The Grand Central Terminal is the most beautiful Beaux-Arts architecture and historic landmark in New York. Early this summer, I finally had the opportunity to visit the terminal on my fourth visit to the city.
After Grand Central began playing classical music over its audio system, its crime rate dropped by 33 percent.
I was inspired to visit Grand Central after reading an article on the power of classical music. In the 1990s, when former prosecutor-turned-mayor Rudy Giuliani came to office, crime was rampant in the Grand Central Terminal. But after Mr. Giuliani changed the background music system, using high-quality audio equipment to play Mozart’s classical pieces all day long, the crime rate dropped by 33 percent!
Given that he could come up with such a creative way to solve the terminal’s crime problem, I think Mr. Giuliani must be a wise mayor and a lover of classical music. I too love the music of Mozart, with its gentle, moving melodies that seem to touch the depths of one’s soul.
Unfortunately, when I visited Grand Central, I didn’t hear any Mozart playing over the speakers. I wonder if the terminal is still playing Mozart’s music. But I was a bit overwhelmed standing in the magnificent main concourse, and forgot to find out from the information booth under the Four-Faced Clock.
The Grand Central Terminal, which was opened in 1913, sits in Midtown Manhattan. It is the largest train station in the world, with 44 platforms and over 100 tracks. It is also one of the busiest train stations in the world, serving nearly 200,000 passengers every day.
The majestic building was nearly torn down in the 1960s, but with the help of former First-Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, it was designated a historic American landmark.
An American flag has been hanging in the terminal’s main concourse since a few days after the 2001 September 11 attacks. It’s a good reminder of the American spirit.
