A bibliophile ’ s guide to all things bookish in the Big Apple . BY DANA LAVERTY
I t ’ s been the setting for countless best sellers , home to thousands of poets and writers , and boasts the country ’ s largest public library system . So it ’ s no surprise that New York City is a veritable playground for any self-respecting book lover . Here are some of our favorite spots to explore while you ’ re on the literary beat .
STAY : From the moment it opened in August 2000 , I ’ ve been itching to stay at the Library Hotel ( libraryhotel . com ). I mean , is there a better way to kick-start a book lovers ’ tour of the city ? It ’ s centrally located in midtown Manhattan , just blocks from the main branch of the New York Public Library , Times Square and Grand Central Terminal . Each floor — there are ten — is classified according to the Dewey Decimal System . We stay in a roomy junior suite devoted to astronomy . Sun and stars and solar systems , oh my !
Books are everywhere in the circa-1912 building : in the rooms , in the front lobby and in the reading room , a sunny space open 24 / 7 with coffee and snacks for guests . We have fun browsing all the titles , and afterward , my daughter plays a few tunes on the piano .
Turns out having a plethora of books at your fingertips is a great deterrent to aimless doom-scrolling . I spend a good chunk of my night curled up on the couch reading a book about the city ’ s history and a charming children ’ s tome about dragons .
PLAY : The first stop on our tour is the main branch of the New York Public Library ( nypl . org ), located just steps from the hotel at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street . At the entrance of the 1911 Beaux-Arts building , we come face to face with Patience and Fortitude , the marble lions synonymous with the library . The stunning architecture alone is worth a visit , but so , too , is the recently unveiled “ Polonsky Exhibition of the New York Public Library ’ s Treasures ,” a permanent collection showcasing more than 250 rare items from
74 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l OCTOBER 2022