Grand Central

This episode of "The American Experience" is probably one that will effect you very differently depending on if you are a New Yorker or not--or whether you've been to Grand Central Terminal or not. It exudes with nostalgia for the place--and if you, too, don't share a lot of that nostalgia, it might not be one of the better episodes of this exceptional series.

The film begins in the days well before the modern Grand Central. Trains dominated New York in the 19th century and the streets were clogged by the many trains of the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad lines. Following a horrific accident that was blamed, in part, on the over-congestion of the rails, this building was proposed by the charismatic leader of the Pennsylvania Railroad--and the rest is history. A very remarkable and beautiful building and the film showing its history up until about WWII. Using the usual interviews, film clips, paraphernalia and photos, the story is very competently told.