Life in Union Station

One place that I have loved since I got here, is the Union Station. It is kind of a Trolley Square to the 5th power. It used to be a really huge train station, but now is home to museums, restaurants, shops, etc. The Metro system also has its D.C. red line travel through this station.

Outside Union Station at night (w/ cool effects!)

A shot of Union Station corridor

Union Station History
Opened on October 27, 1907 and completed in 1908, is considered to be one of the finest examples of the Beaux-Arts style of architecture and a really fun place to visit. Opened on October 27, 1907 and completed in 1908, Union Station is considered to be one of the finest examples of the Beaux-Arts style of architecture. At the time it was built, the Station covered more ground than any other building in the United States and was the largest train station in the world.

Marko, Suneeti, and Kasi admiring the architecture.... ooooh!

In many ways, Union Station was a city within a city. At various times it employed a staff of over 5,000 people and provided such amenities as a bowling alley, mortuary, baker, butcher, YMCA, hotel, ice house, liquor store, Turkish baths, first-class restaurant, nursery, police station, and a silver-monogramming shop.

However, the advent of air travel led to a decline in railroad passengers, and Union Station began to fall into disuse. A unique public/private partnership was formed in 1981 to faithfully restore the building to its original state and create a viable mixed-use transportation center. Following three years of renovation at a cost of $160 million, Union Station reopened on September 29, 1988 - restored to its former glory. In addition to over 130 unique shops and restaurants, Union Station is the current hub for Amtrak's headquarters and executive offices.

My Adventurous Life in Union Station
Well, what can I say? Union Station just isn't Union Station without "America." Me and some Hinckley peeps went to the restaurant "America" in Union Station, because it was listed as one of D.C.'s Top 10 restaurants, featuring more than 100 items on their menu. Pictured below

Over 100 menu items at "America" --> I can hardly believe it!

We ordered the "Red Neck Fondue" (Chili and Velveeta dip with chips) for our appetizer with some burger, quesadillas, salads, and more to eat. It was quite the adventure. Suneeti found plastic in her quesadilla (so she got it for free ... sweet!) and we saw a fight break out between like 3 bus boys, a waitress, and manager (Meagan though they had a bomb). And then of course, America isn't America without our Mexican waiter who can't speak English and was pisst he had to split our check three ways. What a night.... guess you had to be there. :-).

Kasi Goodwin, Meagan Kline, and Suneeti Agrawal (the plastic eater)

We all then went outside to see a kick-A bell. We didn't really know its significance, but were all snapping photos of it, thinking it would be something cool to talk about later. Yeah.... we were wrong. Just some bell.

Randy and the Union Station Bell

But it was only moments later that we met crazy General Bernard Hamilton (a homeless veteran) who sang us songs, campaigned for Hillary Clinton (telling us, "How could we have a president who's last name is Ohhhhbammmaaaaah?"), and he even gave us a postcard of the ONLY dog to be asphyxiated, burned, and drown and then later have his own movie made after him. We don't really know what he was talking about, but Kasi gave him a dollar or two, we took the post card and ran for our lives.

I miss Bernard.....