30th Street Station in Philadelphia 

The bar in 7:05 used to have ceiling fans until after it permanently closed. I have all of the ceiling fans that were there. I got first one in 2017 when it was replaced with a newer one, then when it closed, I got the rest and the replacement one. So I have 5. All 4 original plus one replacement.

I think its art deco by the looks of the lamps and windows. These stations really had soul, powerful, stunning, when America had immense pride and joy for life and progress. Classic. How the light comes through the windows like a painting, wow, what's wrong with us these days??? What happened? Thanks, Captain....

Art Deco..... One of the nicest designs ever made. Amazing station! Philly is one of the most wonderful cities, I think.

I'm often there taking the SEPTA R2 up from Delaware and getting an Amtrak transfer, I just took this trip last Sunday. It's not nearly that empty during normal times, and the lost luggage area is usually not cordoned off, it's got some extra bathrooms back there and a nice mural. The station is an architectural treasure and is the nicest stop on the Northeast Corridor - it's an Art Deco style building, which is most often associated with NYC, but you can find it a few places in Philly, the old WCAU Building on Walnut St. above the Old Navy in Center City is another example of Philly Art Deco.

American stations are just so grand, pity I missed this when I was in Philly. 👍🏼

I have never been there until this video. Thanks Cap'n!

The energy in there was magnificent, loved its vibe. Between the structure itself and the hustle and bustle of the people it was electrifying. I hope that business has picked back up again in 2022. This quietness was sad to see. But, honestly the last time my daughter and I ventured through there was pre-pandemic, too.

I always tell people that take regional rail that it really is night and day difference with the El & subway.

what an incredible train station. Beautiful architecture for a beautiful city. Love Philadelphia so much. Also the building itself is of Neo-Classical design (large columns, big white stonework) with a lot of the detail work being Art Deco. One of the last of the great train stations in the US

Hey Philly Captain, happy snowy Thursday...Ok enjoyed your walk tour video of 30th St station..At least a clear sunny one from the other day...Interesting stuff...Ok keep on a tracking and TOODLES on..

Also 30th St station as you know as well, was part of the movie scene for Trading Places back in the day...Ok sailing on to your next video on Suburban station...

30th St station really has some nice art deco architecture. They really don't make buildings like this anymore. Things are built in such plain, utilitarian styles now. Nothing has any character.

Philly Captain. Your're the best. My hope is visiting Philly in the future and all attractions there. Stay least a week.

Magnificent building built by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The grand edifice was constructed with private money, imagine that! I love this place. Lotsa memories here.

It's a damn shame alot of the places in there are still closed.

I love this station

Years ago I visited Philadelphia and was dropped off at the 30th Street Station. For a moment I was so disoriented by the unexpected grander of the interior that I thought I had been transported to the Civic Opera House in Chicago, also designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White. Both are magnificent.

I miss 30th Street. I haven't been through there in years. It would have been nice to see the SEPTA part of the station upstairs too. :)

Seeing this it always nauseates me that they tore down New York's Penn Station. Absolutely infuriating.

I'm proud to say that i work directly across the street from there, at the former post office building - i would always go there for lunch, then Covid closed a lot of places, so the food court there is not quite as packed as it was before, though it still has a few places. Glad there's still Old Nelson...

I miss Au Bon Pain. I always got coffee there when I worked on the 2nd floor,4th,5th and 8th floors. Years ago. The food truck vendors across the street by the giant post office and the bar across street( employees weren't allowed to drink on property or didn't risk being drunk on property)

That sucks they took the flip board down. Last time I was there, pre-pandemic, it was still in use.

Jersey Mike's has one thing going for it: outside of the Philly region it's one of the few places where you can get a cheesesteak that doesn't completely suck. It's not nearly as good as your corner deli in Philly or Camden, but it's edible.

Such a sexy building

Nice overview of 30th street station. I live in the suburbs and ride both regional rail as well as the bus and subway. As you noted the regional rail is nicer and faster to get to center city. The area you saw that was somewhat closed off is usually open but they occasionally use this area for special events. So there may have been something scheduled for later. The number of stores open does vary by day and time with most open at lunchtime however due to the virus and the reduced number of people going through the station many have closed permanently. Years ago there was a direct stairway and escalator that connected with an underground concourse that served both the El and trolley station at 30th street. But due to the cost to maintain it and the lack of security it was abandoned. By the way where you showed the stairway down to the Amtrak and NJ Transit trains you could go down and look at the platform on track one due to it being used exclusively by NJ Transit. All the other stairways are Amtrak only and you must have a ticket for the train expected on that track to access it. As noted by others this station was built in the 1930’s and is of the Art Deco style. I have traveled over most of the country by train and there are not many older stations like this left due to the reduction of the number of trains using the stations and due to trying to reduce cost Amtrak relocated to smaller new built stations. We are lucky being located on the northeast main line there is still plenty of train traffic through Philadelphia.

My after-video comment: They do close up some of those boutique shops later in the evening, but that place was always busy during the day, especially in that narrow hallway where all of those vendors were. Looks like getting rid of all the seating in the atrium at 8:12 probably didn't help either, Pizza Hut was over there. There was a sports pub on the right corner 7:03 had a pretty good presence too and was pretty lively, pretty easy to see how they didn't make it. Honestly not shocked that the chains are still there like Wendy's, they have such an efficient and scaled operation they can probably survive on a fraction of what those mom and pop stores can. Also Regional Rail you have a different group of people/class riding. Location of commute, cost, etc. aside, not trying to make it a race thing...but like 95% of the people I saw daily on the train were white and middle-aged, with a decent senior presence during the midday. If someone has loud music on, somebody tells them to turn it down. You can get tons of work done in quiet on the train, even during the rush hour commute. I take it that is not common on the subway.

Could you imagine walking around doing whatever and bump into the Philly Captain filming something? Probably wasted at-least a few hours of my life standing at that exact spot where you start the video.

Movies that were filmed in there. Blow Out & Witness

They're closed because of the pandemic, they been closed for a while now. Some of the places tried to re-open for a little while then closed down again.

I am glad you found a better more comfortable experience riding the regional rail than the EL..As far as with the loud noise and other nasty habits by certain people that don't care when boarding the EL...

How long ago was this filmed? That cafe is never open.

What a fun video! We have Jersey's Mike's here in Mission Viejo...S. Orange County, CA. My friends wet their panties over these "subs." My brother likes the place but says there is nothing like a real hoagie from Philly. We also have a place here called "Philly's Best," started in the late 80's by a couple from Philly. When they opened a store near us, it was great...real steak sandwiches, real hoagies...everything flown in from Philly and they ran it. Now that it is franchised and you know the people who work there know squat about Philly and you know the quality has dropped as the food it not the same...you might as well go to Subway, it's less expensive. Bummer... PS: I love train stations...my first ride was right there with my Mom. We were going to NYC. My last one, as of 2013...my Husband and I were going from London to Edinburgh, Scotland. When we lived in London in the early 90's...it was all about King's Cross Station and the next trip! Oh...and the flip board! I loved to hear it flip and seeing our train! Now...it is no more---all electronic. :(

When the station first opened there was a train coming or going every i think 3 minutes. Now its like once every 2 hours.

Post COVID conditions 😢

Philly Captaiin, besides in your description serves too, the station also serves the subway surface trolleys that travel between Center city to W to SW Phila...Like our EL, they too have free transfer interchanges like at City Hall Station as well...

In NJ we eat subs 😊

About your other ? on the businesses closing, I haven't been to 30th St station in a long time but my guess it could be due to the pandemic or just bad economic times...

Hope your not still smoking k2, your better then that

Haven't been there since coming home from jail

hog island sandwich over a sub or hero anyday

*rants about a guy from Jersey calling Hoagies subs* *Me who realizes they're both wrong and calls them Heroes*

I cant walk through this place.. Agoraphobia!

this was not built by our civilization. we could never build something like this.