The public had their first glimpse inside the new Penn Station train corridor at the historic Farley Post Office Building during an opening ceremony on Wednesday.
The Moynihan Train Hall – which officially opens on Friday – has a waiting area of 255,000 square feet, $ 1.6 billion skylit that will serve as a hub for Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road, adjacent to 700,000 square feet of shops and restaurants , officials said.
Inside, travelers have access to the huge open hall – with escalator connections to Penn Station platforms – as well as a private waiting area with seating for customers with tickets.
The great atmosphere of the train hall offers a stark contrast to the existing Penn Station, which consists of cavernous, poorly lit underground tunnels that Governor Andrew Cuomo once compared to Dante’s “Hell”.
“We built this as a statement of who we are, we believe we are and aspire to be,” said Cuomo when opening the hall.
“It is bold, yes, because that is the spirit of New York and that is the statement that we want to make to our visitors, our children and future generations.”
In addition to its 92-foot high skylight, Moynihan features installations by artists Kehinde Wiley, Stan Douglas and Elmgreen & Dragset.
The piece Wiley is a trio of stained glass images showing breakdance against a backdrop of blue skies, while art duo Elmgreen & Dragset contributed a model of an upside-down skyscraper that hangs from the ceiling.
Food and shopping options in Moynihan include Magnolia Bakery, H&H Bagels, Starbucks, Damselfly Flower and the Lovepop greeting card store.
Penn Station was built in the 1960s after the much-maligned destruction of its predecessor Beaux-Arts.
The new space was named after the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who came up with the idea of renovating the post office building for public transport in the 1990s.
Construction of the royal train corridor has been slow, however, with several bumps on the road since Moynihan first came up with the idea. Amtrak accepted the idea in 2009, and the project was finally launched the following year.
“One of the first missions that Senator Moynihan gave me when he retired was to ensure that Penn Station was renovated,” said Senator Chuck Schumer, who served in the senate with Moynihan for two years.
“When I suggested that the station be named after him, I knew that the result would be something he would be proud of.”