NYC - New York Public Library and suroundings in Mid-Town Manhattan

Getting  into the spirit in NYC at 42nd Street and 7th Avenue Subway Station.

Five policemen take a break and watch as a group of musicians from South America prepare to entertain.  Musicians are welcome to perform by the City.  Licenses are required.

First stop Bryant Park Skating rink - FREE to the public.

On to the NYC Public Library which is the building right there. Note the famous lions that guard the entrance.  I only photographed the lion on the right of the main entrance, since there is construction going on behind the lion on the left .

I have been a New Yorker all my life, but this is the first time that I have taken a proper tour of our very famous landmark. It is spectacular (one of my favorite adjectives) inside and out!  Our guide remarked that in Europe the grand buildings were constructed for royalty, but in America this grand structure was constructed for the pleasure and edification of the people. Vive la difference! (I also like exclamation points a lot.)

This incredible publications reading room was renovated by the couple that founded the Reader's Digest one of the first family magazines in 1922, DeWitt and Lila Bell Wallace.  The couple used to come to the library and copy articles by hand, which they would later condense for the general public.  They made millions and then gave back. In addition to funding the renovation, they added  murals depicting the buildings of several famous NYC publishing houses.  The tables and chairs are made of the most beautiful polished wood and you can go there and read (or rest ) for as long as you wish.

Another benefactor of the NYPL was a penniless Romanian immigrant who came to the USA at the turn of the century without knowing a word of English.  He went the library where some librarians helped him to learn English.  He went on to be a prosperous financier and left millions of $s (in the six figures) to the library in thanks.  The names of many well-known benefactors are etched on the marble pillars that line the main entrance of the 42nd Street branch of the New York Public Library, but an innocuous marble slab with this little know immigrants name on it was place in the floor in a prominent position just inside the main entrance. Proof positive that America is (or was) the land of opportunity.

This in a photo of some of the stacks.  They are off limits to the public.  Ask for a book at the desk  and they will retrieve it for you.  If your choice is not here in NYC, it may be in Princeton New Jersey.  In that case, it will be delivered next day.  By the way the NYPL catalogues every thing in print from Playboy ( and worse) to hand bills distributed on the street, which they collect once a month.

Winnie the Pooh, is a children's standard.  You find editions at booksellers all over (Borders, Amazon, etc.), but the original stuffed animals that inspired A.A. Milne to write the stories for his son, Christopher Robin can be found preserved under glass right here in the Children's Room of the NYC Public Library! (And that deserves an exclamation point).

It seems that this bank of telephones, which are found on the lower level of the building and still work, may soon be found in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.

Once outside, it back to the mundane...



Souvenirs anyone?  The sign in the lower right hand of the shop window is a quote from Joe DiMaggio,
                                           "I thank G-d for making me a Yankee!" (Honest).

 The Empire State Building and...

Getting hungry? There is always something to eat just a step away. This is an Indian Halal food truck. I found the decoration more enticing that the offerings, but it's up to you.

Thanks for reading and you will be hearing from me sooner that you think.
Ciao for now.
 Joan in NYC

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