Author: Site Adminstrator
7 hacks to make the most of NYC’s Moynihan Train Hall
Everybody has an opinion about how early to arrive at the airport, and we won’t wade into that debate. But we will staunchly insist that it’s worth getting to the train station a little early when you’re traveling out of Moynihan Train Hall beautiful station is absolutely packed with local spots worth visiting.
Here are seven hacks for how to make the most of your time while you wait for your Amtrak or LIRR train to arrive.
RECOMMENDED: Moynihan Train Hall in New York City: The ultimate guide to this major transit hub
1. Don’t worry about eating beforehand
If you were rushing to pack and ran out of time to eat lunch (guilty), don’t worry. There are more than a dozen actually good options for eating at Moynihan Food Hall. To name a few, there’s Maman, Pastrami Queen, Alidoro, Naya, Jacob’s Pickles, E.A.K. Ramen, Lovepop, The Irish Exit, Yono Sushi by BondSt, and Vesuvio Bakery. If you’re running really late, the line at H&H Bagels is usually not too long, and you can grab a bagel for the train.
2. Pick up a gift while you’re there
Let’s say you’re traveling to your friend’s bachelorette party in Philadelphia, your college roommate’s wedding in Chicago, or your cousin’s graduation in Washington, D.C. and you forgot to get a gift. Don’t sweat it.
There are several shops where you can put together a very cute and very New York gift that nobody will know was purchased at the last minute. For that bachelorette party, grab some perfume at Malin+Goetz and pair it with a couple of beers from Threes Brewing. For the wedding, contribute to their honeymoon fund and pick up a few beach reads at Gotham News to go with it. Finally, for the graduation, buy a backpack at Rains and fill it with a few Moleskine notebooks. Done and done.
3. Find some peace and quiet
Need to listen in on a Zoom call while you wait for your train? The food hall can be pretty loud, so grab your luggage and head upstairs where you’ll follow signs for the Farley Building. This gorgeous Post Office building is usually pretty quiet, meaning you’ll actually be able to hear the person on the other line. Just to be clear, though, this isn’t a spot to sit down and take a call. It’s more of a walk-and-talk zone for a quick call.
4. Take in a little art and history while you wait
Banish boredom by checking out the lovely art exhibit across from the Moleskine store, then peek at historic Penn Station photos inside the Amtrak Baggage Claim area near the food hall. Inside there, you’ll see an apt quote from Daniel Patrick Moynihan that reads: “In the old time, you arrived at Penn Station at the train platform. You went up the stairs to heaven. Make that Manhattan. And we shall have it again. Praise all.”
5. Seating is limited, but you can find it
Seating is a hot topic here. There’s a ticketed passenger waiting lounge with seating, and there are plenty of tables and chairs in the food court. But there are no seats or benches near the actual boarding areas—and if you sit on the floor, you’ll likely be told to move. Officials say that’s to help with circulation and flow in the terminal, but critics have called it hostile architecture.
If you happen to have first-class tickets, sleeping car accommodations, or certain reward levels, you’ll get access to the Metropolitan Lounge, which offers plentiful seating.
6. Know where to go when you’ve got to go
There are several spacious and usually clean bathrooms in Moynihan, but they can get quite busy. The least busy one is on the second floor across from the Metropolitan Lounge on the 31st Street side.
7. When you get back home to NYC, treat yourself
After your travels when you’ve finally arrived back home in New York City, treat yourself before you even leave the station. There’s Magnolia Bakery, Davey’s Ice Cream, and La Maison du Chocolat for some sweet treats. And grab yourself a bouquet at Damselfly Flowers while you’re at it.
The Clover Club team is opening a spirit-forward saloon next door
Clover Club has always been loftier than a self-proclaimed “neighborhood bar”—the standard-bearing cocktail parlor from mixology matriarch Julie Reiner (Pegu Club, Flatiron Lounge) is a regular of the World’s Best 50 Bars list, currently sitting pretty at a solid number 46 in all of North America. And now the iconic Carroll Gardens bar is expanding with a sibling drinkery next door.
RECOMMENDED: The 50 best bars in NYC right now for classic cocktails, craft beer and expert wine selections
Per Grubstreet, The Saloon at Clover Club will open at 208 Smith Street near Baltic in June, bringing with it a more “casual cocktail experience” than its older sister, as well as private invents and drink-making classes. The expansion plans kind of fell into Reiner’s lap, she told the outlet, saying that the Saloon was born when her landlord called offering her to rent the old comic book store next door to the original bar. The Saloon is the latest bar offering from Reiner, her wife Susan Fedroff and fellow business partners Christine Williams and Tom Macy; the portfolio currently includes the Latin-inspired Leyenda (with Ivy Mix) and the Milady’s remake over in Soho.
In the works for The Saloon will be classic cocktails like the Tuxedo (a martini cousin that traditionally features gin, dry Vermouth, absinthe, orange bitters and maraschino) and a Champagne Cobbler, which is reminiscent of a Mimosa but usually splashed with pineapple juice. While there will be real-deal saloon doors in the new space, there won’t be table service—that means you’re going to have to mosey on over to the bar to order a drink yourself. Full cocktail menu details are still to come, but we’ll keep you posted on all upcoming intel about this soon-to-open Clover Club companion bar.