06 February 2007

The Ultimate Love/Hate Relationship






My feelings on Grand Central Terminal all depend on the time of day I'm there.
Midday it's usually a decent place to stroll around. Most people are in lunch mode, and are sauntering about, looking at the shops or heading for the dining level. This is a nice time to head for Posman Books, a small bookshop but okay for browsing. I remember before the more recent renovation there was a Barnes and Noble, but I'm kind of glad it's not in Grand Central as it would be an overload I think. There's a L'Occitaine En Provence, which I sometimes visit during the sales. There are two Starbucks and an Oren's Daily Roast, not to mention the Grand Central Market, with is frenzied fancy food. I go there for my occasional Devon Cream fix. Did I mention there's a Junior's? You can't complain about the shops. This time of year one is thankful to be near a place that is shielded from the outdoors (it's beyond cold this week).
Here is the hate portion of the relationship: rush hour. Tons of commuters mingle with hordes of tourists in a mad dash for their destinations. Some days I get upset that I can't stand still for a moment without getting trampled on, and on other occasions I am frustrated at the folks who just don't move fast enough. There are passageways everywhere, and constant threat of collision.
In these ways I guess Grand Central Terminal/Station truly represents New York.
By the way, I took these pictures during a mid morning break. As I snapped one pic the flash went off and some guy passing in range kept repeating "Did you get me? Did you get me?" I pretended not to hear him.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

yeah, there's another hate aspect: the crazy people. And often times they look so normal.

Anonymous said...

Hey Cathy
I was there once I think when we came down on the Am-trak when Brian was a baby. Speaking of cold it is -4 here today. So cold I can't stand it anymore.