The watch men

Larry Kivel, 65, and his son Steve, 37, run Central Watch Band Stand inside Grand Central Terminal. Established in 1952, theirs is the second-oldest business in GCT—after the Oyster Bar.

How long have you worked together?
Larry: For 18 years. Steve: Well, I used to come in summers and school vacations, so it’s even longer.

What do you like about it?
Larry: The fact that we work together brings us closer together. You’ve got someone next to you that you can depend on. Steve: And it saves a lot of money on phone bills!

What don’t you like about it?
Larry: It’s hard for us to take vacations together, because somebody has to mind the store.

What has been the highest point?
Larry: Seeing the next generation continue on with the business, improve things and bring it to a new level. That brings pride to a father. Steve: Yeah, but it’s still my dad people come to see. When he’s not here, [I get] “Where’s Larry?” 50 times a day.

What has been your lowest point?
Steve: Knowing my dad’s on a 5:01am train, five days a week. Any human being needs to sleep more than three or four hours a night, and sometimes he doesn’t even get that.

Steve, do you ever feel trapped in this working relationship?
Steve: My dad always said, “Be a doctor, be a lawyer, don’t be stuck underground here with me.” I had all the opportunities, but this is what I wanted to do.

Do you ever think the family business has prevented Steve from doing something else?
Larry: I didn’t ever say, “You have got to do this.” But when Steve was seven or eight years old, he would come into the shop and start disassembling watches. Steve: My father is as easygoing as they come, which is one of the reasons I did choose to stay here. Even though he is technically my boss, he’s also my dad and my friend—it’s a nice working atmosphere.

—Nicole Tourtelot

Central Watch Band Stand, Grand Central Terminal, 45th St passageway between tracks 38 and 39 (212-685-1689)