Age is a period of history defined by the social change brought about by the advent of large aircraft powered by turbine engines. These aircraft are able to fly much higher, faster, and farther than older piston-powered propliners, making transcontinental and inter-continental travel...
and the
Interstate Highway SystemThe Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System , is a network of limited-access highways in the United States that is named for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who championed its formation...
.
The Pennsylvania Railroad began looking to divest itself of the cost of operation of the under-utilized structure, optioning the
air rightsAir rights are a type of development right in real estate, referring to the empty space above a property. Generally speaking, owning or renting land or a building gives one the right to use and develop the air rights...
of Penn Station in the 1950s. Plans for the new Penn Plaza and Madison Square Garden were announced in 1962. In exchange for the air-rights to Penn Station, the Pennsylvania Railroad would get a brand-new, air-conditioned, smaller station located completely below street level at no cost, and a 25% stake in the new Madison Square Garden Complex.
The demolition of the original structure — although considered by some to be justified as progressive at a time of declining rail passenger service — created international outrage.. As dismantling of the grand old structure began,
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record...
editorially lamented:
"Until the first blow fell, no one was convinced that Penn Station really would be demolished, or that New York would permit this monumental act of vandalism against one of the largest and finest landmarks of its age of Roman elegance."
Its destruction left a deep and lasting wound in the architectural consciousness of the city. A famous photograph of a smashed
caryatidA caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese...
in the landfill of the
New Jersey MeadowlandsNew Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeast New Jersey in the United States. The Meadowlands are known for being the site of large landfills and decades of...
struck a guilty chord. Pennsylvania Station's demolition is considered to have been the catalyst for the enactment of the city's first architectural
preservationHistoric preservation or heritage conservation is a professional endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historic significance...
statutes. The sculpture on the building, including the angel in the landfill, was created by
Adolph Alexander WeinmanAdolph Alexander Weinman was an American sculptor, born in Karlsruhe, Germany.- Biography :He arrived in the United States at age 10 after which he studied at Cooper Union and Art Students League and with sculptors Augustus St. Gaudens and Philip Martiny. He later served as an assistant to...
. One of the sculpted clock surrounds, whose figures were modeled using model
Audrey MunsonAudrey Munson was an American model and actress, known variously as "Miss Manhattan," "the Exposition Girl," and "American Venus." She was the model or inspiration for more than 15 statues in New York City....
, still survives as the
Eagle ScoutEagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . Those who attain this rank are called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
Memorial Fountain in
Kansas City, MissouriKansas City is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties. It is one of two county seats of Jackson County, the other being Independence, just to the city's east...
. There is also a caryatid at the sculpture garden at the
Brooklyn MuseumThe Brooklyn Museum, located at 200 Eastern Parkway, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, is the second-largest art museum in New York City, and one of the largest in the United States. Arnold L...
, and all of the Penn Station eagles still exist.
Ottawa's Union Station, built a year after Penn Station (in 1912), is another replica of the
Baths of CaracallaThe Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy were Roman public baths, or thermae, built in Rome between AD 212 and 216, during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla. The extensive ruins of the baths have become a popular tourist attraction....
. This train station's departures hall now provides a good idea of what the interior of Penn Station looked like (at half the scale). Chicago's Union Station is similar as well.
Killer's KissKiller's Kiss is a film noir co-written and directed by Stanley Kubrick, his second feature. The film features Jamie Smith, Irene Kane, Frank Silvera, and others.-Plot:...
a 1955
film noirFilm noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as stretching from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
co-written and directed by
Stanley KubrickStanley Kubrick was an American director, writer, producer, and photographer of films, who lived in England during most of the last 40 years of his career...
features footage of the concourse and the exterior facade.
Demolition of station building; construction of Madison Square Garden
After a renovation covered some of the grand columns with plastic and blocked off the spacious central hallway with a new ticket office,
Lewis MumfordLewis Mumford was an American historian and philosopher of technology and science. Particularly noted for his study of cities and urban architecture, he had a tremendously broad career as a writer that also included a period as an influential literary critic...
wrote critically in
The New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry published by Condé Nast Publications...
in 1958 that “nothing further that could be done to the station could damage it”. History was to prove him wrong. Under the presidency of Pennsylvania Railroad's
Stuart T. SaundersStuart Thomas Saunders was an American railroad executive.Saunders served as president of the Norfolk and Western Railway, one of the nation's most profitable, from 1958 to 1963...
(who later headed ill-fated Penn Central Transportation), demolition of the above-ground components of this structure (the platforms are below street level) began in October 1963. Although the demolition did not disrupt the essential day-to-day operations, it made way for present-day
Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City. It is also the name of the entity which owns the arena and several of the professional sports franchises which play there. There have been four incarnations of...
, along with two office towers. A 1968 advertisement depicted the architect's model of the final plan for the Madison Square Garden Center complex, which would replace the original Pennsylvania Station.
A point made in the defense of the demolition of the old Penn Station at the time was that the cost of maintaining the old structure had become prohibitively expensive. The question of whether it made sense to preserve a building, intended to be a cost-effective and functional piece of the city's infrastructure, simply as a “monument” to the past was raised in defense of the plans to demolish it. As a
New York Times editorial critical of the demolition noted at the time, a “civilization gets what it wants, is willing to pay for, and ultimately deserves”. Modern architects rushed to save the ornate building, although it was contrary to their own styles. They called the station a treasure and chanted “Don’t Amputate - Renovate” at rallies.
Only three eagles salvaged from the station are known to remain in New York City: two in front of the Penn Plaza / Madison Square Garden complex, and one in the new academic building of The Cooper Union, Weinman's alma mater. Cooper's eagle used to reside in the courtyard of the school's engineering building, but was relocated in the summer of 2009, as the school has moved out of the structure at 51 Astor Place. This eagle is no longer viewable from the street, as it is located on the building's green roof. Three are on Long Island: two at the
United States Merchant Marine AcademyThe United States Merchant Marine Academy is one of the five United States service academies...
in
Kings PointKings Point is a village in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the village population was 5,076.The Village of Kings Point is in the Town of North Hempstead...
and one at the Long Island Rail Road
stationHicksville is a station on the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road. Most trains for the Port Jefferson Branch stop at Hicksville, and while all trains on the Ronkonkoma Branch pass through this station, a few do not stop. The station is located at Newbridge Road and West Barclay Street in...
in
Hicksville, New YorkHicksville is a hamlet and census-designated place located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 41,260 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. Four reside on the
Market Street BridgeThe existing Market Street Bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is located where Market Street now crosses the Schuylkill River. The bridge succeeded ferry boats and a couple of rudimentary floating bridges across the Schuylkill River...
in
Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth-most-populous city in the United States.In 2008, the population of the city proper was estimated to be over 1.4 million, while the metropolitan area's population of 5.8 million made it the country's fifth-largest...
, across from that city's 30th Street Station. One is positioned near the end zone at the football field of
Hampden-Sydney CollegeHampden-Sydney College is a liberal arts college for men located in Hampden Sydney, Virginia. Founded in 1775, Hampden-Sydney is the oldest private charter in the South, as well as the 17th oldest institution of higher education and one of only three four-year, all-men's liberal arts colleges in...
near Farmville, Virginia. Yet another is located on the grounds of the National Zoo in Washington, DC.
The furor over the demolition of such a well-known landmark, and its replacement by what continues to be widely deplored as a mediocre slab, are often cited as catalysts for the architectural preservation movement in the United States. New laws were passed to restrict such demolition. Within the decade,
Grand Central TerminalGrand Central Terminal — often popularly called Grand Central Station or simply Grand Central — is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City...
was protected under the city’s new
landmarks preservation actThe New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
— a protection which was upheld by the courts in 1978, after a challenge by Grand Central’s owner, Penn Central.
The outcry over the loss of Penn Station prompted activists to question the “development scheme” mentality cultivated by New York’s “master builder”,
Robert MosesRobert Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County, New York. As the shaper of a modern city, he is sometimes compared to Baron Haussmann of Second Empire Paris, and is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of urban planning in...
. Public protests and a rejection of his plan by the city government meant an end to Moses' plans for a
Lower Manhattan ExpresswayThe Lower Manhattan Expressway was a controversial plan for an expressway through lower Manhattan conceived by Robert Moses in the early 1960s...
.
In the longer run, the sense that something irreplaceable had been lost contributed to the erosion of confidence in
ModernismModernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes both a set of cultural tendencies and an array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society in the late...
itself and its sweeping forms of
urban renewalUrban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of reconstruction...
. Interest in
historic preservationHistoric preservation or heritage conservation is a professional endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historic significance...
was strengthened. Comparing the new and the old Penn Station, renowned Yale architectural historian
Vincent ScullyVincent Joseph Scully, Jr. is Sterling Professor Emeritus of the History of Art in Architecture at Yale University, and the author of several books on the subject...
once wrote, “One entered the city like a god; one scuttles in now like a rat.” This feeling, shared by many New Yorkers, has led to movements for a new Penn Station that could somehow atone for the loss of an architectural treasure.
Recent history and present day
The current Penn Station, which is on the site of the old one and uses the same platforms, is arranged into "Amtrak", "NJ Transit" and "LIRR" concourses. Each one is maintained and styled differently by its respective operator. The NJ Transit concourse near Seventh Avenue is the newest and opened in 2002 out of existing retail and Amtrak backoffice space. A new entrance to this concourse from West 31st Street opened in September 2009. Previously, NJ Transit passengers could only use the Amtrak concourse to reach their trains. The main LIRR concourse runs below West 33rd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. Significant renovations were made to this concourse over a three year period ending in 1994. The LIRR's West End Concourse, located west of Eighth Avenue, opened in 1986. Parts of the Amtrak concourse (in particular, the shopping areas) maintain the original 1960s styling and have not been renovated since the new Penn Station was built; however, there have been renovations to other parts (the waiting rooms).
Tracks 1-12 are exclusively used by Amtrak and NJ Transit trains, and the Amtrak and NJ Transit concourses both have gates to these tracks on the south side of the station. The LIRR has the exclusive use of Tracks 17-21 on the north side of the station, and shares Tracks 13-16 with Amtrak and NJ Transit. Except for the shared tracks, a passenger can not reach the LIRR tracks directly from the Amtrak and NJ Transit concourses, and vice versa. Since Amtrak and NJ Transit share the same tracks, it is possible for passengers to exit a NJ Transit train and wind up in the Amtrak concourse, and vice versa.
In the 1990s, the current Pennsylvania Station was renovated by Amtrak, the
Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityThe Metropolitan Transportation Authority is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S. state of New York, serving 12 counties in southeastern New York, along with 2 counties in southwestern Connecticut under contract to the Connecticut Department of...
, and
New Jersey TransitThe New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the state of New Jersey, United States, and Orange and Rockland counties in New York...
, to improve the appearance of the waiting and concession areas, sharpen the station information systems (audio and visual) and remove much of the grime. Recalling the erstwhile grandeur of the bygone Penn Station, an old four-sided clock from the original depot was installed at the 34th Street Long Island Rail Road entrance. The walkway from that entrance's escalator also has a mural depicting elements of the old Penn Station's architecture.
Despite the improvements, Penn Station continues to be criticized as a low-ceilinged “catacomb” lacking charm, especially when compared to New York’s much larger and ornate
Grand Central TerminalGrand Central Terminal — often popularly called Grand Central Station or simply Grand Central — is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City...
. The
New York Times, in a November 2007, editorial supporting development of an enlarged railroad terminal, said, “Amtrak’s beleaguered customers…now scurry through underground rooms bereft of light or character”.
Plans for the future
Hope for a grander railroad station lies one block west. Across Eighth Avenue from Penn Station sits New York’s General Post Office, the
James Farley Post OfficeThe James A. Farley Building is the main post office building in New York City. Its zip code designation is 10001. Built in 1912, the building is famous for bearing the inscription: Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed...
. Under pressure from veteran U.S. Senator
Daniel Patrick MoynihanDaniel Patrick “Pat” Moynihan was an American politician and sociologist. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the United States Senate for New York in 1976, and was re-elected three times . He declined to run for re-election in 2000...
, plans were publicized in 1999 to move entrances and concourses of Penn Station under this building, which fills an entire city block. When completed, the station inside the historic James A. Farley Building, a NY State and National Landmark, would be named Moynihan Station West, in honor of the late Senator.
Initial design proposals were laid out by
David ChildsDavid M. Childs is the Consulting Design Partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill who has projects all over the world and now is designing the new 1 World Trade Center in New York.-Background:* Deerfield Academy...
of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill. In a protracted series of events typical of many large, complicated projects, plans to redevelop Penn Station have stretched further and further into the future. In July 2005, announcements were made that Childs' plan had been scrapped and a new one was unveiled. This second plan was similar to but much more modest than the original. It is the result of a collaboration between the architectural firms of James Carpenter and
Hellmuth, Obata and KassabaumHOK is a global architecture, interiors, engineering, planning and consulting firm. HOK is the largest U.S.-based architecture-engineering firm and the world's fourth-largest architectural firm. HOK is also the country's leading design firm in terms of non-U.S. fee growth and the second-largest...
(HOK). Later in 2005, Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill reacquired the project and released a third design, which is a compromise. As of June 2006, the design resembles the interior of
BCE PlaceBrookfield Place is an office complex in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, comprising the 2.1 hectare block bounded by Yonge Street to the east, Wellington Street West to the north, Bay Street to the west, and Front Street to the south...
and does not require the demolition of part of the
facadeA facade or façade is generally one side of the exterior of a building, especially the front, but also sometimes the sides and rear. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
of the Farley Building.
Amtrak was to be the major tenant of the new building, leaving the old station for use by the NYC commuter rail passengers. Signs of construction appeared in November 2005, with plywood barriers installed on the sidewalks and orange nets covering main facade on 8th Avenue.
Amtrak, however, subsequently decided not to move from its present location, leaving
New Jersey TransitThe New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the state of New Jersey, United States, and Orange and Rockland counties in New York...
as the Moynihan Station's anchor tenant. NJ Transit has been negotiating a 99-year lease on the Farley Post Office. In the meantime, Cablevision, owner of Madison Square Garden, considered relocation of the Garden to the west flank of the Farley Building. Such a project would lead to
Vornado Realty TrustVornado Realty Trust is a New York based real estate investment trust. It is the inheritor of real estate formerly controlled by companies including Two Guys and Alexander's.- History :...
building an office complex on the current Garden site.
Redevelopment of Penn Station thus continues to languish as various design concepts are debated and altered. A revised version proposed in 2007 would reportedly add one million square feet of retail space to the new Moynihan train station and office complex, prompting the
New York Times to complain that this latest plan “could easily shortchange the public’s interests in favor of the private developers…The last thing New York needs is another dreadful Pennsylvania Station that only serves developers and Madison Square Garden”.
New York Assembly Speaker
Sheldon SilverSheldon Silver is an American lawyer, a politician and a member of the Democratic Party, currently serving as Speaker of the New York State Assembly.- Personal life :...
has called for greater integration of the project with the larger Midtown renovation plan proposed by developers and Cablevision.
A FAQ for New Jersey Transit’s “THE tunnel/ Access to the Region’s Core” suggests that Pennsylvania Station, Moynihan Station, and a proposed rail station under 34th street will be considered to be separate entities
http://www.accesstotheregionscore.com/FAQs.html. The proximity and connection of those entities would make the Moynihan and 34th St. Stations
de facto expansions of Penn Station. Daniel Patrick Moynihan's daughter, Maura Moynihan, has stated that she considers the Farley Building and current Madison Square Garden to be potential sites for two Moynihan Stations: a Moynihan-East and a Moynihan-West.
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2007/06/13/2007-06-13_honor_my_father__build_moynihan_station.html.
On April 3, 2008, Madison Square Garden executives announced plans to renovate and modernize the current arena in time for the
KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, known familiarly as the Knicks, are a professional National Basketball Association team based in New York City, and the most valuable franchise in the league, valued at $608 million...
and
RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York, New York, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
2011-12 seasons. This announcement came a week after they declared that they have abandoned plans to move the Garden to the Farley Post Office site. Hank J. Ratner, the vice chairman of Madison Square Garden said, “We’re all for the development of Moynihan Station at the Farley building, as the project was originally conceived. We’re not going to be moving.”
See also
- Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal — often popularly called Grand Central Station or simply Grand Central — is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City...
- Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
- James Farley Post Office
The James A. Farley Building is the main post office building in New York City. Its zip code designation is 10001. Built in 1912, the building is famous for bearing the inscription: Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed...
- Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City. It is also the name of the entity which owns the arena and several of the professional sports franchises which play there. There have been four incarnations of...
- New York Tunnel Extension
- Pennsylvania Plaza
Pennsylvania Plaza is the office, entertainment and hotel complex occupying and near the site of Pennsylvania Station, between 31st and 34th Streets and Seventh and Eighth Avenues in New York....
- Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
- Pennsylvania Station (Newark)
Pennsylvania Station in Newark, New Jersey is a major transportation hub in Newark, New Jersey. Located at Raymond Plaza, between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard, Newark Penn Station is served by the Newark Light Rail, New Jersey Transit commuter rail, Amtrak long distance trains, the PATH...
- Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad
The New York Tunnel Extension , owned by the Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad, was an important part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system, comprising the tunnels and approaches from New Jersey and Long Island to New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.-History:Before the tunnel opened in...
- Transportation in New York City
The transportation system of New York City is a cooperation of complex systems of infrastructure. New York City, being the largest city in the United States, has a transportation system which includes the largest subway system in the world, measured by track mileage; the world's first mechanically...
External links