My commute twice a week takes me through this car-dependent Los Angeles landmark, Union Station. It’s a cheerful, benign place compared to the fierce charm of Grand Central Station in New York, which I used to commute through twice a day 25 years ago.
Built in the 1930s, it had a checkered past even before construction began. Voters narrowly passed a measure to level the existing Chinatown to make way for it. Today there’s a pleasant tranquility about the place, even when it’s busy. Maybe except for the man near me in the waiting room whose sandwich was stolen the day I took these photos.
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| Waiting room |
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| Colored marble main aisle in the Waiting Room |
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| Among several food vendors, See's Candies |
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| Roomy, leather cushioned seating in the Waiting Room |
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| Patio and garden area with fountain, just outside |
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| Outdoor cafe with colorful tile bench seating |
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| Waiting Room with entrance to trains, decorated for Christmas |
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| Gardens with birds of paradise on the other side of the station |
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| Travelers shop with hanging monkey dolls |
Coming up: Kent Meyers, The Work of Wolves
Interesting post, delightful photos!
ReplyDeleteLovely pics. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMarble main aisle is perfection.
ReplyDeleteI've been through there several times--if I remember correctly, it was the last of the grand stations built. After the war, we only built airports.
ReplyDelete