Pennsylvania Station

"One entered the city like a god... One scuttles in now like a rat" - Vincent Scully

Penn station is located underneath Madison Square Garden and sits at the Northeast corner of Chelsea. This train station services 600,000 passengers a day on 21 different tracks and is the busiest station in North America. The original Penn station was completed in 1910 and featured exterior, 'Grecian' marble columns, and a vaulted glass ceiling supported by an intricate steel framework. In 1950,the Pennsylvania railroad sold the air rights of the station to make way for Penn Plaza and Madison Square Garden. Demolition began in 1963 despite protest and outrage at the lack of preservation for such a historical and beautiful site. The demolition of Penn Station was a catalyst for the architectural preservation movement in the United States. Penn Station is still a hubbub today but as commuters move through the stuffy tunnels, there is very little aesthetic or glamorous appeal.