When I was a photographer's assistant years ago, I was hired to take large format photographs of landmark buildings around 42nd Street in Manhattan. One of my best images was of the main concourse inside Grand Central Terminal. It was a beautiful photograph shot from above the floor where the Apple Store is now. Beams of light were streaming in from the three large windows and onto the floor. While I knew how to work a large format camera, I was far from proficient. And yet the resulting image was one of the most beautiful architectural photographs I've ever produced.
Since I was hired to assist this photographer (she didn't know how to use a large format camera), I had to give her everything we developed. I did sneak one 4X5 Polaroid that has long since been lost or misplaced.
Fast forward to a few days ago. I had some free time while visiting New York City and thought that it would be interesting to do a coffee crawl inside Grand Central. The range of options is much broader nowadays, including Joe Coffee, Irving Farm, Magnolia Bakery, and Financier Patisserie (Cafe Grumpy is also opening another store really soon).
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| 42nd Street Subway |
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| Entering Grand Central Station |
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| Entering The Main Concourse |
Going to Grand Central is like traveling through Kansas to the land of Oz. Upon entering the main concourse what struck me is the grand majesty and beauty of this monumental space. When I lived in Manhattan the ceiling was dark and covered in dirt and grime. A 12 year renovation completed in 1998 has restored it to its original splendor. The concourse is extremely busy (it serves close to 2 million people monthly and is a huge tourist destination).
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| Main Concourse, Grand Central Terminal |
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| The Concourse Floor |
While the coffee options have much improved since the old days of Dunkin Doughnuts, Grand Central is not a place to hang out with your friends and enjoy a great cup of craft coffee. This is Joe Coffee's busiest shop and the line is almost continually snaking down the hall. The baristas are very pleasant and obviously know what they are doing but the sheer volume that this and all the other coffee shops handle translates to a loss in quality. In my opinion Joe makes the best coffee within Grand Central. Irving Farm has an impressive setup including a pour-over bar, but the baristas could use a lot more training. I ordered a Cortado and it lacked that careful interplay of milk and espresso and seemed imbalanced. Both Financier and Magnolia did an ok job offering drip coffee, Financier roasts their own and Magnolia uses Peet's.
So is it worth a trip inside the terminal? If you are nearby the answer is definitely yes! The architecture of the space will blow you away. The Terminal covers 48 acres and you can spend hours exploring its halls. Check out the coffee inside for yourself or step outside for a multitude of other decent options.
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| Joe Coffee |
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| Irving Farm Coffee |
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