Grand Central Terminal -- "crossroads of a million private lives," as the opening to the old radio show Grand Central Station aptly used to say -- has lived just as many private lives as it has hosted. The first Grand Central, which was erected in October 1871 on property that Cornelius Vanderbilt purchased two years previously, rivaled both the Eiffel Tower and Crystal Palace as the most dramatic engineering achievement of the 19th century. There have been multiple landmarks achieved since then, including the electrification of the terminal as the steam locomotive era was drawing to a close. Fast forward to 1967, when New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission designated Grand Central Terminal as a landmark. The following year it was leased to UGP Properties, which proposed building new office towers above the space, which would mean demolishing a portion of the terminal. Lawsuits ensued and city leaders prevailed. Among them: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, whose support and constant pressure ultimately helped Grand Central Terminal achieve status as a National Historic Landmark. A $425 million renovation commenced in 1996 and culminated in a rededication celebration on Oct. 1, 1998. Located on the north and west balconies of this terminal now lies one of the rededicated terminal's five premiere restaurants: Michael Jordan’s The Steak House N.Y.C.

David Rockwell designed the space inside Michael Jordan's with the utmost sensitivity, paying sincere respect to the landmark status of Grand Central Terminal while also creating an elegant restaurant space within it. The restaurant was designed to resemble a train station from the early 20th century, a time of sophisticated train travel. In fact, the entire restaurant is like a movie set that was designed offsite and reassembled in the restaurant, leaving the landmark's original features untouched. Adding to the restaurant's Old World feel are pictures of the 20th Century Limited a passenger express train -- once one of the world's finest -- that line the main dining room. That sleek and elegant sophistication of the 20th century is the trademark of Michael Jordan’s The Steak House N.Y.C. Other notable touches in which that trademark's evident are the dark wood and brass throughout with mica screens and several tasteful pictures of Number 23 himself, as well as the art deco décor of the actual terminal.