A Secret Train Track Hidden Beneath New York's Bustling City Is A Doorway To The Past

Most New Yorkers would be hard-pressed to describe the metro as a tourist attraction. While undoubtedly iconic and the cheapest way to navigate NYC, the New York Metro is a long way from being the most pleasant or prettiest subway system in the world. Loud and chaotic, usually covered with graffiti, and home to a parade of the full range of the Big Apple's characters, a trip on the metro is a quintessential experience, but not one that would be a high point on many tourist itineraries.

However, there is a secret train track hidden beneath New York's busy streets that's worth going out of your way to find. Track 61 is one of the many now-unused sections of Grand Central Station, but, unlike many other abandoned New York City subway stops, it's supposedly still active — at least, in certain extreme, unusual circumstances.

Stepping through an unmarked, unassuming door on Park Avenue takes you back in time into a shadowy, mysterious world of clandestine government operations and secret presidential getaways. Finding this underground attraction is a challenge, but if you can work out how to get there and arrange a tour, you'll find yourself transported to one of New York's most interesting and lesser-known experiences.

Originally constructed as a storage area for New York Central Railroad trains when they weren't in use, Track 61's location between and beneath Grand Central Station and the Waldorf Astoria meant it quickly became far more than just somewhere unused trains were housed. The Waldorf Hotel bought the rights to the tracks in 1929 and began using it as a private railroad for VIP guests. An enormous elevator connected this subterranean access route to the hotel lobby, and it is said to have been used as a covert way to enter the hotel by all manner of celebrated guests, from military generals to famous celebrities.

Legend had it that Franklin D. Roosevelt used the railroad as a way to hide his increasing disability, having himself driven in his limo onto a specially designed train, carried to the hotel, and then taken up in the freight elevator, car and all. This myth has been debunked, but it is certainly likely that the various presidents who have stayed in the Waldorf's Presidential Suite would have used the railroad to enter securely. It was apparently listed as an official Secret Service 'escape route' as part of the security plans when President George W. Bush, Condeleeza Rice, and Colin Powell held U.N. General Assembly meetings in 2003.

Gaining access to Track 61 is not easy. It isn't open to the public, so unless you're a president, general, or super VIP staying at the Waldorf Astoria, you might be out of luck. That said, Danny Brucker, the former head docent for Metro-North Railroad, occasionally runs private tours, and if you can figure out how to contact him, you may be able to explore this fascinating underground attraction with him as your guide.

Amazingly enough, Track 61 isn't the only hidden gem that lies beneath the glorious facade of Grand Central Station. Thirteen stories beneath the concourse, there's a room that's so secret and secure that it doesn't appear on any map of the city or blueprint of the station building. Known as M42, this space houses electronic converters that power the entire station and much of the rail network. During the Second World War, it was reputedly one of Nazi Germany's most sought-after targets, with spies and saboteurs supposedly sent to take it down.

Grand Central is more than just one of the most recognizable New York City filming locations to visit. The station is also home to a tiny, unheralded library packed with posters, paintings, photographs, and over 3,000 books detailing the history of rail in the U.S. Used almost exclusively by a small group of railway enthusiasts (the New York Railway Enthusiasts) it is a treasure trove for fans of rail travel. Slightly less secret but still very much under the radar is a tennis court, tucked away in the Annex building. Once owned by Donald Trump, it is now open to anyone who wants to play tennis in one of the most unusual spaces around.

Finally, Grand Central plays host to one of the best secret bars in New York City, which, given the Big Apple's predilection for dive bars and speakeasies, is saying something. Grand and gaudy, tricked out in the glamorous, opulent style of the Gilded Age, the Campbell Apartment was once the office of business kingpin John C. Campbell. Now, it serves up exquisite cocktails amid delightfully decadent decor and is the perfect place to get a luxurious drink.