John's Blog

One of the great crimes of the last century (if we ignore the Bush administration) would have to be the destruction of the original McKim, Mead & White Pennsylvania Station in the 60's. We were left with a place that looks like a bad bus station, uninspiring office buildings, a sports arena for teams that increasingly suck, and our memories. I remember it as a child when we were in town for the World's Fair and it's days were numbered. They had already torn down much of it, and what remained was dirty and poorly maintained. But even so, the building had a scale and a majesty that was moving.

But now, it looks like history may repeat itself. They want to build a new Madison Square Garden, which may imperil the plans for the new Moynihan Station, an attempt to restore some of the lost glory. Let's hope this plays out better than the last time.