Growing up in Connecticut, I have always had a certain bias against New York City. That’s right, against. It’s because I come from the central part of Connecticut, not the part that considers itself a borough of New York.

The city’s reputation as a dangerous place has changed over the years and I can confidently say the thought of a trip there no longer leads to feelings of dread or the need to tap into raw survival instinct.

Another stereotype of New York is the dirt and grime. Everywhere. This old image has also improved over the years and nowhere is that more apparent than in the new (one year old) Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station.

It is clean, modern, sleek. For some reason, it is also quiet. Something about the cavernous space keeps people from raising their voices.

If Steve Jobs had designed a train station, it might have ended up looking something like this.

The new train hall is the result of the $1.6 billion adaptive re-use of the former James Farley Post Office, one of the architectural gems of New York City. At the center of the renovation is a one acre glass covered atrium that once served as the main mail sorting area. It is 92 feet high at its peak.

It reminds me of the glass atrium at the center of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

In mid-February, the space was well-lighted and warm. The signs are bold, easy to read and easy to understand. It takes little work to figure out where you are supposed to be to buy a ticket or find your train.

New Yorkers seem generally satisfied with the results, but there have been complaints about a lack of seating in the main hall. There is plenty of seating on different levels for ticketed passengers, but politicians, on behalf of their constituents, are now demanding that the design be altered to provide for seating on the main floor.

This may add comfort for travelers, but may detract from the intended design which was publicly reviewed many times before the project went forward.

For those who do not travel often, train stations and airports can be confusing and even scary places.

The new Moynihan Train Hall does a good job of addressing those issues with open space, natural light and well-ordered space that reduces the chaos most travelers expect when they enter a busy transportation hub.

Here is a link to a complete report on details of the Train Hall project from the Engineering News-Record.