Grand Central smell

[rockdove]

I use the subway at Grand Central to get to and from work and I cannot help but notice an unpleasant odor when I walk by or through the track areas or even near the sidewalk grates above ground.

 

I know the station building's ceiling was cleaned from what turned out to be cigarette smoke residue (tar, nicotine). Are the same substances accmulated over one hundred years -- and worsened by the heat -- producing this at the platforms? Or is it something else?

[lilbluefoxie]

better than the backed up toilet smell coming from Chambers St lol

[mark1447]

Are you talking about the IRT Lexington Avenue Line or Metro-North?

 

Metro-North's GCT has a bunch of homeless people. Go to the lower level of GCT and you will see a bunch of homeless around. By 2AM around, the terminal closes so that the Police will get them out of the terminal till about 5am.

 

IRT Lexington Avenue some people would wind up urinating at the end of the platform, but i don't see it as much. Worst is 59th Street on the Bronx Bound North side (Exp), where theres piles of urine laying around.. Smh.

[rockdove]

I meant the Metro North platforms. Its definitely a peculiar smell that is not quite the usual NYC homeless urine smell you would expect in, say, an MTA elevator.

[HomeBall]

The area by track 15 stinks because of the garbage track, that might be it.

[Forest Glen]

Are you talking about the IRT Lexington Avenue Line or Metro-North?

 

Metro-North's GCT has a bunch of homeless people. Go to the lower level of GCT and you will see a bunch of homeless around. By 2AM around, the terminal closes so that the Police will get them out of the terminal till about 5am.

 

IRT Lexington Avenue some people would wind up urinating at the end of the platform, but i don't see it as much. Worst is 59th Street on the Bronx Bound North side (Exp), where theres piles of urine laying around.. Smh.

 

There are actually less homeless people at Grand Central than Penn Station. At Grand Central, I actually notice a pleasant smell. Perhaps it's because of all of the bakeries.

[FamousNYLover]

I can't smell very good either.

I only could think of smell:

 

1. Elevator.
   
2. Garbage and Recycle Bins- Some people don't know how to recycle and they put Recycle Bottles in Trash, newspapers in Trash, or Dirty Napkins in Newspaper, Papers in Bottles.
   
3. On Subway station section, by train stairs are dumpster (don't know how to spell)
   

 

[Forest Glen]

Dumpster

[FamousNYLover]

Speaking of smell, I borrow many Queens Library books/DVS at Court Sq Library when I was living in Manhattan, when I got to Lex Av/51st-53rd Sts, my Queens Library got rip off and I don't want to risk it dropping down escalator, so I took elevator, which I step on someone's disguising No. #2. I think some other people might step on them to. It was on (now ) Elevator.

[mark1447]

There are actually less homeless people at Grand Central than Penn Station. At Grand Central, I actually notice a pleasant smell. Perhaps it's because of all of the bakeries.

 

I dont see much of homeless at Pennsylvania RR station, except the 32nd St tunnel that leads the IRT Broadway Line, under the NJT waiting area, and a few limited areas.

 

The worst is the bathroom on the Amtrak level with people doing crazy stunts around.

[Joe]

I love when the MTA cops kick the homeless and the skells out of NYP late at night.

[rockdove]

Not trash or urine -- i think it is a warm grime smell being ventilated throughout -- but I am more sensitive to odors than others so you may not sense it readily.

[metsfan]

Brake dust and mold.

 

- A

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I use the subway at Grand Central to get to and from work and I cannot help but notice an unpleasant odor when I walk by or through the track areas or even near the sidewalk grates above ground.

 

I know the station building's ceiling was cleaned from what turned out to be cigarette smoke residue (tar, nicotine). Are the same substances accmulated over one hundred years -- and worsened by the heat -- producing this at the platforms? Or is it something else?

 

It's a weird smell too that you just can't put your finger on which can normally be smelled right as you walk past the big Hudson Newsstand...

[engineerboy6561]

Are you talking about that sharp, slightly gritty smell you get on the MNR platforms and near the entrances to the platforms? I believe that smell is ozone from the third rail and is similar to, but slightly more pronounced than, the smell of most underground subway stations.