Anderston Cross is right next to the Central Railway Station. There is a bridge from the station which crosses Argyle Street, one of the main streets in Glasgow. To the west of this bridge is Anderston, and to the east, Argyle street has always been a popular place to shop.
You can get a fair idea of the busy, bustling nature of Argyle Street around the turn of the century by looking at some photos on Argyle St Glasgow History. (Try googling it). The trams were great because they had open doors. If you were fit you could jump on between stops. They dominated the streets, so to get a "feel" of the way Glasgow was I think you should think "Trams!"
That's only my opinion. I was born in the east end of Glasgow in 1943, and I loved the trams. It broke many a heart when they went off the road around 1962.
