Question

Zeitoun had picked up and dropped off friends and relatives at the station a handful of times over the years. Fronted by a lush lawn and palm trees, the Union Passenger Terminal had opened in 1954, an art deco-style building once aspiring to grandness but since overtaken by a certain grey municipal malaise. There was a whimsical candy-colored sculpture on the lawn that looked like a bunch of child’s toys glued together without reason or order.

Why does the author include this description?
to present Zeitoun as a New Orleans resident
to criticize the architectural choices in downtown New Orleans
to illustrate the grim, military realities of post-Katrina New Orleans
to show Zeitoun’s discomfort in the grand downtown area

Answer 1

to present Zeitoun as a New Orleans resident

The passage establishes his familiarity with the Union Passenger Terminal and local details, situating him as someone who knows the city.