For most New Yorkers, the words “Grand Central” may not evoke feelings of romance. However, this historical terminal is more charming than it appears. One of its most endearing hidden gems is a tiny alcove meant to give couples a place to meet up – and share a romantic kiss – after long-distance travel.
Grand Central Terminal. Image via Jakun Halun.
The Kissing Gallery
The Kissing Gallery at Grand Central Terminal, located inside the Biltmore Room, is the place to be this Valentine’s Day. The Kissing Gallery is what it sounds like – a snug alcove in the Biltmore Room, tucked away in largest railroad station in the world, and specifically designed for kissing. It is the place for lovers to steal away from the crowd for a kiss.
The Biltmore Room in Grand Central. Image via gothamist.com.
(Psst..did you know? Grand Central Terminal refers to the terminal line, which means trains stop at Grand Central Terminal. Grand Central Station refers to the subway station inside GCT. Those subway lines pass through GCT).
The origins of the Kissing Gallery date back to Grand Central Terminal’s (GCT’s) earliest days. When GCT opened in 1913, it was a much more organized animal than the spastic craziness modern commuters encounter today. In the beginning, the terminal was carefully planned and designed to facilitate the flow of both long-distance and short-distance travelers.
Early in its operation, staff noticed that foot traffic was constantly jammed in areas where long-distance trains emptied out. The problem? Lovers’ reunions were causing literal standstills on pedestrian walkways.
It’s an adorable slice of New York City history: kissing caused traffic jams, so city dwellers devised an imaginative solution. This solution was simple: create a special room solely for kissing.
Shockingly, this worked, and meeting up in the Kissing Gallery post-transit with a special someone was considered the norm. Traffic jams caused by kissing all but stopped. (Nowadays, pedestrian traffic hold-ups are due to the invasion of the selfie takers. Unless, of course, the hold-up takes place on the field after Super Bowl LVII. Then, foot traffic has stopped to make way for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s showstopping, celebratory kiss).
The Biltmore Room in the 1950’s. Image via Boris Klapwald.
Even so, a public kissing room was a bit racy for the 1910s. To alleviate any possible discomfort among other travelers, a few ground rules were instituted. The two major regulations were (1) each kiss may last a maximum of five seconds, and (2) absolutely no tongue.
(These rules were actually written in the manual and were readily enforced by GCT staff).
It’s a cute story – The Kissing Gallery, with history that stretches back nearly 120 years, is one of the many secrets and surprises of GCT that have been preserved. GCT’s preservation is due to historic preservation laws – and a major Supreme Court case.
Penn Central Transp. Co. v. New York City (1978)
In the late 1970s, Penn Central (the business owners of GCT) began to make plans for a major renovation to the terminal. Penn Central hoped to install a 50-foot skyscraper atop the historic building. From a business perspective, such an ugly installation made sense. From an aesthetic perspective, it was madness. Thankfully, New York City prevented Penn Central from starting the job. In response, Penn Central sued, arguing that the City’s refusal to let the project go forward amounted to an unconstitutional taking.
A bitter legal battle ensued, and eventually made its way to nation’s highest court. Penn Central’s primary argument for the construction was their company’s bottom line. Penn Central argued economic hardship, should the terminal continue to be run in its present condition. The company also showed the Court accounting documents to demonstrate how much more profitable the terminal would be under the proposed changes. However, the financials alone were not enough to convince the Court.
The Court acknowledged that the proposed transformation would increase the company’s bottom line. But, the Court said, GCT was making Penn Central a considerable profit as it was. Moreover, GCT was already legally a historic building under the Landmarks Act. This was not the determinative factor in the Court’s ultimate decision, but the justices took it into account. The Court said that Penn Central should not have reasonably expected to be able to initiate such a dramatic construction project anyway, because GCT had already been given historic designation under the Landmarks Act.
Grand Central Terminal. Image courtesy of NannFilms, used with permission.
Finally, the Court pointed out that the restrictions that come with owning a historic landmark may seem burdensome, Penn Central also benefitted from the restrictions placed on neighboring properties that prevented certain land use changes. And then (to make matters worse for Penn Central), it turned out that the accounting documents (provided by Penn Central to show economic hardship) were misleading, and did not give an accurate depiction of the company’s profits and losses (whoops).
In the end, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the City, and stopped Penn Central from breaking ground on their renovation – a decision that buoyed the hearts and souls of art and cultural heritage experts around the world. Not only that, many notable New Yorkers (including a one Jackie O.) were against the destruction of such an important piece of New York City history. Possibly even judges on the Supreme Court were not immune to her charms.
Grand Central School of Art
The Kissing Gallery is not the only romantic secret hidden within the Grand Central Terminal.
A little-known fact about Grand Central is that the seventh floor of the East Terminal once housed the Grand Central School of Art. This was an art school in New York City with instructors who taught skills across artistic disciplines, including sculpture, mural painting, illustration, and costume design.
The Betrothal II by Arshile Gorky (1947). Image via oceansbridge.com.
The Grand Central School of Art (not to be confused with the modern-day Grand Central Academy of Art, which is a wonderful art school on Long Island), was one of the largest and most prominent art schools in the city at its prime. The school’s success (and notable alumni) befits the institution’s illustrious founders: Edmund Grecean, Walter Leighton, and John Singer Sargent.
Who would have thought that John Singer Sargent had the time and energy to open a prestigious art school, on top of all his notable commissions for fancy socialites? In any event, he did, and he and Grecean used their art world connections to bolster an impressive faculty: Chester Beach (sculptor), Ezra Winter (muralist), Dean Cornwell (muralist), Helen Dryden (illustrator and costumer designer) and Arshile Gorky (painter), to name a few.
The school enjoyed a good 20-year history before things turned south. After a grand opening in 1923, the Grand Central School of Art sadly shuttered its doors in 1944 due to financial difficulties.
Even after the school closed, artists from around the world used the vibrant energy of Grand Central Terminal in their work. Something about the fast-paced movement, the glorious architecture, and the joyous lovers reunions must prompt artists to capture the moment with great creative aplomb.
Not convinced? Check out The Kiss by Ernst Hast (1958). The featured couple appears to be truly in love, and also seems to be breaking a few important Terminal rules.
The Kiss by Ernst Hast (1958). Image via icp.org.
The Kissing Gallery is in the Biltmore Room, folks!