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Park in the fall ; the Gothic Revival facade of the Library
Hotel ; literary-themed plaques on Library Way ( 41st Street ); the lobby of the Library Hotel ; one of the marble lions
( Patience and Fortitude ) that flank the New York Public Library ’ s entrance ; stuffed animals that inspired A . A . Milne ’ s Winnie-the-Pooh and Charles Dickens ’ writing desk at the library ; the main concourse of Grand Central
Terminal . RIGHT : Signs for the Museum Mile ; a sign outside the library ’ s gift shop .
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the library ’ s coffers .
Here you ’ ll find the stuffed animals that served as the inspiration for Winnie-the- Pooh , Charles Dickens ’ writing desk and his reading copy of A Christmas Carol , a Gutenberg Bible from 1455 , Thomas Jefferson ’ s handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence , Malcolm X ’ s briefcase and a lock of Beethoven ’ s hair .
Take a tour of the gilded Rose Main Reading Room while you ’ re there , and make sure to stop at the gift shop before leaving . It ’ s a great place to pick up gifts for all your word-nerd friends .
If , like me , you have a manga-loving teen in your life , or you just adore all things kawaii , pop into Kinokuniya ( usa . kinokuniya . com ), a bookstore devoted to Japanese and English titles , manga , graphic novels , children ’ s books and adorable stationery sets and home goods .
Stop by the Morgan Library and Museum ( themorgan . org ) to indulge in some serious home library lust . Peer into what was once Pierpont Morgan ’ s personal library , an Italian Renaissance-style palazzo designed by McKim , Mead and White that features three levels of books , walnut bookshelves and gilded paintings lining the ceiling . Starting Oct . 15 , visitors can take in “ The Little Prince : Taking Flight ,” an exhibit featuring the library ’ s original manuscript and photos and personal items from author Antoine de Saint-Exupery .
No literary tour of the city would be complete without a visit to the Strand ( strandbooks . com ), a family-owned independent bookshop filled with 2.5 million new , used and rare titles . In business since 1927 , the store is famous for its breadth of holdings and outdoor sale kiosks . The shop made headlines in October 2020 , when thirdgeneration owner Nancy Bass Wyden begged customers to help her store recover from a precipitous loss in revenue due to COVID . In just two days , customers worldwide placed 25,000 online orders and bought more than $ 170,000 worth of books in-store .
Sniff . < wipes tear > Behold , the power of books and book lovers . We are a mighty force !
Venture to the city ’ s verdant jewel , Central Park , to stroll through the Mall and Literary Walk ( centralparknyc . org ). Here you ’ ll find the only straight line in the park , which is bordered by elm trees and the statues of four literary giants : Sir Walter Scott , Robert Burns , Fitz-Greene Halleck and William Shakespeare . Afterward , tuck into the Society of Illustrators ( societyillustrators . org ) to take in “ The Artist ’ s Experience : From Brotherman to Batman ,” a show featuring the work of more than sixteen African American comic book artists . The exhibit runs through Oct . 29 .
DINE : All this walking and book lust will surely make even the most intrepid reader peckish .
Luckily , we are within walking distance of Koreatown and other excellent options . We start one of our days with a protein-packed breakfast of scrambled eggs , bacon and fresh buttered ciabatta from the hotel ’ s restaurant , Madison and Vine ( madisonandvine nyc . com ). Hit up Gong Cha for a refreshing bubble tea | | CONTINUED ON PAGE 141
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NUTS & BOLTS
Travel Time : Three-and-a-half to four hours from Providence .
Miles : 176 miles .
How to Get There : Amtrak ’ s Northeast Regional or high-speed Acela from the Providence train station to Penn Station ; or park your car at New Haven ’ s Union Station and take a Metro-North train into Grand Central Terminal .
Best Season to Go : Fall and spring have cooler temps , but summer has its appeal , too , if you avoid the sweltering subway . Go in the winter if you ’ re a fan of all things Christmas .
Bucket List for Next Time : The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Met Cloisters , home to the museum ’ s medieval collection .
Worth a Detour : Stop by the PEZ Visitor Center , just off Route I-95 in Orange , Connecticut , on your way back home to see PEZ memorabilia .
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CITY STORIES
Can ’ t visit quite yet ? Do some armchair traveling with these books set in New York City .
Here Is New York , E . B . White
Breakfast at Tiffany ’ s , Truman Capote
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn , Betty Smith
The Catcher in the Rye , J . D . Salinger
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing , Judy Blume
The Godfather , Mario Puzo Harriet the Spy , Louise Fitzhugh
American Psycho , Bret Easton Ellis
The Goldfinch , Donna Tartt Falling Man , Don DeLillo
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PHOTOGRAPHY ( CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ): COURTESY OF NYC AND CO ./ BRITTANY PETRONELLA ( STREET VIEW ); COURTESY OF NYC AND CO ./ MOLLY FLORES ( CENTRAL PARK ); COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY HOTEL ( HOTEL EXTERIOR ); GETTY IMAGES / VVOE VALE ( MUSEUM SIGNS ); GETTY IMAGES / VALERIJAP ( LIBRARY LION ); GETTY IMAGES / ND CITY SCAPE ( GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL ); ALL OTHER IMAGES BY DANA LAVERTY . |
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l OCTOBER 2022 75 |