Grand Central Has More Than One Story to Tell – it Can Tell YOURS
New York residents, travelers of the Metro North and tourists, frequent Grand Central everyday. The terminal has beautiful marble floors and staircases. There are soft yellow lights, which make the Main Concourse appear to be glowing.
The four-year restoration process was recently completed, which allows the station’s beauty to be seen. When you are there, don’t forget to look up; many of the ceilings have artwork. In the Main Concourse there is a dome shaped ceiling. The ceiling has a night sky with stars and constellations.
Grand Central is filled with classic architecture, which adds to its elegance and timelessness. There are a few Corinthian columns (square columns), which stand in the Main Concourse. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling like large egg shaped diamond earrings.
As I was walking around in awe over the beauty, I stumbled into something strange between tracks 13 and 14 in the Graybar passage. I noticed a large glowing cube with sound coming from it; it was a Story Booth. The oral history project, put together by Story Corps is recording the lives of every day people.
The Story Booth is a soundproof cube, where you can record your life story or the stories of your friends and family. For 10 dollars a session, which last an hour, you can record your story and leave the booth with it on a CD. Story Corps has been in Grand Central terminal since October 2003. The goal of the organization is to remain there forever, but minimally until 2005. According to David Reville, the Director of StoryCorps, “We thought about placing the booth in Times Square or getting a university to host the project. Ultimately, Grand Central seemed like the perfect place. It is a large tourist attraction-so many people pass through everyday.”
The StoryBooth is very small. It contains a table with two chairs and to microphones for the interviewer (if you bring one) and the interviewee. There is also a spot for a facilitator. The room is cozy, with dim lighting. Facilitators are used for people who come to tell their stories alone.
Kayvon Bahramian is a facilitator who says that there is no set of questions they ask. “Usually when people come alone, they know what they want to talk about.” Brahramian also recalls one of his favorite stories. “There was a couple that got engaged in the booth. I got a little choked up. Here were people my age and in love.”
The goal of the project is to collect the lives of as many ordinary people as they can. Ordinary people live extraordinary lives. No worries, the interviews can be conducted in any language.
The stories will be archived in the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. This is not just any oral history project. These are the stories, the essence, and the reality of life. The organization “believes that the lives of regular people are more important to get a real picture of society.”
In a day you can tour one the oldest and most beautiful train stations in New York City, eat great food, visit the transit museum, and record your life story. You can leave New York City with one of the greatest souvenirs you could every pass along. You leave with a family history or personal story that can be passed to future generations.
For more information:
Schedule a tour of Grand Central: (212) 340-2347.
To reserve a spot with StoryCorps, you can visit their website www.storycorps.net or call the offices, (212) 941-8553.
