New York Public Library, New York (must see)
Also known as the Stephan A. Schwartzman Building, the Main Branch of 42nd Street Library is an embodiment of the New York Public Library system. It is located on Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets. It shares the block with Bryant Park. The structure is a Beaux-Arts gem of a building.
The Astor and Lenox Libraries were merged in 1895. An imposing main branch was needed to house the newly formed New York Public Library. The perfect site for the new building was under the old obsolete Croton Distributing Reservoir. The architectural firm of Carrere and Hastings was selected to design and build the new library.
On May 24, 1911, the library opened to the public. The first volume borrowed from the library's collection was "Ethical Ideas of Our Time: a study of Nietzsche and Lev Tolstoy" by Russian philosopher and writer Nikolai Grot. During the first week of its operation, the library received 250,000 visitors and patrons.
The exterior of the library building is of Vermont marble and brick. Windows, doors, and fixtures are bronze. Pediments installed above the central entrance hold sculptures of "Life," "Painting," and "Sculpture." A balcony wraps the Fifth Avenue elevation.
At the main entrance, a grand staircase leads to a portico with six Corinthian columns and three archways. Two lions of Tennessee marble guard the staircase on either side.
The Astor and Lenox Libraries were merged in 1895. An imposing main branch was needed to house the newly formed New York Public Library. The perfect site for the new building was under the old obsolete Croton Distributing Reservoir. The architectural firm of Carrere and Hastings was selected to design and build the new library.
On May 24, 1911, the library opened to the public. The first volume borrowed from the library's collection was "Ethical Ideas of Our Time: a study of Nietzsche and Lev Tolstoy" by Russian philosopher and writer Nikolai Grot. During the first week of its operation, the library received 250,000 visitors and patrons.
The exterior of the library building is of Vermont marble and brick. Windows, doors, and fixtures are bronze. Pediments installed above the central entrance hold sculptures of "Life," "Painting," and "Sculpture." A balcony wraps the Fifth Avenue elevation.
At the main entrance, a grand staircase leads to a portico with six Corinthian columns and three archways. Two lions of Tennessee marble guard the staircase on either side.
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New York Public Library on Map
Sight Name: New York Public Library
Sight Location: New York, USA (See walking tours in New York)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: New York, USA (See walking tours in New York)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in New York, New York
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Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles
Midtown Manhattan Shopping Tour
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Best of Lower Manhattan Walking Tour
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Times Square to Central Park
A leisurely self-guided stroll from Times Square to Central Park will take you to some of NYC’s prominent locations, each worth visiting in their own right.
At 49th Street, Fifth Avenue lives up to its lofty reputation with the Rockefeller Center, one of the world’s biggest business and entertainment complexes, and a triumph of Art Deco architecture. Like the neighboring Times Square, the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles
At 49th Street, Fifth Avenue lives up to its lofty reputation with the Rockefeller Center, one of the world’s biggest business and entertainment complexes, and a triumph of Art Deco architecture. Like the neighboring Times Square, the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles
Brooklyn New York Walking Tour
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By the 19th century, Brooklyn had grown into a sizable town. The iconic Brooklyn... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
Manhattan Architecture Walking Tour
The skyscraper, which has shaped Manhattan's distinctive skyline, has been closely associated with New York City’s identity since the end of the 19th century. Despite the Great Depression, some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers were completed in Manhattan during the 1930s, including numerous Art Deco masterpieces that are still part of the city's skyline – most notably the Empire... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles
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