A couple of weeks ago, I was in Manhattan on some errand or other and ended up near Grand Central Terminal. It was a beautiful day, and I had a great view of the clock on the building's exterior, so I snapped a couple of photos. Grand Central sits on 42nd street, and the side with the clock looks down Park Ave. It is a large building, but seems diminutive next to the surrounding by skyscrapers.
The sculpted stone figures of Hercules, Mercury, and Minerva (from left to right) are collectively called the "Glory of Commerce." They were designed by French sculptor Jules-Felix Coutan and have been sitting atop Grand Central since 1914. The statue group is 48 feet tall, and was the tallest sculpture grouping in the world at the time of its installation.
The clock is made of Tiffany glass and has a diameter of 13 feet, making it the largest Tiffany glass creation in the world. It looks beautiful from the ground, so it must be just gorgeous up close.
In the four years we've been in NYC, we've seen a lot of the city's sights repeatedly. You would think we'd be desensitized or bored with them by now, but they are so impressive that it's not hard to notice something new or be awed by them again and again. It really is a fun city for tourists, even long-term ones like us.
**For a look at Grand Central's interior check out this post. For a model-sized view visit this post.**
Wow -- that clock is TALL! and 100 years old. Very beautiful, and the weather looks amazingly good. I recall the first day you ran errands into Manhattan in 2010. Now you are a New Yorker (at least at the moment) and it's no big deal. What pretty photos.
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