Main Concourse
Huge windows.
qwesy qwesy — CC BY 3.0 · Nicolas Vollmer from Munich [Allemagne] — CC BY 2.0 · Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York — CC BY 2.0 · Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK — CC BY 2.0 · Kidfly182 — CC BY 4.0 · Paul Barker Hemings — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Appitecture — CC BY-SA 4.0
A historic railway terminal at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, one of the most beautiful stations in the world with its French Beaux-Arts architecture, and one of the most visited sights anywhere, with 21.6 million visitors in 2018, not counting passengers. Its star is the vast Main Concourse, with huge arched windows pouring in light, a vaulted ceiling painted with stars and the famous brass clock above the information booth; it has appeared in countless films and TV series. Beneath the ramps on the lower level is the whispering gallery, where someone standing in one corner can hear a friend whispering in the opposite corner, along with a dining concourse and shops, and the station connects to the subway and commuter trains. Entry is free and open to non-travellers, and the terminal is a protected national landmark. Early morning or evening is best, and it combines easily with SUMMIT One Vanderbilt next door and the New York Public Library nearby.
Huge windows.
Painted with stars.
Above the booth.
42nd Street and Park Avenue, Midtown Manhattan
SUMMIT One VanderbiltAn observation deck and art experience on the top floors of One Vanderbilt, a 622 minutes walk4.8
New York Public LibraryThe main building of the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue, officially the6 minutes walk4.6
Top of the Rock at Rockefeller CenterAn observation deck on top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the centrepiece of Rockefell9 minutes walk4.8
Times SquareOne of the busiest pedestrian intersections in the world, formed where Broadway,11 minutes walk4.6
Empire State BuildingA 102-storey Art Deco skyscraper built in 1930–1931 on Fifth Avenue, with a roof12 minutes walk4.8Yes, entry is free and open to everyone, and you can explore the Main Concourse and lower level.