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

[Anonymous]

I find it mind boggling that Bowser wants to spend over $10 billion on the station. Renovation to make it less dingy and make the passenger areas easier to navigate? Fine by me. But that’s the kind of money DC badly needs for new transportation infrastructure, not a vanity project improving a waiting area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it mind boggling that Bowser wants to spend over $10 billion on the station. Renovation to make it less dingy and make the passenger areas easier to navigate? Fine by me. But that’s the kind of money DC badly needs for new transportation infrastructure, not a vanity project improving a waiting area.

You think Bowser funds the Federal Railroad Administration with DC dollars? You're not playing with a full deck, friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I was just at Union Station yesterday. It's perfectly fine. Just more fear mongering from suburbanites who shit their pants if they see a homeless person.

Perfectly fine as in you are not in fear of your safety? I can buy that.
Perfectly fine as in it is a pleasant and interesting place to spend time? No, not at this point. If your aim is to get on a train and leave and nothing more, it serves that purpose.

Honestly, Union Station wasn't all that interesting even in its heyday. It was a train station with what amounted to a mini-mall inside.

Union Station's heyday was actually in the first few decades after it opened when train travel was for all classes, including African Americans. Course they had their own bathrooms, water fountains, and were not allowed to eat in the restaurants or on the train cars.
Things have certainly come full circle for the building.

[Anonymous]

I just walked through Union Station on my way to an appointment. While US used to be a destination/ meetup for me — anyone else remember the awesomeness that was B. Smith’s? — I wouldn’t describe it that way anymore. There were lots of closed storefronts, which I’m guessing are at least partly related to COVID. The large store that replaced the book shop is gapingly vacant, and the cheerfulness that I remember from pre-COVID holiday seasons just wasn’t there (yet). But I did not, at any point, feel unsafe. There was visible security— including a dog. People lined up for their trains. People like me wove ourselves through the lines to get where we needed to go. It was fine. It wasn’t pretty, or festive like it has been, but it was fine.

[Anonymous]

What are the places in DC that are retail destinations now?

I recall visiting City Center DC a while after it opened and it was bizarre - some really high-end retail stores with very few customers and a lot of security guards. It wasn't inviting at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it mind boggling that Bowser wants to spend over $10 billion on the station. Renovation to make it less dingy and make the passenger areas easier to navigate? Fine by me. But that’s the kind of money DC badly needs for new transportation infrastructure, not a vanity project improving a waiting area.

I don’t. I remember the station in multiple iterations. There’s a strong argument to be made for what revitalizing the station can do for tourism, for the neighborhood, and for the city as a welcoming destination as well as as a critical transportation hub.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it mind boggling that Bowser wants to spend over $10 billion on the station. Renovation to make it less dingy and make the passenger areas easier to navigate? Fine by me. But that’s the kind of money DC badly needs for new transportation infrastructure, not a vanity project improving a waiting area.

I don’t. I remember the station in multiple iterations. There’s a strong argument to be made for what revitalizing the station can do for tourism, for the neighborhood, and for the city as a welcoming destination as well as as a critical transportation hub.

It's embarrassing to me as a US citizen that transportation 'hubs' for travelers from all over, including international -can be so shabby and unsanitary. The train stations in NY and DC, NY arirports etc all come to mind. It's like we have zero pride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I was just at Union Station yesterday. It's perfectly fine. Just more fear mongering from suburbanites who shit their pants if they see a homeless person.

Perfectly fine as in you are not in fear of your safety? I can buy that.
Perfectly fine as in it is a pleasant and interesting place to spend time? No, not at this point. If your aim is to get on a train and leave and nothing more, it serves that purpose.

Honestly, Union Station wasn't all that interesting even in its heyday. It was a train station with what amounted to a mini-mall inside.

Union Station's heyday was actually in the first few decades after it opened when train travel was for all classes, including African Americans. Course they had their own bathrooms, water fountains, and were not allowed to eat in the restaurants or on the train cars.
Things have certainly come full circle for the building.

Union Station was great 20 years ago. We would walk there for lunch. Had Vaccaros desserts. Could get a decent dinner before catching a train. I think there was even a movie theater.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it mind boggling that Bowser wants to spend over $10 billion on the station. Renovation to make it less dingy and make the passenger areas easier to navigate? Fine by me. But that’s the kind of money DC badly needs for new transportation infrastructure, not a vanity project improving a waiting area.

I don’t. I remember the station in multiple iterations. There’s a strong argument to be made for what revitalizing the station can do for tourism, for the neighborhood, and for the city as a welcoming destination as well as as a critical transportation hub.

It's embarrassing to me as a US citizen that transportation 'hubs' for travelers from all over, including international -can be so shabby and unsanitary. The train stations in NY and DC, NY arirports etc all come to mind. It's like we have zero pride.

We left Frankfurt's airport and it was like a little city with lots of shops, services, nice helpful people. We arrived at Dulles and it was like a ghost town. Two surly customs people and one woman pushing a dirty mop. Big frenzy for taxis, ubers, lyfts, and the buses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it mind boggling that Bowser wants to spend over $10 billion on the station. Renovation to make it less dingy and make the passenger areas easier to navigate? Fine by me. But that’s the kind of money DC badly needs for new transportation infrastructure, not a vanity project improving a waiting area.

I don’t. I remember the station in multiple iterations. There’s a strong argument to be made for what revitalizing the station can do for tourism, for the neighborhood, and for the city as a welcoming destination as well as as a critical transportation hub.

It's embarrassing to me as a US citizen that transportation 'hubs' for travelers from all over, including international -can be so shabby and unsanitary. The train stations in NY and DC, NY arirports etc all come to mind. It's like we have zero pride.

Have you been to the new Penn Station? The new LaGuardia? They’re insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it mind boggling that Bowser wants to spend over $10 billion on the station. Renovation to make it less dingy and make the passenger areas easier to navigate? Fine by me. But that’s the kind of money DC badly needs for new transportation infrastructure, not a vanity project improving a waiting area.

I don’t. I remember the station in multiple iterations. There’s a strong argument to be made for what revitalizing the station can do for tourism, for the neighborhood, and for the city as a welcoming destination as well as as a critical transportation hub.

It's embarrassing to me as a US citizen that transportation 'hubs' for travelers from all over, including international -can be so shabby and unsanitary. The train stations in NY and DC, NY arirports etc all come to mind. It's like we have zero pride.

Have you actually been to the train stations in NY recently?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it mind boggling that Bowser wants to spend over $10 billion on the station. Renovation to make it less dingy and make the passenger areas easier to navigate? Fine by me. But that’s the kind of money DC badly needs for new transportation infrastructure, not a vanity project improving a waiting area.

I don’t. I remember the station in multiple iterations. There’s a strong argument to be made for what revitalizing the station can do for tourism, for the neighborhood, and for the city as a welcoming destination as well as as a critical transportation hub.

It's embarrassing to me as a US citizen that transportation 'hubs' for travelers from all over, including international -can be so shabby and unsanitary. The train stations in NY and DC, NY arirports etc all come to mind. It's like we have zero pride.

Have you actually been to the train stations in NY recently?

Penn Station and JFK were my last 2 experiences, and they both sucked. Finding my way above ground with luggage from Penn was terrible. Re airport, I can't believe we charge travelers for luggage trolleys to use WITHIN an airport. Ugh. If they have improved some, great. They ALL should follow suit (including Union Station)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I was just at Union Station yesterday. It's perfectly fine. Just more fear mongering from suburbanites who shit their pants if they see a homeless person.

Perfectly fine as in you are not in fear of your safety? I can buy that.
Perfectly fine as in it is a pleasant and interesting place to spend time? No, not at this point. If your aim is to get on a train and leave and nothing more, it serves that purpose.

Honestly, Union Station wasn't all that interesting even in its heyday. It was a train station with what amounted to a mini-mall inside.

Union Station's heyday was actually in the first few decades after it opened when train travel was for all classes, including African Americans. Course they had their own bathrooms, water fountains, and were not allowed to eat in the restaurants or on the train cars.
Things have certainly come full circle for the building.

Union Station was great 20 years ago. We would walk there for lunch. Had Vaccaros desserts. Could get a decent dinner before catching a train. I think there was even a movie theater.

Even 10 years ago Union Station was still pretty great. I worked nearby and we went to lunch there at least 3 days a week. My company has offices in DC, Philly, Boston, and NYC so Amtrak was our go-to. Employees traveling between offices never had any complaints about Union Station until about 5 years ago. Then we had incidents of employees being robbed & accosted by homeless. A few incidents of employees being spat on and one unfortunate incident of flinging poop. Now, it's a company rule that no travel gets booked before 8 am or after 6 pm through the station.

Last time I was there in September, I couldn't even find a restroom to use before my train because both I tried were full of homeless who had converted them into makeshift shelters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it mind boggling that Bowser wants to spend over $10 billion on the station. Renovation to make it less dingy and make the passenger areas easier to navigate? Fine by me. But that’s the kind of money DC badly needs for new transportation infrastructure, not a vanity project improving a waiting area.

I don’t. I remember the station in multiple iterations. There’s a strong argument to be made for what revitalizing the station can do for tourism, for the neighborhood, and for the city as a welcoming destination as well as as a critical transportation hub.

It's embarrassing to me as a US citizen that transportation 'hubs' for travelers from all over, including international -can be so shabby and unsanitary. The train stations in NY and DC, NY arirports etc all come to mind. It's like we have zero pride.

Have you actually been to the train stations in NY recently?

Penn Station and JFK were my last 2 experiences, and they both sucked. Finding my way above ground with luggage from Penn was terrible. Re airport, I can't believe we charge travelers for luggage trolleys to use WITHIN an airport. Ugh. If they have improved some, great. They ALL should follow suit (including Union Station)

Penn Station's small remodel is great. It's s start but it needs so much more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it mind boggling that Bowser wants to spend over $10 billion on the station. Renovation to make it less dingy and make the passenger areas easier to navigate? Fine by me. But that’s the kind of money DC badly needs for new transportation infrastructure, not a vanity project improving a waiting area.

I don’t. I remember the station in multiple iterations. There’s a strong argument to be made for what revitalizing the station can do for tourism, for the neighborhood, and for the city as a welcoming destination as well as as a critical transportation hub.

This! This station needs serious help and is a disgrace for our nation's capital.