Keep it in the family

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)