New York's Grand Central station turns 100

A much loved and revered part of New York City is celebrating its centenary. Grand Central Terminal’s marble architecture has held a unique place in the character of the Big Apple ever since it was opened on February 2, 1913. Then, trains were the luxurious means of crossing America. Sex in the City star Cynthia Nixon, herself a native New Yorker, told crowds at a pre-birthday celebration: “Grand Central is everything that New York is. It’s big, it’s loud, it’s functional, it’s dysfunctional, it’s crowded, it’s noisy, but it is something that New York is too that we sometime forget. It is so beautiful.” Rail travel lost its shine after the war, and so did the station – there were even plans to demolish it. But New Yorkers would not let that happen, and it was designated a National Historic Landmark.