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Matt Lauer Goes Underground for "Secret" Train Car
By
Jen Chung
Published May 8, 2008
Modified May 8, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 8, 2008
Modified May 8, 2008
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First NBC announces it's starting a 24-hour local NYC news channel yesterday--a possible competitor to NY1-- and now Matt Lauer is invading the turf of NYC TV's Kelly Choi by heading to the "secret subway station" under the Waldorf-Astoria!
In the Today's show "Access Granted"series, the Today show personalities are getting behind-the-scenes looks at private places (Meredith Vieira visited the Vice-President's mansion yesterday and Al Roker visited the Malstrom Air Force base on Tuesday). Today's segment is near and dear to the hearts of NYC transit geeks, who know about Track 61, off Grand Central's Metro North tracks.
The unused tracks were meant for guests with private train cars to enter the Waldorf Astoria hotel directly--a special perk for VIPs. This entrance was used by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, to discreetly enter the Waldorf-Astoria hotel without people knowing he had polio. The video segment is a good look inside, but for those wanting a little more information, Trainjotting has some more details, like how Andy Warhol held a party there!
Tagged
FDR
matt lauer
metro north
nyc transit
subway
waldorf astoria
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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