Union Station smells like urine, has a homeless problem, and is half deserted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not so new, actually. The problem is that the rest of DC has turned into Union Station. But Union Station has pretty much always been that way.

It’s been worse the last few years and has fallen off a cliff since COVID. Believe it or not but there was a time when Union Station had high end retail and fine dining.

I remember that time, but the bathrooms were urine-soaked even then.

When was that time? I worked at a restaurant in Union Station during undergrad and it was never a retail or dining destination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has been the case for at least 20 years.

That's utter nonsense. There have been pockets of Union Station that have been scuzzy for 20 years, but now it's like the entire station is gross.

So sad given all the money that went into refurbishing that grand building. At one point it had high-end restaurants, movie theatres, and a robust food court.

Now it's just dark, depressing, and disgusting. My spouse took a train into DC and wanted me to meet her right as her train came into the station, rather than take Metro home. When I say how decrepit it's become, I couldn't blame her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Penn Station says hold my beer.

Yes, last week I was stunned by the number of unhoused people at Union Station until I got off the train in NY and Penn Station was much worse.

"Unhoused people"

[Anonymous]

I was there last week and it didn’t smell at all! Not a lot of places to sit though.

[Anonymous]

Had opposite experience from PP. Had not been to NYC since the refurbished Penn Station opened and was astonished to find that the former armpit of Amtrak was now this pristine marble space age station. However, week later was at Union Station at 9:30 PM waiting on DC to arrive on train and a homeless woman was ranting---quite angrily and loudly---in a way that was unnerving and threatening to everyone in the waiting area. It took far longer than it should have for the security to intervene and calm her down.

[Anonymous]

Union station is disgusting and an embarrassment but not much anyone can do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Had opposite experience from PP. Had not been to NYC since the refurbished Penn Station opened and was astonished to find that the former armpit of Amtrak was now this pristine marble space age station. However, week later was at Union Station at 9:30 PM waiting on DC to arrive on train and a homeless woman was ranting---quite angrily and loudly---in a way that was unnerving and threatening to everyone in the waiting area. It took far longer than it should have for the security to intervene and calm her down.

Prior to Covid I was taking Marc and metro for a decade and this has always been an issue. One of my law school classmates was almost attacked by a homeless man in a metro train who was screaming at her crazily. I have been yelled at and spit on by people outside of union station.

The homelessness problem is out of control. The shelter a few blocks from union station kicks people out at 5 am and where else are they supposed to go all day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Had opposite experience from PP. Had not been to NYC since the refurbished Penn Station opened and was astonished to find that the former armpit of Amtrak was now this pristine marble space age station. However, week later was at Union Station at 9:30 PM waiting on DC to arrive on train and a homeless woman was ranting---quite angrily and loudly---in a way that was unnerving and threatening to everyone in the waiting area. It took far longer than it should have for the security to intervene and calm her down.

Prior to Covid I was taking Marc and metro for a decade and this has always been an issue. One of my law school classmates was almost attacked by a homeless man in a metro train who was screaming at her crazily. I have been yelled at and spit on by people outside of union station.

The homelessness problem is out of control. The shelter a few blocks from union station kicks people out at 5 am and where else are they supposed to go all day?

There should be day shelters. They do not have the right to loiter in public/ private spaces like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Had opposite experience from PP. Had not been to NYC since the refurbished Penn Station opened and was astonished to find that the former armpit of Amtrak was now this pristine marble space age station. However, week later was at Union Station at 9:30 PM waiting on DC to arrive on train and a homeless woman was ranting---quite angrily and loudly---in a way that was unnerving and threatening to everyone in the waiting area. It took far longer than it should have for the security to intervene and calm her down.

We had the same experience during a train trip in early December. The new Moynihan terminal at NYC’s Penn Station is amazing and beautiful. But I felt unsafe at DC’s Union Station. Made me teary-eyed because I worked on the Hill in the ‘80s and ‘90s and remember how magnificent Union Station was after the renovation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Had opposite experience from PP. Had not been to NYC since the refurbished Penn Station opened and was astonished to find that the former armpit of Amtrak was now this pristine marble space age station. However, week later was at Union Station at 9:30 PM waiting on DC to arrive on train and a homeless woman was ranting---quite angrily and loudly---in a way that was unnerving and threatening to everyone in the waiting area. It took far longer than it should have for the security to intervene and calm her down.

Prior to Covid I was taking Marc and metro for a decade and this has always been an issue. One of my law school classmates was almost attacked by a homeless man in a metro train who was screaming at her crazily. I have been yelled at and spit on by people outside of union station.

The homelessness problem is out of control. The shelter a few blocks from union station kicks people out at 5 am and where else are they supposed to go all day?

There should be day shelters. They do not have the right to loiter in public/ private spaces like this.

Or better yet, DC should stop accepting everyone else's homeless. That's how many of them ended up there in the first place. Put them back on buses and send them back to where they came from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Had opposite experience from PP. Had not been to NYC since the refurbished Penn Station opened and was astonished to find that the former armpit of Amtrak was now this pristine marble space age station. However, week later was at Union Station at 9:30 PM waiting on DC to arrive on train and a homeless woman was ranting---quite angrily and loudly---in a way that was unnerving and threatening to everyone in the waiting area. It took far longer than it should have for the security to intervene and calm her down.

Prior to Covid I was taking Marc and metro for a decade and this has always been an issue. One of my law school classmates was almost attacked by a homeless man in a metro train who was screaming at her crazily. I have been yelled at and spit on by people outside of union station.

The homelessness problem is out of control. The shelter a few blocks from union station kicks people out at 5 am and where else are they supposed to go all day?

They could take a shower at the shelter and get a job, you know, work.

[Anonymous]

Union Station everywhere has unhoused people.

D.C., Denver, Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, etc.

You should email your local ANC and council persons to ask them to fins solutions to house your fellow man.
Don't crap on people who are already down and out, it's uncouth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Union Station everywhere has unhoused people.

D.C., Denver, Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, etc.

You should email your local ANC and council persons to ask them to fins solutions to house your fellow man.
Don't crap on people who are already down and out, it's uncouth.

The issue is Amtrak, it isn't a DC facility.

[Anonymous]

These were all such grand old stations. We have no civic pride. We can take care of people AND have nice things. When did we stop aiming for that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not so new, actually. The problem is that the rest of DC has turned into Union Station. But Union Station has pretty much always been that way.

It’s been worse the last few years and has fallen off a cliff since COVID. Believe it or not but there was a time when Union Station had high end retail and fine dining.

I remember that time, but the bathrooms were urine-soaked even then.

When was that time? I worked at a restaurant in Union Station during undergrad and it was never a retail or dining destination.

2004 or so. Used to host fancy black tie parties. There was a high class restaurant on the mezzanine.