Broadside: The Whispering Vault

aT*%IT*%Is & ^ Y U THE WHISPER I NG ^ & VA U L T A N D O T H E R U SECRETS OF GR AND Y & CENTR AL TER MINAL ^ Y U hj ^ & Lesley M. M. Blume U Y & ^ thor n w illow Y U Broadside Library ^ & U Y z%IT*%IT*x

t h e w h i s p e r i n g vau lt and other secrets of grand central terminal

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ew york cit y’s regal Grand Central Terminal, built in 1 9 1 3 , has all sorts of hidden nooks, eccentricities, and secrets–but few are more delightful (and oen overlooked) than the building’s hallowed “whispering vault.”

Located in the subterranean dining concourse ju outside the Oyer Bar & Reaurant, this gallery’s low ceramic arches can carry hushed tones with the clarity of a shout. Hear for yourself: and on one side of the entryway and prop a friend up in the opposite corner. Now, turn around, face the corner, and whisper away. Your friend should be able to hear your voice as though you were anding right next to him. The irony of exchanging whispers in one of the city's busi-

e hubs is what makes this ritual particularly enchanting: you have an audience of thousands, and yet total intimacy.

And here’s the good thing: if you’ve whispered something amorous–such as a marriage proposal –you can ju kip up to the ation’s hioric Biltmore Room (known in the old days as “the kissing room”) or the romantic, hidden Campbell Bar to celebrate with a ngerbowl of Champagne.

On the other hand, if you’ve whispered something terribly scandalous and need to make a hay getaway, a secret network of underground tracks webs out beneath the ation.

aT*%IT*%Is & ^ Y U ^ & U Y & ^ Y U ^ & U Y & ^ Y U ^ & U Y z%IT*%IT*x Visit our Library Gallery of

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