The Secret Bar in the Grand Central Terminal has Reopened

For years, the Campbell Apartment served great, old-fashioned cocktails in a setting to match without most commuters ever getting wise to its existence. Now, new owners have decided to bring the bar out of hiding, hoping to share the cocktail bar with the public in a way it hasn’t been before. The dress code’s been dropped, the hours have been extended, the menu’s been expanded, and an awning’s been built on Vanderbilt Avenue, effectively ending the bar’s time as one of the hidden gems of New York. Honestly, we have mixed feelings. On one hand, it’s great that a drinking venue like the Campbell is open again. On the other, it seems like the new owners have slightly misunderstood what attracted people to the bar in the first place. The dress code and exclusivity are often what draw people to a place like the original Campbell Apartment and turning it into a well-advertised (maybe a little touristy) bar dilutes what makes it special. We’ll have to wait and see if the new angle is successful.