I love old city centre rail stations. I love imagining what they were like 100 years ago when they were the hub of the city and everyone wore hats.
Union Station is a beautiful transit building and holds it's own against Grand Central, Gare Du Nord, etc, and I think as Torontonians we take it for granted. I recently shlupped off of a Via Rail train from Cobourg with a traveling companion who had never been inside the historic main space in Union. As we made our way up the ramp I could see his eyes widen and he started taking photos, presumably to instagram, like a champ, later, (#latergram). It was at this moment I realized I'd forgotten what an attractive building this is. Old circular train tower clock in the middle of a marble room with stone ceilings some 50 feet high. Truly spectacular.
The bowels of the building where it constantly floods and people struggle to find the TTC, Go Transit and Via entrances is another story. What a mess, and it's that trickiness that keeps this transnational post from getting five stars.
PEPPER'S PISSED: Is the outside of this place ever not under construction? Just once I'd like to take a cab to the train station and have them be able to pull up in front without some very strange detour.