April 15, 2021: Day trip to New York's Moynihan Train Hall

A lot of us have had to put our travel plans on hold for the past 14 months. But there's one place I'd been pining to see since it opened in January -- New York's new Moynihan Train Hall.

New York has had a history of grand stations past. But the grandest of all, Grand Central Terminal, currently only serves Metro-North trains, and of course the NYC subway. Up until the spring of '91 some Amtrak trains ran out of Grand Central, but this proved inconvenient to passengers who needed to make connections and were forced to go from one station to the other.

And then there's Penn Station. It too was once a beautiful, glowing station until it was torn down in the 1960s to make way for Madison Square Garden. The train station moved underground into the cavernous, often dingy confines that travelers have come to know. The station houses Amtrak, NJ Transit, Long Island Railroad and PATH trains in addition to the subway. While not the most glamorous of stations, it's gotten the job done and holds some degree of sentimental value to me having passed through it so many times.

Anyway, I digress.

Moynihan Train Hall opened Jan. 1 in a portion of the former Farley Post Office building, just across 8th Avenue from Madison Square Garden. The building is named after the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) who came up with the idea for the station nearly three decades ago.

The idea of being welcomed into the Big Apple by rail in such grand fashion made me so excited I was willing to take the trip, despite the fact that I was still four days away from receiving my first COVID shot (As I write this I am scheduled to receive my second dose on Monday). 

I got one of the earlier trains of the day, the 8:10 a.m. departure on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor out of Washington Union Station. 

The ride was smooth and ahead of schedule, believe it or not. As we got closer my adrenaline started to kick in. 

We pulled into Penn/Moynihan station at 11:19 a.m., 15 minutes early! I believe they have extended the platforms to stretch to where the new terminal is.

I entered into the old Penn Station, although this was not intentional. You can access both the old and new stations from the platform.  After a few minutes I found my way to Moynihan fairly easily since the two stations are connected.

From the main level of Penn I went one level down and followed the signs toward the A-C-E subway lines. From there I found the passageway to the new station, which is a bit grim with construction happening in the immediate area and some loose wires sticking out.

The lower concourse of Moynihan is really cool! There are entrances directly to the tracks for Amtrak and LIRR, and if you look closely you can see some of the trains through the glass.

When I went upstairs to see the main train hall I was blown away. It's a huge, open space with a glass ceiling nearly 100 feet high. And unlike old Penn Station, you can actually see the buildings in the area which reminds you of where you are. 

Unfortunately this was a rainy, foggy day due to a system of moisture that had made its way up the Atlantic coast the night before. Nevertheless, I was happy to have finally made the pilgrimage!

After taking in the scene for a few minutes, I checked out the upstairs portion of the terminal. There is a nice area that overlooks the hall and gives you an even better view.

In one corner of the station you can see the area where the character of the building as a post office has been maintained. In fact, there is an active U.S. Post Office crammed into this section as well.

In another corner of the station, a food hall is under construction with a scheduled opening for this fall. I found other parts of the station too that are under construction for incoming retail.

I didn't walk far due to the rain, but ventured a couple blocks to Ess-a-bagel on 32nd Street to pick up my lunch. If you like New York bagels and are looking for a good place that isn't too far, I highly recommend. While I was out, I snapped a couple shots of the station's exterior. In the third shot you can see Madison Square Garden in the background, which is adjacent. 

On one side of Moynihan is the Amtrak waiting area, which is for ticketed customers only. It is a nice area with a good deal of space to stretch out and rest or work. There are also plenty of outlets and phone charging stations.

As nice as the waiting area is, I wish there was more general seating inside the terminal for folks who just want to stop in and aren't necessarily going anywhere. Just sayin'. 

There is also a more bougie Metropolitan Lounge that serves food and drink on the station's second level, but you have to be an Acela or Amtrak Guest Rewards member to be eligible. 

My return train to D.C. left at 3:35 p.m. I spent the remaining time that I had exploring the rest of the terminal and taking in its beautiful architecture. It truly is a work of art.

This station is not open between 1 and 5 a.m., so if you are planning on seeing it I'd recommend not taking a redeye train.

On balance, I think Moynihan Train Hall is a beautiful station, and one that is long overdue for the nation's largest city. It's new, welcoming, aesthetically pleasing and gives the traveler a sense of optimism and they arrive or depart. Ultimately, I think New York's Grand Central and Washington Union stations have it beat. Those rail stations are of legendary status with their high, majestic ceilings and shrine-like feel to them. Nevertheless, Moynihan impresses right from the opening. For anyone with an appreciation of trains and great stations, this place is for you.