Woody Schneider grew up in Queens, but it wasn’t until he was 22 years old that he ever set foot inside Grand Central Terminal.

“I never knew Grand Central was a real place,” Schneider said. “I thought it was just a make-believe place that was in all the old black and white movies, you know. ‘I'll meet you under the giant clock in Grand Central.’”

Nearly half a century later, Schneider has made a career in the landmark, stringing racquets in his shop tucked inside the 45th Street passage, just steps from that famous clock.

“Everywhere I go, somebody goes, ‘Oh, you're the tennis guy. You're that crazy guy in Grand Central,’” he said.

Schneider has been stringing racquets for 46 years, relying on his hands more than tools.

“I'm sure a lot of stringers would just be using tools, but my h

See Full Page