Do you know what is on this corner?
I joined some new friends today for a tour of the library followed by a delicious lunch in Bryant Park. As an aside, let me just say once again how much I love New York...this city is just so alive and you feel that the minute you arrive. I only took a few photos mainly because these women don't know me very well yet so I thought it was best not to overwhelm them with my camera obnoxiousness right off the bat. I held back y'all...I promise.
Anyway, there are two enormous lions outside the entrance to the library and they are known by the nicknames Patience and Fortitude. They were given these names originally by Mayor LaGuardia in the 30's because he said these were qualities he felt New Yorkers would need to survive the economic depression. I'm pretty sure the names still work.
Anyway, the building is absolutely beautiful...it is neoclassical in style with lots of gorgeous marble and carved wood ceilings. And of course there are all those books...miles and miles of books and periodicals and maps and more...over 75 miles worth, much of it housed under Bryant Park. And let me just tell you that if you think catalogs and magazines pile up at your house you haven't seen anything...imagine receiving over 10,000 periodicals per week!
Now, if all those books and all those magazines and all that architectural beauty aren't enough guess what else they have right here in their very own collection?
They have the real live, honest to goodness Winnie the Pooh. Well, not real live but you know what I mean. And all his friends are here too... all except Roo that is. Not sure what happened to Roo but our tour guide pointed out that it appears the Milnes owned dogs so I do have a theory. Anyway, they are absolutely too cute for words and look very well loved. The toys were given to Christopher Robin Milne between 1920 and 1922. Pooh came from Harrods Dept. Store in London and these are the toys that inspired the stories.
Course if Winnie the Pooh isn't your thing you can also walk down this staircase which is indeed the staircase from 'the movie where Carrie Bradshaw gets her prince'...they filmed the wedding scene from that movie here.
Or maybe you recognize this view which was used in The Day After Tomorrow...
Or you may not recognize it because in the movie some snowwaterhailtornadotidalwave thing was rolling straight down 42nd Street and headed right for the lobby.
Which, incidentally, is magnificent. After our tour we walked around the corner to Bryant Park which is a pretty little patch of green surrounding the library.
Here sits a statue of William Cullen Bryant for whom the park is named...he's all dressed up for Christmas. We had a lovely lunch in this little spot right in the park, hence it's name Bryant Park Grill. There is a bit of fall and a bit of Christmas happening but it's all good....I love the vines growing around the building and the food was excellent.
There just happened to be a little Christmas Market going on right here so we managed to squeeze in a teensy bit of shopping before heading home... such a nice day.
And I know what you're thinking...you're thinking that if this isn't overwhelming people with pictures than what in the world is?
