What Makes New York Public Library a Great Place?
The subway doesn’t open directly into the library, but it’s well integrated. A wide bank of shallow steps along Fifth Avenue welcomes people up to the main entrance and a large “front porch” area that spans the width of the building; there’s also a well-marked door on 42nd Street. Pathways lead from the front and sides of the building around to the lovely Bryant Park in back, and also provide handicapped access. This sumptuous building seems to equate intellectual riches with luxury, with loads of marble, brass, carved wood inside; stately paths and steps and benches outside. There are also plenty of tables and chairs outside (and one need not purchase food to use them). The lions flanking the main steps have become city icons and are decorated for holidays and special events. Lush landscaped areas adjacent to the sidewalk provide a bit of a buffer and also some welcome greenery in a district where concrete and asphalt dominate. In addition to books and all other forms of information,
