Today, Wednesday, February 2nd, is Grand Central Terminal’s 109th birthday, and the shops are helping them celebrate. Visit the below stores and eateries in Grand Central to take advantage of one-day-only deals* that either celebrate Grand Central’s age (109 years) or our birthday (1913)!

Café Grumpy: 8oz drip coffee is $1.09
Central Cellars: bottle of Banshee Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2019 or O.P.P. Other People Pinot Noir is $19.13 each
Doughnut Plant: Grand Central–exclusive GCT mini doughnuts are $1.09 each
Grand Central Watch: 18mm nylon straps (in various colors) are $1.09 each
Li-Lac Chocolates: a 9-piece truffle box is $19.13, and caramel squares are $1.09 each
Pescatore Seafood Company: jumbo lump crab cakes are $19.13 for 2 pieces
Spices and Tease: Indian spice trio – 1 pouch of Madras curry, 1 pouch of turmeric, and 1 pouch of Garam Masala – is $10.90

Grand Central Terminal’s construction lasted for ten years (from 1903 – 1913). The building was designed by a Francophile architect named Whitney Warren, who wanted to bring a whole lot of Parisian flair to New York City with his Beaux-Arts style.

Did you know 750,000 people pass through the station every day. That’s almost half the current population of Manhattan. The space occupies 48 acres.

The station has very few stairs, relying on a network of ramps. There are 2,500 stars painted on the ceiling; roughly sixty electric bulbs add to the twinkling effect of the stars. The constellations, with the exception of Orion, are painted backwards. The star-spangled ceiling  is 125 feet high.

During the filming of a scene in The Fisher King (1991), 400 extras waltzed around the main concourse from the evening until the first trains arrived at 5:30 the following morning.

Grand Central is the setting for the opening scenes of Gossip Girl.

In Alfred Hitchcock’s classic North by Northwest, Cary Grant makes an amazing escape through the terminal. Like The Fisher King, this scene was filmed at night to prevent disruptions to train service.

In Superman (1978), Clark Kent battles Lex Luthor, whose hideout is located under the terminal.

At the very end of Francis Ford Coppola’s Cotton Club, Richard Gere and Diane Lane escape their mobster lives through Grand Central.

Fire Power, starring Sophia Loren, was also filmed in Grand Central.

Tonight Chanukah starts at sundown. The word Hanukkah means ‘rededication’ and commemorates the Jews’ struggle for religious freedom when, according to legend, the leaders of a Jewish rebel army called the Maccabees rose up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt of 167 BC (BCE).King Antiochus had taken over the Second Temple in Jerusalem and soon after ordered an altar to Zeus to be erected. Judaism was prohibited, circumcision was banned and pigs were ordered to be sacrificed at the altar.The Jewish rebellion that followed was led by Judah Maccabee, (or Y’hudhah HaMakabi, meaning “Judah the Hammer”).The uprising spanned three years until the Maccabees gained control of Jerusalem.They wanted to rededicate the desecrated temple, but could find only one container of the sacred oil they needed which had the seal of the high priest still intact.Judaism’s central text the Talmud, dictates only pure olive oil with the seal of the high priest can be used for the Hanukkah. The candelabrum is required to burn throughout the night every night but although there was only enough oil for one day, the candles miraculously stayed alight for eight days – the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of kosher oil for the menorah. This event became known as ‘the miracle of the oil’ and is now marked  with an eight-day festiva

l.

Is it Chanukah or Hanukkah? In Hebrew, Hanukkah is pronounced with the letter ‘chet’. The letter “H” makes the closest sound. So both names work.

We here at T2C wish you a holiday of lights, hope and health.

Get ready for something big in the Big Apple!

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYC & Company has officially launched NYC Hotel Week with the start of reservations available at nycgo.com/hotelweek.

“I am thrilled to announce the return of NYC Hotel Week, offering deals of a lifetime to an array of hotels across the City,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “NYC Hotel Week kicks off the start of NYC & Company’s NYC Winter Outing Program, combining NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Must-See Week, and NYC Hotel Week. Whether you want to catch one of our world-class attractions, dine at the finest restaurants or unwind at our luxurious hotels, New York City has it all right here in our backyard, across all five boroughs. Our city is open for reservations, so book yours today!”

Returning for its second year, NYC Hotel Week will run from January 3 through February 12, 2023, offering 23% savings off standard room rates at more than 140 hotels across all five boroughs, with additional properties expected to join.

Presented by preferred payment partner Mastercard, NYC Hotel Week 2023 participating hotels include Hard Rock Hotel New York; Lotte New York Palace; The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel; The Hoxton, Williamsburg; The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue; New York Marriott Marquis; The William Vale; Radio Hotel; The Opera House Hotel, The Rockaway Hotel; Hilton Garden Inn New York/Staten Island and more.

“NYC Hotel Week offers the best values of the year for travelers looking to visit the five boroughs or for New Yorkers treating themselves to staycations,” said Fred Dixon, President and CEO of NYC & Company.”

Hard Rock Hotel New York

The start of NYC Hotel Week reservations marks the countdown to the return of NYC Winter Outing, NYC & Company’s annual citywide value program. NYC Winter Outing, now in its fourth year, celebrates the City’s winter season with offers from NYC & Company’s signature programs: NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Must-See Week, and for the second year, NYC Hotel Week. NYC Winter Outing, which will run from January 17 through February 12, 2023, will combine deals across all five boroughs on dining, Broadway shows, attractions, museums, tours, performing arts and hotels. Bookings for NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week and NYC Must-See Week will open to the general public on January 10 at nycgo.com/winterouting.

New York City – there is simply no where better to be in the world!

“I used to have this girlfriend known as Elsie
With whom I shared for sordid rooms in Chelsea
She wasn’t what you’d call a blushing flower
As a matter of fact she rented by the hour”

They advertise that “For more than 40 years, Liberty Inn has been the destination for New York City couples seeking an intimate yet vibrant setting where they can lose themselves in love. You won’t find any resemblance here to the traditional image of by-the-hour hotels. Even more important – you won’t find that boring sameness of standard hotel rooms. Instead you’ll find modern, lively, colorful rooms filled with lots of features that are tailor-made for romance. Whether it’s for a few hours or an overnight stay, our rooms are unique, with an romantic atmosphere that leads to those moments of playfulness, tenderness and passion.

Liberty Inn, located at 51 10th Ave., (between 13th and 14th streets) is now for sale, ofr more than $20 million according to The New York Times.

Expect lip-shaped headboards, fancy sex chairs, and rates for two and six-hour stays ($95 and $155).

An overnight stay costs  $200-$250, depending on the room.

The owner told the NYT it was harder to keep a place like an hourly hotel in a neighborhood that has become more and more expensive.