Accessible Travel NYC at Grand Central

Our life-size ad with MTA Away and lunch at the famous Oyster Bar

It’s been a long time New York City! We haven’t been out in months due to the high Covid numbers during the colder months but we made our way into the city to see ourselves represented on some massive ad campaigns across Grand Central Terminal on some MTA Away ads . Yes, you read that correctly, check out the photo above! While we haven’t explored much and shared on our digital platforms, we’ve been actively engaging with many institutions across the city on advocacy, disability representation and inclusion and storytelling. More details on this type of work will eventually present itself on this platform so stay tuned.

One of our favorite things to do while in the city is eating out and since we were in Grand Central, which has plenty of options to choose from on the Dining Concourse level, we decided to visit the Oyster Bar, a restaurant steeped in rich history. It is widely known for its design grandeur and aesthetics with curved tiled ceilings, the secret Whispering Wall and some of the freshest seafood in New York City. We leisurely enjoyed our delicious and freshly prepared meals with good, friendly services.

Accessibility Tips:
We were able to get around Grand Central on the ramps and elevators.
The table height at the Oyster Bar was too short to fit Annie’s wheelchair comfortably under so she sat at a different angle as seen in the photo in this post.
We checked on the accessible restroom in the restaurant which wasn’t accessible to us because a caretaker couldn’t fit in the restroom to assist the wheelchair user.
Based on information from staff at Grand Central, there are accessible stalls in the public restrooms in Grand Central and there is family restroom in the Station master office next to the Transit Museum. Check out their FAQ linked here for more information.

Transportation Accessibility:
We expected to use an accessible yellow taxi the Grand Central station to get home and after waiting 45 minutes, one came and the ramp was broken. We then attempted to use Accessible Dispatch and couldn’t get a taxi for more than 30 minutes at which time the anxiety starts to build up so we opted to use the Express Bus home which had its own issues but worked. We’ve been told that during rush hour on a Friday, it’s difficult to get an accessible taxi so please keep this in mind during the ongoing pandemic.

Visit Oyster Bar and Grand Central websites for up to date information prior to planning your trip.

Important: Information is subject to change, please visit each website for the most up to date details.
Oct 2024