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"89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017 Grand Central Terminal, Lower Level"

"At 12:01 AM on February 2, 1913, the largest train station in the world and architectural wonder, Grand Central Terminal, opened to the public amid much fanfare. Three weeks later so too did the 440-seat Grand Central Oyster Bar. Back then, and for decades prior, oyster bars, stands, shacks, and cellars were an obsession in New York, and the opening of the terminal came right at the heyday of long-distance train travel, so it was a smart combo. The dining room supplied meals to the long-distance trains leaving the station and offered commuters and locals a place to slurp oysters and pan roasts at lunch and before heading home. The Oyster Bar space, designed by prolific New York architect Raphael Gustavino was then as it is now, grand and magnificent, accented with arched and vaulted ceilings covered in terracotta tiles. After a competing restaurateur passed on the space in 1912 (deeming it unappealing), concessionaire Union News snatched up the Oyster Bar location and hired Viktor Yesensky, known at the time for running the famed oyster bar at the Hotel Knickerbocker, to run the kitchen. Because of the look of the space, the glamorous nature of the terminal, and Yesensky's work at the stoves and the bar (he stayed on for 33 years), Grand Central Oyster Bar quickly became one of the most crowded lunch counters in New York, serving all manner of raw clams and oysters and immediately famous oyster pan roasts and oyster stews."

"Gustavino Tiles Architect and builder Rafael Guastavino was born in Valencia, Spain, in 1842 and came to New York City in 1881. Guastavino had built vaulted houses in Spain using clay tiles set in mortar and continued to refine this traditional technique—called bóveda catalana, or Catalan vault—to make vaults that could span relatively large distances. He patented his “Tile Arch System” in 1885.   His first major commission came from McKim, Mead & White, who asked him to create vaulting for the Boston Public Library. Guastavino’s graceful vaults can be seen in many New York City locations, including the Elephant House at the Bronx Zoo, the Great Hall at Ellis Island, and in the market under the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge.   The large vault at the entrance of the Oyster Bar has long been known as the Whispering Gallery and is considered one of the “secrets” of Grand Central Terminal. Stand facing into one corner with a friend in the opposite corner, speak in a normal tone, and your voice “follows the curvature of the ceiling,” says urban historian Justin Ferate. “It’s called telegraphing.” Your friend will hear you as clearly as if you were having a conversation face-to-face."

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