Penn Station -- Pre 1990s

Kelly&Kelly wrote: Nedicks.

What ever happened to them? I used to actually like the orange drink and hot dogs they had.

ah yes, new york before giuliani secretly had most of the homeless and street population killed.

The Alchemist (shudder) is old enough to remember the Gimbel's Passageway before the low-lifes took over all our public spaces. It used to be fun to walk through and look at the Gimbel's windows. In those days nobody had reason to feel unsafe in a place like that.

Kelly and Kelly - I can remember getting in from Florida late one night during the 80's and having to wait for a 3-something AM train. I remember pulling my suitcase up and perching on top of a row of those seedy seats that ringed the walls around that alcove at the bottom of the stairs (the "main" waiting area?) --- because the rats kept running along the walls, under the seats.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the old LIRR information booth that stood out in the middle of the concourse.

Now that you mention it, so am I. I always got a kick out of watching two lines, ten deep, of people asking for the track number of their train, which was posted, but wanting to hear it from a person. A passenger would just say Amityville, or Douglaston, or Valley Stream, or Northport, and the answer would come back instantly: departure time, track number. It happened so fast that the lines almost never stopped moving. I couldn't say my Social Security number in the time those guys would answer.

Good times.

That sure is different from today, when it's a stampede once the track number goes up on the board.

Head-end View wrote:I'm surprised nobody mentioned the old LIRR information booth that stood out in the middle of the concourse.

Anyone can post a picture of this goodie?

...Then there was the information clerk who would send the obviously overly-feminine-appearing men on a Friday afternoon to the Sayville trains -- before their mentioning a station -- for the boats to Cherry Grove.

Late 1960's

Undated, possible Late 1960's

1982 Mugging

January 18, 1987

Okay, from the top, first photo I agree is late 1960's or early 70's (from the short skirts). LOL Second photo looks much older like 1950's as a guess. Third photo looks like plainclothes police action, not a mugging. Can't figure the location though.........if it's Penn, I don't recognize the spot.

jamestrains1 thanks for posting. Agree first photo c.1968+ second photo c.1958+ as all the Men have hat's prior to the JFK era 3rd photo plains clothes police doing a pat-down $th shot in Penn due to signage?

Awesome pics jamestrains! Thanks!

My apologies, as I did not include sources of the images, which should help identify the correct dates.

Late 1960's
Photo
With my team-mate, right hand and treasured colleague, Lou Duro, in Penn Station, NYC. We were testing the idea of having attractive women capture the attention of the commuters to provide timely information.
Hank Boerner
http://hankboerner.com/biography/photoalbum.stm

U̶n̶d̶a̶t̶e̶d̶,̶ ̶p̶o̶s̶s̶i̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶L̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶1̶9̶6̶0̶'̶s circa 1945
[Long Island Railroad Concourse in Pennsylvania Station.]
DATE:ca. 1945
A. F. Sozio
Museum of the City of New York

1̶9̶8̶2̶ ̶M̶u̶g̶g̶i̶n̶g 1982
Penn Station and a Gun
Keating was 26 years old and teaching himself to use a camera when he stumbled on a drug bust.
Photo: Edward Keating/Contact Press Images
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/03/new-york-after-midnight.html

January 18, 1987
Do not enter
It's an unfamiliar sight: Penn Station is nearly empty on Jan. 18, 1987. One man is seen sweeping up at the Manhattan transit hub.
(Credit: Tom Kitts )
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/towns/lirr-strikes-in-1987-1994-1.8563945 (paywall)