meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Bowery Boys: New York City History

#254 The Destruction of Penn Station

The Bowery Boys: New York City History

Tom Meyers

Places & Travel, History, Documentary, Society & Culture

4.73.9K Ratings

🗓️ 16 February 2018

⏱️ 62 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The original Penn Station, constructed in 1910 and designed by New York's greatest Gilded Age architectural firm, was more than just a building. Since its destruction in the 1960s, the station has become something mythic, a sacrificial lamb to the cause of historic preservation. Amplifying its loss is the condition of present Penn Station, a fairly unpleasant underground space that uses the original Pennsylvania Railroad's tracks and tunnels. As Vincent Scully once said, "Through Pennsylvania Station one entered the city like a god. Perhaps it was really too much. One scuttles in now like a rat." In this show we rebuild the grand, original structure in our minds -- the fourth largest building in the world when it was constructed -- and marvel at an opulence now gone.  Why was Penn Station destroyed? If you answered "MONEY!", you're only partially right. This is the story of an architectural treasure endangered -- and a city unprepared to save it. Should something so immense be saved because of its beauty even if its function has diminished or even vanished? Does the public have a say in a privately owned property?  PLUS: We show you where you can still find remnants of old Penn Station by going on a walking tour with Untapped Cities tour guide Justin Rivers. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Today's show is brought to you by the Bowrie Boys book Adventures in Old New York,

0:05.7

an unconventional exploration of Manhattan's historic neighborhoods,

0:10.0

secret spots, and colorful characters. Greg, you and I wrote that book.

0:14.7

I seem to recall that, yes.

0:17.9

And we're proud to say that it's available in Bookstores Coast to Coast.

0:22.4

Pick up a copy today, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, your local neighborhood bookstore, wherever they sell books.

0:30.0

The Bowrie Boys episode 254, the destruction of Old Penn Station.

0:35.6

Hey, it's the Bowrie Boys.

0:37.2

Hey!

0:38.4

Support for the Bowrie Boys is provided by our listeners.

0:42.0

Join us for as little as a dollar a month by visiting patreon.com slash Bowrie Boys.

0:50.6

Hi there, welcome to the Bowrie Boys. This is Greg Young.

0:53.2

And this is Tom Myers.

0:54.7

This is the first of a few shows on a mini-series, a collection, perhaps.

1:00.0

A collection of shows.

1:01.2

A small batch.

1:02.2

A small batch with the theme of landmarks.

1:06.5

What is a landmark?

1:07.6

Why do we need protection for landmarks?

1:11.1

And we're going to begin exploring this idea with a place that's proven to be rather mystical.

1:17.2

The original Pennsylvania station.

1:20.2

Now, on November 27th, 1910, Penn Station, the original Penn Station,

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Tom Meyers, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Tom Meyers and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.