Introduction#

Good morning! It’s February 2nd, 2025, and welcome to “Here’s a Minute”, a short-form podcast with history, fun facts, and a prompt in a minute — or maybe two. I’m Vian Vera.

Historical Fact#

And I’m Lex Wu. On February 2nd, 1913, Grand Central Terminal opened for the first time. Vanderbilt built it to compete directly with Penn Station, but usage waned over time. There were calls to demolish the station due to increasing car usage. After Penn Station was demolished, however, the train terminal became protected, ensuring that everyone can enjoy walking down 17 flights of stairs to catch a Long Island-bound train for generations to come.

And, at that point, just use Atlantic Terminal or Penn Station.

Fun Fact#

In 1937, a newsreel house called Grand Central Theatre opened where passengers waiting for the train could watch the news, shorts, or cartoons. It is now a wine shop called Central Cellars Wines & Spirits

Also, this station is featured in Dreamwork’s film Madagascar, where Marty tries to catch a train out of New York.

Writing Prompts#

• You’ve just visited the station, and you’re seeing the roof of the building, cladded with constellations. How did you get here?
• Write an action scene, using the environment to your character’s advantage (or disadvantage)! Do your enemies know the station, or do you? Will you trip down 17 flights of stairs? The answer is yours.

Outro#

Our online portal is (hopefully) now online! Submit your stories, and we’ll figure out what to do with them later.

This podcast was written and hosted by Vian Vera and Lex Wu. We’ll see you next week.