Submitted by psychothumbs t3_z6ll6d in nyc
Comments
FarFromSane_ t1_iy2s5gs wrote
If you are going where the line is you are in the wrong place. Use the lower concourse to board. I even ask the seating area attendant what the track number is going to be if it’s around 12 minutes before departure and the track number hasn’t been officially put out. 9/10 times they have the information on their screen and I head down there to step on the second the doors open.
Even without knowing the trick to ask the track number early, it baffles me to see people waiting in a winding line by the escalator. It’s Penn Station! There are soooo many ways on to a given platform, why does (almost) everyone stand at a single entry point like it’s an airport. (And why does Amtrak encourage that? I like the train because I can roll up and step right on)
cocktails5 t1_iy3cle5 wrote
Only taken the train there once, but it wasn't at all obvious when I got there where I should be going. So I got in line with everybody else when they announced the track number.
SnooWoofers5193 t1_iy55lri wrote
I actually didn’t know I was allowed to go down there if not through the line? U can?
dilpill t1_iyc3eic wrote
They do not want you to and actively try to stop you by closing some platform doors, but it’s still possible.
The reason for it is that the platforms are so narrow that allowing boarding passengers to wait there would make it slower for passengers to disembark.
One or two people who figure out the trick doesn’t pose that issue, but you’ll never hear official approval of it.
I do it every other time or so depending how resourceful I’m feeling. It used to be way easier when there was an arrivals board in the waiting area!
ktkat0000 t1_iy40amx wrote
lol i did this last friday and the person on the track yelled at me and the other people doing this "hot tip" and told us to go back up to where the line was. 🫥 so not a surefire tip (or maybe this particular employee was just being tough)
0Il0I0l0 t1_iy3szej wrote
How do you get to the lower concourse?
CrimsonBrit t1_iy403ja wrote
Because the signage is awful. They announce a track from location and everyone runs to two doors with horrible stairs, usually with heavy suitcases. It’s fucking madness
waukeecla t1_iy3q3dz wrote
I wonder this too, because last time I boarded an Amtrak it was in the new concourse under 8th Ave, it wasn't crowded (never is, I use this concourse all the time for LIRR or NJT) yet everyone boards in moynihan, surely not all these riders are "newbies"
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vittorioe t1_iy3418c wrote
More like faster boarding instead of a bottleneck
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vittorioe t1_iy3gfb1 wrote
Literally not at all what OP is saying but go off
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thebruns t1_iy4ao15 wrote
> the train can’t just park there for 10-15 minutes and let people board at their own pace. I really don’t think you take Amtrak lol.
Sounds like youve never taken Amtrak. They all have a 20 minute layover at Penn, including a complete crew change.
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thebruns t1_iy4lixd wrote
You are talking about two different issues.
No one said wait on the platform.
OP said:
>If you are going where the line is you are in the wrong place. Use the lower concourse to board.
There are 5-8 stair/escalators onto each platform. There is no reason for everyone to wait at the one in the center of the new building.
You can still wait at the other 7 for everyone to get off before going down
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Toilethyme t1_iy36mam wrote
Grand Central seems to manage without this line nonsense.
cabanacloudnine t1_iy38ir8 wrote
Grand central announces their track times much earlier than Penn does
112-411 t1_iy6tl6k wrote
This is because GCT has much greater capacity than NYP (about 3X the tracks) while also serving a fraction of the passengers.
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Shame_On_Matt t1_iy3g1iy wrote
It’s kinda fascinating, the controlled chaos. People SPRINT to their gate like absolute lunatics, but are mostly orderly and respect the rules of a line.
mesoliteball t1_iy25xym wrote
“One Amtrak police officer we spoke to on Wednesday was even more frank.
‘This is a mall, they don't see it like a train station. They don't want homeless people here,’ he said.”
iv2892 t1_iy2dkem wrote
Homeless should stay in designated shelters , and hopefully do more to help them . The ones that are on drugs are a lot harder to deal with, though. And every mayor city is having some issues with this too . Is not a nyc only thing
Janus_The_Great t1_iy2k1hm wrote
>Homeless should stay in designated shelters
As in "they should have access to shelters etc." not as in "they should be put into internment camps, unfree to leave".
And if you wonder who would even think of the second, the answer is: Enough to be careful how we write/formulate our sentences. Sane reasoning, and healthy social morals have become rare these days...
ChrisFromLongIsland t1_iy2t02g wrote
They should not live or loiter in major transit centers. Billion dollar transit centers should not be the world's most expensive homeless shelters.
Janus_The_Great t1_iy3pv8t wrote
While I share your perception of it being a nuisance in public spaces (try to find a seating option in Grand central...), limiting access won't resolve the issue.
NYC/NY/US needs to invest in social structures. As long as there is unnecessary/artifical poverty created by inhumane conditions, bad social structure and economic exploitation there will be homeless people. With the current developments in environment and society, if you're not making at 100k, prepare to become part of the issue over the next two decades.
Excluding them won't stop the issue. The US wishes to be #1, but really often shows they aren't, by far. Below the poverty line bo not live lesser people, just the less fortunate one's.
seemsprettylegit t1_iy39liy wrote
*Tax funded public spaces. But bat your eyes away from the suffering, dust it under the rug, and toss em’ into the winter weather why not. The problem is sure to just stop existing /s.
FrankBeamer_ t1_iy3kxnf wrote
That’s exact-fuckingly what subways in London, Singapore Tokyo etc that this sub worship do. I don’t see why NYC should be any different.
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seemsprettylegit t1_iy3liaa wrote
Because those cities don’t have nearly the same number of homeless people for a wide range of reasons. Once NYC can provide adequate housing/doesn’t gouge rent out, and not allow foreign nationals to buy out condos/apartments that they will never actually live in as a way to park money, then we’ll talk. Until then, this city has become a giant Ponzi scheme on the way to San Francisco levels of shit.
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Free_Joty t1_iy3cypz wrote
Maybe like our affordable housing requirements, we can require 15- 20% of new public spaces as homeless encampment areas?
Ie here is the train platform, but we also have room for the tent city 🙄
seemsprettylegit t1_iy3d25t wrote
Maybe we can try to address why they became homeless in the first place?
Free_Joty t1_iy3d6ew wrote
Maybe we can solve World hunger and war at the same time too?
seemsprettylegit t1_iy3da72 wrote
Tf does the world matter here. You are in a NYC sub. Idk if you’re new here or just playing pretend, but it’s winter and you are going to find more homeless folks indoors. Always has been that way, and I’d rather people not freeze to death.
ChrisFromLongIsland t1_iy3johw wrote
Yes so we use billion dollar transit centers as homeless shelters? Shouldn't we have appropriate homeless shelters with resources enstead of people living in transit centers. Throw in the obligatory most of the homeless in transit hubs are street homeless which have severe mental illness (typically schizophrenia) and or have a severe drug problem.
Accurate_Walk6563 t1_iy3knuy wrote
“FromLongIsland” says it all.
ChrisFromLongIsland t1_iy58wf4 wrote
Ad hominine BTW I am typing this from the city.
Accurate_Walk6563 t1_iy59ezf wrote
Ad hominem* Still true though. You did not grow up in NYC, even if you live there.
Free_Joty t1_iy4169o wrote
The point is how did building new transit facilities turn into solving the homeless problem? You’ll never get anything accomplished if you keep make the scope bigger
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iv2892 t1_iy3rujy wrote
Exactly , thanks
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Janus_The_Great t1_iy3ni8m wrote
Agree, There should be more options for the homeless and shelters and centers.
>not burden the rest of society and make them deal with avoiding homeless people literally everywhere.
That will never stop being a burden until the US becomes a social or mixed economy, rather than being a neo-liberal economy. There is no money to be made in helping homeless, so neo-liberal forces ignore the issue. Charity rather than state financed options and social programs is the US approach. Hence the situation not much changing.
Since exploitation, disenfranchisement and instrumentalisation of employees are some of the economic forces the US economy is based on, there will always be a fall off, that lands on the streets. But below the poverty line do not live lesser people.
Having homelessness is a polical choice, that's why some countries, practically don't have any. Many, especially New York try to push them out, socially and locally exclude them. That's not gonna work, and making the homeless illegal as some US counties have tried, is distopian. US prison labor is already basically slavery with extra steps. Inhumane anyways, yet the current path it seems.
Having lived abroad for most of my life, this was a shocker coming to the US, how less fortunate are treated. A major factor seems to be who to blame for failure. Americans seem to be convinced that the individual him/herself is 100% responsible for their fate/situation/life. Which in reality is closer to 30%, while 60% is access to socal institutions (Education, health, mental health, supportive structures, good peer communities, room for creativity etc.) and about 10% luck
My wife and I are looking to leave the US again soon, it's... we both do not perceive the US as a country to raise kids in or to life free (never felt more disenfranchised than here). The people are nice and friendly but generally illiterate outside their expertise, nor any idea of the world outside the US. Super friendly people but the lack of general knowledge is frightening, especially political and social illiteracy. As a historian a lot of mentalities/sentiments remind me of the late Weimar republic years, which isn't a good sign.
Have a good one
k1lk1 t1_iy3q1wu wrote
> . The people are nice and friendly but generally illiterate outside their expertise
> As a historian a lot of mentalities/sentiments remind me of the late Weimar republic years, which isn't a good sign.
Ahahaha, this is fucking amazing
Janus_The_Great t1_iy3rnj3 wrote
>As a historian
Next to having studied sociology, philosophy and psychology.
You see, in progressive actually developed countries we don't pay for tertiary education, and thus aren't usually limited to one discipline in our careers. Ever heard of interdisciplinary? It's totally in trend since like three decades...🤷♂️
In Finnland you get paid for studying, not paying...
That's what i mean with illiterate to the rest of the world works.
Without going into details, I specifically analyse the development of US society and the potential risks for its future from a interdisciplinary standpoint. That's my job.
What's your expertise?
None given, none taken. Have a good one.
avd706 t1_iy3tkyv wrote
What they fuk are you doing badmouthing NYC in a local Reddit sub. You have no ideas of the realities on there ground.
Janus_The_Great t1_iy3wxkk wrote
Where am I badmouthing? Im criticizing facts. If facts are perceived as problematic, well then there are issues.
I love NYC, great city, the bearing heart of the US, and iconic metropolises ob the world. That doesn't change that there are things to criticize.
Criticism is the highest form of praise or patriotism. The wish to improve. The wish to become better in the inevitable changes of time.
To be blind to criticism only underlines the wish for no change or an acceptance of decline. It means you don't wish for betterment.
Times arrow only moves forward, and with it change. My intention isn't to "badmouth" New York, but to give frank criticism, in hopes to bring focus to where improvement is needed, to prevent detoriation of what you and I love about this city.
I'm sorry if it came across to harsh or malicious, that wasn't my intention. Having grown up with Francian heritage, it's literally part of my culture to be frank.
Jave a good one stay safe.
avd706 t1_iy40mnl wrote
Do you understand that there is a consent decree in which the city agrees to provide shelter to anyone requesting it?
Janus_The_Great t1_iy43w4f wrote
Yes. Have you seen the quality of NYC shelters? I have. I wouldn't stay in one if necessary. I'd rather try my luck outside as long as I don't freeze to death. Violence, SA, theft and robbery are daily occurrence, next to vermin and disease. Most of the money intended for it is usually redirected as high wages for the management (which tends to live well of their proceeds, while often the absolute minimum isn't even given to the shelters themselves. There is little to no oversight.
There is a tendency to stop looking into it, after one has received calming assurance. But the right response to "No need to worry, there is shelter for everyone" is to question the quality of those shelters. If most homeless tend to stay out of them, they don't seem work as intended. Having visited some work wise, I wouldn't stay in one, simply too dangerous.
So unless there is a broader social reform, there is little change to the current situation to be expected.
avd706 t1_iy3tan9 wrote
Every New Yorker has access to a shelter. Nothing fancy, but it's required under a consent decree. Which is why we had small numbers of pre covid street homeless compared to other cities.
Janus_The_Great t1_iy3udkr wrote
Every homeless New Yorker, correct. Have you heard about the conditions in many of those? Have you visited one? While on paper it looks social, it isn't. I would think more than twice to stay in one if I'd need to.
Covid had an impact, I agree, but I don't think it's just more from out of state, but rather more new Yorkers too. Rising poverty levels...
avd706 t1_iy426o7 wrote
By definition a non homeless person already has shelter.
Most homeless people you see on the streets are emotionally disturbed. And most shelters àre deplorable. And vivid the the calculus out the window.
Want to make conditions better in the subways and train stations? Improve the shelters, attack root causes of homelessness.
Janus_The_Great t1_iy45aec wrote
>Want to make conditions better in the subways and train stations? Improve the shelters, attack root causes of homelessness.
This is the only correct answer. Better shelters and oversight, should sink some of the issues given with homelessness. But without adequate social services the issue will not disappear.
Better yet would be housing for the homeless. But that's difficult to achive in a city where you pay ~1k for a shared bedroom already.
Lovat69 t1_iy4qdy0 wrote
>And vivid the the calculus out the window.
What?
Kiritowerty t1_iy35cvm wrote
Jesus, you're gonna tear a bicep with that reach!
iv2892 t1_iy3roul wrote
Exactly which is why I said we should definitely do more to help them. At least nyc tries , some other cities just simply try to sweep all homeless under the rug. And at least in the US and I’m assuming most other countries too haven’t come up with much better solution to deal with them in a humane manner. And again , dealing with the drug users is always a lot harder and hopefully we can come up with better programs to get the hard drugs away from the streets while also helping the people facing these issues instead of just judging them
thisisntmineIfoundit t1_iy28h16 wrote
>Sam M., who works in finance and was waiting for that same train to Boston, referred to hostile architecture as "a liberal arts term," but agreed with the premise and its presence in Moynihan
I'm with Sam M. Call it whatever you want at least it's not like the downstairs food court at Grand Central.
carpy22 t1_iy2emcc wrote
You mean the completely closed off seats and roped off benches?
thisisntmineIfoundit t1_iy2fc9e wrote
Haven’t been there since I last had folks in town but typically the tables in the food court downstairs were…60%+ occupied by homeless. Plus the few rummaging through the bins.
If they’ve corrected that, perhaps during / post covid that’s great.
carpy22 t1_iy2idsg wrote
It's not great, it completely fucks over commuters that want to grab something to eat before a train, which is what the dining concourse is built for. It's intentionally turning wide swaths of the station into a closed off area at the detriment of commuter convenience.
thisisntmineIfoundit t1_iy2ix5g wrote
You mean they just don’t let anyone use it at all? Even if you’ve bought something?
carpy22 t1_iy2jcmu wrote
No, seating has been physically closed off behind locked gates and roped off areas, which has directly negatively impacted me quite a few times recently when wanting to grab something to eat before getting on Metro North to head to Westchester. Maybe when East Side Access opens they'll reopen the seating in the Dining Concourse since one of the main paths to get to the LIRR will be that way but for now it's been intentionally turned into a shell of it's former self.
thisisntmineIfoundit t1_iy2kh57 wrote
This is a perfect example of policies being too lax (sleep here all day, go through trash, whatever!) until the inevitable harsh over correction.
Curious who made this call and why…if I had to guess it’s similar to why some theft prone Walgreens have security guards that don’t stop you from stealing - theft insurance requires a guard but liability insurance does not want that guard to lay a finger on anyone. This is Grand Central’s version of deodorant locked behind plastic.
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RolandDeepson t1_iy3kipw wrote
Ok. Wherever the next foodservice area gets built, make sure to intentionally refuse to install any seating. Standing-height tables are fine, but no seating.
Lemme know what intended-customer groups think of that after 6 months.
[deleted] t1_iy3ogr3 wrote
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RolandDeepson t1_iy3ybq2 wrote
Your comment was asinine before I commented, and your reply here is also off base.
I hope you have a pleasant day.
Wowzlul t1_iy5dlgj wrote
> What is the intended group for a… checks notes… busy train station?
Every big intercity train station I've ever used in Europe has some sit down dining.
[deleted] t1_iy5l0aj wrote
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Tough_Wear_5839 t1_iy355ma wrote
Nope, no access. Security guards stand there. . I used to enjoy sitting there with a coffee while waiting for my train. I guess if they open it up it returns to been a mostly homeless encampment. Shame really.
pm_me_your_rack2 t1_iy2une8 wrote
Of course they do. Not sure where other commenters are coming from, tbh. The food court at Moynihan is not and has not been roped off or closed off behind gates. Perhaps others saw it while these areas were still under construction.
That being said, there isn’t much seating at Moynihan.
thisisntmineIfoundit t1_iy3flgi wrote
We were talking about grand central
Pennwisedom t1_iy3jm9m wrote
"Grand Central" which they're talking about, is a weird way to spell, "Moynihan."
Slggyqo t1_iy3b33e wrote
Virtually all of the chairs in the dining concourse are gone now except for the dedicated seating areas for a few restaurants.
finebydesign t1_iy3tu0u wrote
I haven't been there in years ( I guess covid). My friend told me that the dining concourse is terrible now. I used to think it was a swanky place.
Slggyqo t1_iy3v9we wrote
It’s changed a bit over the last 5 years I guess?
There’s an entryway from the Dining Concourse to the new Grand Central LIRR platforms, so I expect foot traffic will will be up significantly in 2023.
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Beren87 t1_iy4oypr wrote
Tell me you’ve never left the US without telling me.
[deleted] t1_iy8isku wrote
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603er t1_iy6x9si wrote
Oh man you’ve never been to Vancouver have you.
Klaxonwang t1_iy8hp9k wrote
Watching Seoul station right now, and this made me laugh.
thisisntmineIfoundit t1_iy5608a wrote
What countries are you referring to, specifically?
app4that t1_iy2486q wrote
A nice and clean looking public area in NYC but nobody can sit down? Yeah, I’ll take it.
JuliaMac65 t1_iy27kgg wrote
It’s a train station
jolygoestoschool t1_iy28wny wrote
There is in fact a waiting room for passangers
AirlineFlyer t1_iy3cqtn wrote
It’s tiny and if you read the article you’d see it not always open
remorselessfrost t1_iy22mml wrote
I'm guessing because this makes 1) cleaning easier 2) loitering difficult 3) traffic flow faster.
Shawn_NYC t1_iy25awi wrote
It's to keep out the homeless.
smoonyc t1_iy38lc9 wrote
Good. It’s not a shelter.
Dracomarine t1_iy4bhtv wrote
Bad, I want to sit down to wait for my damn train and not everyone can stand for that long.
Instead of picking the simplest punitive choice, lets actually have some real solutions for the problem.
smoonyc t1_iy4wvpd wrote
If you have a ticket, sit in the waiting area for ticketed passengers. Problem solved.
Dracomarine t1_iy4yolc wrote
Or, alternatively, we can put out benches in a train station like every other civilized society on this planet. Problem solved.
sutisuc t1_iy25wgi wrote
Yup. Hostile architecture. Absolutely no mystery
burnshimself t1_iy2mirh wrote
You make it sound like such a terrible idea. Old Penn Station is an open air mental hospital. They were specifically trying not to repeat that
finebydesign t1_iy3u7bk wrote
I'm all for keeping them out. Airports do it. If anything allowing vagrants to shack up all over our public transportation just disperses a serious problem.
Tylerwherdyougo t1_iy2bk39 wrote
Can confirm it’s to keep out homeless, I take long breaks here from work in the seating area. It says for customers only but I don’t buy anything. I’ve done this 30 times or so and never been kicked out but typically see a homeless person being kicked out everytime im there.
valies t1_iy28dg9 wrote
There is a sitting area for ticketed passengers.
megreads781 t1_iy2a4y3 wrote
The problem I had is when I was picking up my daughter her train was hours late. It was 10 pm and I didn’t have a ticket myself. I couldn’t use the area or sit on the floor. It’s annoying
jerlawber t1_iy6i2ll wrote
It’s amazing to me how trains can be “hours late” in this country. I used to ride NJ transit a lot and it was hilarious how they just stop and sit at random and turn a 10 mile trip into a 1hr+ slog. I have a friend in Switzerland who was a conductor for years and said that the ONLY reason a train will be delayed there is because someone jumped in front of one, and even still it’ll be a shorter delay than the one caused by a passenger with a stomachache on Amtrak or MTA.
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counterfeitemotions t1_iy2b88y wrote
that fills up and closes early lmao
Competitive_Air_6006 t1_iy2jttu wrote
You’ve clearly not arrived early or waited for someone at this transit station. Try carrying a heavy bag with your ticket and being forced to run around this crazy place up & down lots of stairs-and I’m in shape - while looking for a place to sit. I am so disappointed, it isn’t functional at all.
avd706 t1_iy3syxb wrote
Sit on the bags
ewokfinale t1_iy38vgx wrote
You would think NYC would calculate how many passengers are waiting for a train at peak times and build accordingly, but I have never found seating there even during lighter days I've traveled.
oreosfly t1_iy2e00w wrote
There are no chairs there, so there's nowhere to sit. Put chairs there, the homeless will take it over and the chairs won't be suitable for sitting.
"Same shit, different toilet" if you ask me. Sue me.
k1lk1 t1_iy3apc7 wrote
It would be very simple and straightforward to issue a no loitering policy. Would its enforcement be necessarily subjective? Of course. Who cares. Show your ticket if asked, and leave if you're a vagrant.
Curated spaces exist in the city, ever wonder why there are basically no vagrants in the Schwarzman building?
Moynihan is awful because we don't have the balls to stand up to the screeching idiots who want to require absolutely nothing from homeless vagrants. Let them do whatever they want.
avd706 t1_iy3slms wrote
Lol
thebruns t1_iy4b4zf wrote
Bullshit. Boston has chairs. Newark has chairs. Philly has chairs. Theyre all usable.
mozzbitch t1_iy2bago wrote
omg i was there it was a nightmare. the screens didn’t update with the track we had to go to, and i couldn’t understand the announcement for shit. we just followed the horde of people
bobamuel t1_iy2hort wrote
If you wait in the ticketed seating area, a worker will come around and announce the track before it's posted on the boards.
mozzbitch t1_iy3pjfm wrote
omg thank you!
pton12 t1_iy2gt3q wrote
Next time you should download the Amtrak app so that you can get the gate/track updates directly!
karmapuhlease t1_iya5xtv wrote
Those still don't get added until very late though. I was pretty nervous taking the Acela a few weeks ago - it didn't update until about 3 minutes before the scheduled departure time (app and screens updated at the same time).
pton12 t1_iya62vi wrote
Yeah, your mileage may vary. I took a train on Thurs and it updated it ~20-25min before departure
Wowzlul t1_iy5d79y wrote
Tbh Old Penn is a much easier experience for boarding Amtrak. I'll take the junky basement thanks.
Big, up-to-date screens everywhere, quick access to the tracks, no gigantic queue, shops all around you...
mozzbitch t1_iy5eg7h wrote
i agree! i usually take njt and it’s way easier to get to my train. i was so tight there’s a million huge screens at moynihan but they’re all for ads!
Wowzlul t1_iy5eq87 wrote
Moynihan could be really nice but they keep trying to turn it into Oculus 2.0 where you're not allowed to sit on the floor, the wayfinding and track info is obscured by advertising, and the shops are all "up market."
STMBK73 t1_iy69fsx wrote
The "up market" drives me nuts. There is no place to grab-and-go a normal dinner or snack. All of the food court restaurants are so upscale you need to queue for them to make you a $18 sandwich or $20 salad. FFS, I have a train to catch! If you don't plan ahead your only option is Duane Reade.
Wowzlul t1_iy6i4gw wrote
Pre-renovation Penn was superior in this regard. Plenty of cheap eats and quick stuff to go.
SwampYankee t1_iy3eg4m wrote
There is a ticket holders lounge in the hall. If you have a ticket, you can sit in there. It is strictly enforced so you are immune from the roving packs of deranged homeless. There are no seats because NYPD and the MTA have surrendered the system to the deranged homeless. They would rather have our trains and stations be insane asylums rather than evict the vagrants. Please don't ask me for compassion or solutions. My compassion left 3 murders ago, 14 stabbings and 9 people thrown in front of trains ago. I don't care where they send the deranged homeless. Put them in firehouses, police stations, lobbies of luxury buildings, Citifiled. I simply don't care. I am a simple commuter and commuters have borne the entire burden of the deranged homeless for far too long. It is someone else's turn. What ever compassion or services you want to offer please do it at the exit of the system. Escort the vagrants out of the system, by force if necessary, and then start any interaction you like. Just leave me out. I've done my time and I am more than entitled to clean, safe, transportation. Not my problem anymore.
avd706 t1_iy3sc6w wrote
#PREACH
thebruns t1_iy4bbcb wrote
>There is a ticket holders lounge in the hall.
I would simply read the article that explains how the ticketed room closes early and at random.
SwampYankee t1_iy4et22 wrote
So do the bathrooms and the food court. MTA doesn't care. Never did. If they cared they would not have built a station WHERE HALF THE LIRR TRACKS don't exist! Who builds a train station when the tracks are 2 blocks away? In related news the MTA once again missed hteir goal for East Side Access. It was promised in 2022. Nope, delayed until at least 2023.
waukeecla t1_iy3rr99 wrote
>Elyse Stoner, who arrived around 90 minutes before her train to Philadelphia on Tuesday evening
No one complains about the lack of seats in Penn, because no one shows 90 minutes beofre their train! This mindset is from airplane travel and from nerves of long distance travel. There is no need to arrive early, I promise you Amtrak will never arrive BEFORE the posted time
lupuscapabilis t1_iy4ezpa wrote
But you're forgetting those of us who have to take public transportation just to get to Moynihan. I shoot to get there an hour early just in case of the usual subway delays.
[deleted] t1_iy4ispl wrote
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thebruns t1_iy4b24c wrote
Amtrak tells you to arrive a full hour early if you have a bag.
>When should I arrive at the station?
>Unless you're taking the Auto Train, plan to arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled departure. If you need assistance with baggage and/or ticketing, we recommend you arrive 60 minutes early.
irishdancer2 t1_iy4f1h6 wrote
“If you need assistance with baggage” is not the same thing as “If you have a bag.”
thebruns t1_iy4fhla wrote
Someone riding Amtrak for the first time is probably not familiar with how bags work and what needing assistance means
AnacharsisIV t1_iy4ptwo wrote
How fucking complicated can a bag be? There's one hole in the top and you put your shit in it and carry it around via the handle.
thebruns t1_iy4q9jl wrote
Feel free to browse r/amtrak where luggage questions are asked every other day
avd706 t1_iy3s2bx wrote
No one wasted to sit down in such a fancy shit hole. Do they are least keep the homies and emotionally disturbed away?
TeamMisha t1_iy2kkea wrote
The chair thing still gets harped on when Penn does not have public seating either outside of the LIRR and Amtrak ticketed waiting room and within restaurants. No shit they don't want homeless people. Yeah it would be nice to be able to sit while I wait for a train on the general concourse but it's not my biggest gripe with the station tbh. I agree the waiting room should be bigger and be 24/7 and add some kind of way for family member or anyone waiting for someone on an arriving train (not that hard to tell apart someone waiting vs a bum).
My bigger gripes are that the main area IMO should have been designed with dedicated queue space near each escalator so it's not a free for all, and perhaps have built even more escalators if possible. They could have maybe been more bold and lower the entire concourse to be closer to track level so it's quicker to get to the platform. The platform width I know remains the big problem which I'm annoyed this project did nothing to address.
lupuscapabilis t1_iy4f911 wrote
>The chair thing still gets harped on when Penn does not have public seating either outside of the LIRR and Amtrak ticketed waiting room and within restaurants. No shit they don't want homeless people
Why is Philly able to supply plenty of seating in their station without the homeless problem?
lets_go_whale t1_iy4j7mm wrote
Probably thanks to location mainly. 30th Street Station is located relatively more removed from the most crowded areas of Philly whereas Moynihan/Penn is smack dab in the busiest part of the busiest city in the country where homeless tend to coalesce.
TeamMisha t1_iy5y5ke wrote
What do you mean without? Maybe it changed but I used to be in that station almost daily maybe about 4-5 years ago and there was plenty of them. I never encountered any as crazy as the ones in Penn but there were certainly plenty of folks sleeping in there on the benches. But yeah maybe it has changed in more recent history
avd706 t1_iy3shfa wrote
Only way to realistically wooden the platforms is to eliminate tracks.
sternfan1523 t1_iy29zc1 wrote
it's really nice in there and there is a food hall with plenty of seating for customers.
Rhaynebow t1_iy2gfw2 wrote
I feel for her complaints, but it’s a train station, you’re not expected to be there long enough that a ton of seating areas are needed. It’s not an airport where you get there a few hours before departure. I’d much rather pop a squat on the floor at Moynihan than Penn because at least that place isn’t a dingy dungeon that smells like piss.
iv2892 t1_iy29nif wrote
People will just look for something to complain , is it a nice station
ike_tyson t1_iy3jeuf wrote
They don't want you getting too comfy, they want everyone to keep it moving.
I get it and I understand.
darthTharsys t1_iy3wk8s wrote
People always complain about this but it's a nice clean station and you don't need to arrive so early before a trip on a train. Yes it's clearly designed to keep people moving and keep others from sitting and camping out. So what.
W00DERS0N t1_iy3k222 wrote
Does the secret entrance trick still work? Stairs to the lower level by the Wells Fargo ATM? My now wife was amazed when I showed it to her. Drops you way back on the train too so you have more seating options.
k1lk1 t1_iy3qfw6 wrote
Yo, where?
W00DERS0N t1_iy4tst2 wrote
Walk in to Penn from 7th ave under the MSG sign. Walk dead straight past the NJT stuff to where the Amtrak waiting room area is (was? haven't been on the train in a while).
Before you get to the oval you have to walk around, there is a Wells Fargo ATM, and next to it an ancient CRT monitor with trains and tracks. Go down the stairs there to the lower level once you find your track, and there you can take the middle corridor (Hilton Corridor?) to the stairs nearer you than Moynihan.
See this map. It's the third map as you walk into the station, then the 4th one when you get downstairs. Handicapped elevators are a good trick, too.
gzrrt t1_iy3mp4s wrote
I prefer to just skip the massive line, and board under the old Amtrak area at Penn as soon as they announce the track
HarrietWelsch t1_iy527d8 wrote
I traveled Wednesday morning and had the best experience. I got my coffee fast from Blue Bottle, they lined us up at the escalator, and they organized passengers by destination, so I ended up in a sleeper car for the journey down.
Shout out to the southeast corridor superintendent. The man’s a genius.
ansky201 t1_iy3hdtl wrote
I'm taking NJ Transit to Penn station next weekend and I'll be traveling with young kids. So, inevitably they will probably need to use the restroom. Are there any restrooms that are at least somewhat decent and won't be filled with homeless people, like in a designated ticketed area? A neighbor told me that the NJT concourse isn't too bad.
keesbrahh t1_iy3mnke wrote
Yeah the bathrooms are fine. Moynihan is fine. Its not really as bad as the people on the internet or the news makes it out to be.
waukeecla t1_iy3r8sh wrote
There's two bathrooms in Moyinhan that are nice, but only like 8 stalls. On either side of the food hall, one IN the food hall (mid 33rd street, lower level) and then one bathroom on the south side near Duane Reade (mid 32nd street).
There are bathrooms that are bigger in penn but during a rush they can get really busy. It's in the "big room" where the large timetable board used to be, SE corner of 33rd and 8th.
Than there's the tiniest bathroom ever in the NJ transit waiting area, probably not the best if you have kids because it's like 3 stalls.
waukeecla t1_iy3rceq wrote
but again, penn and moynihan are not nearly as bad as anyone makes it seem. I'm there nearly everyday and it's quite nice
PM-Nice-Thoughts t1_iy3sp8p wrote
I can't speak for in Moynihan but in the old Penn the bathrooms in the NJTransit concourse are usually OK.
thebruns t1_iy4bkbj wrote
(Men)
NJT 7th ave waiting area has 2 stalls, 4 urinals, medium sized seating area
LIRR waiting area has like 10 urinals, cant remember the stalls, small seating area
NJT 8th ave waiting area (old Amtrak) has the most seating, 10 or so urinals, 5 stalls.
Moynihan does not have access to all tracks that NJT uses
brookemeinhalf t1_iy4cwb7 wrote
It's a mad house, but you have to come prepared knowing that *shrug*
mbonaccors t1_iy4vuf9 wrote
The lines and stress are entirely due to the “first come, first serve” seating strategy on the non-business class trains. If they did reserved seating on all the trains and let latecomers fill in afterwards then nobody would care to be in the front of the line.
There’s plenty of space for everyone’s bags and such no matter when you board, unlike a plane. If you are traveling with a spouse or friend of course you’d want to sit together but most people are trying to get in early to try and get a window seat and put their stuff on the aisle seats to prevent having to sit next to someone.
Farrell-Mars t1_iy56hvo wrote
Typical NYC braindead design.
Put seats in a train hall?
Why I never!
azspeedbullet t1_iy22mmj wrote
this is why we cant have nice things
[deleted] t1_iy31cn3 wrote
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Bubbly_Yak4159 t1_iy3pmzm wrote
Welcome to New York.
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Dddddddfried t1_iy3yrcw wrote
I just don’t understand why there aren’t any ticket machines in the downstairs area by the actual LIRR trains. Why should I have to go upstairs from the subway to buy a ticket at one of only two machines just to go back down stairs? Horribly inefficient, which seems like an important detail for one of the busiest train station in the country
HelllllloooooPerson t1_iy4d0p7 wrote
its obvious they just dont want homeless people haning out and living in the seated areas
lupuscapabilis t1_iy4etfm wrote
As someone who travels for work between there and Philly a lot, it is odd how different the 2 stations are. I get that they're different cities and different sizes and all that, but when I get to Philly, I walk outside right to a waiting cab 99% of the time, something that seems difficult here.
Leaving from Philly, there are plenty of streets at the Amtrak station, a big board in the middle, and no apparent homeless problem.
Sufficient-Aspect77 t1_iy5c0es wrote
An attempt to dissuade the homeless from just living there,I'd imagine. I'm sure there was an actual conversation while they created this place as to the risk vs. reward of no seating. Pro: less homeless sleeping on benches and seat Con: Paying customers have no where to sit outside of restaurants and bars
Sounds good! SCRAP THE BENCHES AND CHAIRS!!!
Vinylcup80 t1_iy338am wrote
I’ve never had a problem getting a seat
Vizualize t1_iy3oa74 wrote
I told you! I told you! I said months ago that the food hall and frankly everything they built over there is too small. At lunch time around 12:30pm on a Tuesday it's busy in Moynihan. I can't even imagine what it's like at holiday prime time.
adk_nlg t1_iy2zvjg wrote
Maybe, like many people from NYC, English is a second language. Get off your high horse.
Healthyred555 t1_iy2jv9i wrote
All i can say about this place, no matter how early i get and ready I am... when the gate is called for the train i somehow end up in back of the line.