The Grand Central Escalator: My Story Behind The Travel Photo
- Marcia Crayton
- Nov 9, 2025
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 29
My Challenge: a journey from the tracks of the Long Island Railroad, also known as the LIRR, at Grand Central Madison to street level of Grand Central Terminal. On the surface it doesn't seem like a difficult task. Just get off the train and I'm in the main terminal. Correct? Wrong! It's not a hard process. Or is it.
The Grand Central Madison side of Grand Central Terminal, opening post-Covid 19 pandemic in January 2023, was a project over two years in the making. One purpose was to bring the Long Island Railroad to the east side of Manhattan, saving some commuters the time and effort from getting to that area from Penn Station, which is near West 34th Street.
For a while, we the commuters and media focused on the MTA struggling to fine tune the LIRR schedule, sharing tales about commuters missing connections at Jamaica. I myself ran from one track to another trying to make a connection when I was used to just stepping across the platform. I almost missed my train a few times.
But that wasn't the fun part. Once you got to Grand Central, either coming into the city from the LIRR or trying to get to from the subway on the other side of the terminal, another issue came to light. Almost immediately after the new part of the terminal opened, new stories hit about the commute of the commute: the walk from the LIRR to any other part of Grand Central Station. It really is a commute to get from one part of the terminal to another. And you have to factor that in timing wise so that you aren't late for work or missing trains.
Posts of annoyed and alternately amused commuters were shared, and are still shared on most social media posts and blogs: it's fun to see New Yorkers dashing through the station while astonished tourists try to get out of their way. You see, as is the normal way of life in an urban locale, timetables for the various methods of transporting oneself don't always mesh. Will I get to Grand Central in time to catch my train? That's been the $64,000 question (an old TV show that I didn't even watch back in the day that spawned that expression).
The NYC Traveler Tip for Your Trip: time your entire time when you get off the LIRR to your destination. You will need to know how much time you'll need coming back when you catch the train home. Trust me. And if you see someone tripping down the escalator back to the LIRR, you'll know it's me. Don't worry, I won't fall. Promise.
So, the trick is how to make my way from the depths of the earth to the street level. Let's begin. The train rolls into Grand Central Madison. It's a nice looking station: all modern, airy, bright, with modern technology. Hmm, which way do I go? It seems I have no choice: one can only go up. Allow me to refresh your memory:
My task is to get to where I am going via this escalator. Yes, there is an elevator. But this is more fun. Shall I read an entire book on the way up? Make my itinerary for the day? OK, I exaggerate It is only a 90 second ride, and I'm sure it is by no means the longest escalator, but I can guess it is becoming one of the most recognizable in New York.
By the way, NYC courtesy dictates that you stand to the right on stairs or escalators so that that the more adventurous can walk on the left. Therefore, the challenge, or mission, since I am accepting, is to walk up the entire 90 feet, giving me a brief but intense workout. Since the escalator ride can take 93 seconds, walking can saves me perhaps 30 seconds to a minute. So, it's not really about saving time, just about burning a few more calories. Why not? Here I go.
But it's not over once I get to the top. I'm not at street level yet! Since that is my goal, perhaps I can take a scenic route to get there. Am I going to Madison Avenue? Lexington Avenue? East 42nd Street? East 45th Street? The choices are endless and I can go various routes but I think I'll just try to get the main terminal. If I can focus without being distracted. What's that, you say? Distracted? How?
On the same level at the top of the first escalator, are all of the services I will need for my ride. back home: restrooms, the waiting room and a restaurant to get that last nightcap. Hmm. That's kind of nice, the restaurant being right there. I'll have to remember that. Maybe I'll get here an hour early. Hold that thought.
Now since I challenged myself and walked up the escalator, instead of riding like a normal person, I'm now I'm catching my breath. While gasping for air, I admire along the walls between East 47th Street and the main terminal which have murals, some electronic and some static. The electronic display varies, so I take my time and look at it again and again and see something different. Ok, I'm back to breathing normally now, so let's continue my journey to the main terminal.
I follow the signs to the end of the corridor towards the signs that say Metro North. I could go up the next set of escalators and really get right to the terminal but if I do that, I'll miss the dining concourse. And that's important because....
At this point, I need a snack! And there are plenty of places to get one on the concourse level. In fact, the entrance to the famous Oyster Bar is on this level (reservations recommended). But before I even think about spending that money, I do what all of the tourists do: stand at one corner to hear through the Whispering Gallery. Someone stands near one wall and someone else stands across the walkway at the other wall. You can actually hear each talk through the wall.
This level has the famous New York landmark eateries such as Shake Shack, Magnolia Bakery, Doughnut Plant and Joey Bats. Even New Yorkers eat here, it's not just for tourists, I really have eaten here. It's one of the better train terminal food courts. And yes, there is a pizza place!
But alas, I am still not even on the street level yet. If I need to get to the street, then I need to go up one more level. And there will be more distractions, so let me weigh the options of how to get there. There are several options: stairs, elevators, escalators and even a ramp, next to the Oyster Bar, until finally, I'm upstairs!
If my task is to get to the street, then I might get delayed again because there's even more here to see and do. Do I want to see the famous clock, again? It's in the center. Do I need high end food? There's the Grand Central Market on the east side, before you exit to Lexington Avenue and more dining around the main terminal. Shopping? Specialty stores are scattered throughout the terminal. More snacks? I can get the famous New York black and white cookie or a bagel from Zaro's. But the Market is calling my name, so I wander in there.
OK, now I need to get to my ultimate destination. I have a few choices. Do I need to get to the west side? The shuttle will take me there. Do I need to stay on the east side? Then I will head to those subway trains. Or, I can continue my journey on another railroad, the Metro North and head for more adventures. But today, my goal was Grand Central Terminal itself. I did not make that journey into the city and up that famous escalator just to leave the terminal. I want to enjoy it, have fun looking at the tourists, maybe get a meal, shop, browse. And I do just that.
My favorite time to come is the holidays, of course. I wander through the holiday market, shopping a little, chatting with the vendors. Then I meander through the terminal and make a list of all of the fine dining options. I haven't explored them all yet, just a few. I make a note of which ones may need reservations and plan out a special time.
The fun part of making Grand Central my actual destination is that I don't have to ever come outside. Once I come in on the LIRR, the weather doesn't matter: the terminal is an adventure in itself. I can even play the part of the tourist and sign up for a tour.
Eventually, I look at my app, and figure out which train I want to take back home. I'm only going to one of the outer boroughs, so I have a few to choose from. Wait a minute, didn't I want to stop at that restaurant on the LIRR level for a nightcap? Cool!
I sit and linger a little while longer, musing about my day here at Grand Central until I hear: "last call." Oh, no! And once again, I'm back down that famous escalator, flying past other commuters, headed to one of the tracks. Of course, I always get the worst luck and it's the track furthest from the escalator. And just in time, I make it. I activate my ticket, and prepare for the ride home.
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