I’ve learned a few things since moving to Buffalo. The most important one is that if you can’t see the road, you shouldn’t be driving on it, wherever you’re going will still be there tomorrow, along with the road. The other thing is to appreciate Spring, when and if it comes. After months of bitter cold, black morning and ubiquitous snow, Spring seems like a miracle. It is unlike your birthday or Christmas because you never know when it will arrive - technically this is the 3rd week of Spring but yesterday I drove home in hail and snow. BUT when the birds start singing and the sun turns its face towards us, it is an unparalleled pleasure. The warm air and shining sun draw people out of their caves like a magnet to thaw their frozen souls.
As a Buffalo Bibliophile, I long for the days when it is warm enough to sit outside and read, a simple, delightful pleasure. In between chapters, or while I’m mulling over some great thought, I watch the cats loll in the sun, the squirrels race up the trees and the birds flit through the trees. But imagine spending the day in Manhattan at Bryant Park. Forget squirrels and birds (although there are plenty of them to see), this park is packed with old fashioned fun and spectacular people watching. I arrived at Bryant Park through the side door when I stepped off 40th Street into the “Reading Room”, which is exactly what it sounds like, a tree lined outdoor space decorated with tables and chairs, complete with library carts and stands that offer books, newspaper and magazine for everyone to enjoy. HSBC announces their sponsorship on red umbrellas that protect the tables and volunteers supervise the book carts. It is a peaceful, no smoking, yes thinking zone right in the middle of the city.
As a Buffalo Bibliophile, I long for the days when it is warm enough to sit outside and read, a simple, delightful pleasure. In between chapters, or while I’m mulling over some great thought, I watch the cats loll in the sun, the squirrels race up the trees and the birds flit through the trees. But imagine spending the day in Manhattan at Bryant Park. Forget squirrels and birds (although there are plenty of them to see), this park is packed with old fashioned fun and spectacular people watching. I arrived at Bryant Park through the side door when I stepped off 40th Street into the “Reading Room”, which is exactly what it sounds like, a tree lined outdoor space decorated with tables and chairs, complete with library carts and stands that offer books, newspaper and magazine for everyone to enjoy. HSBC announces their sponsorship on red umbrellas that protect the tables and volunteers supervise the book carts. It is a peaceful, no smoking, yes thinking zone right in the middle of the city.
The reading room has a long, proud tradition at the park. The New York Public Library opened the space, then called ‘The Open Air Library’, in 1935 during the Depression. The city desperately needed a place for unemployed people to go during the day that required no money and offered some hope. The Open Air Library didn’t ask for a valid address, a library card or id - but it offered a safe haven for thousands who longed for a way to stay productive with no job prospects in sight. In the 30s the library had books from Central Library, donated magazines and newspapers, a few book cases and a beach umbrella for the five librarian’s who kept things running smoothly. When it rained all the materials were stowed away in a waterproof chest and everyone took cover. The space was opened everyday, expect Sunday, from morning to mid-evening. When the war started in 1944 the reading room was closed and the readers got back to work.
The reading room was re-opened in 2003 as a Bryant Park Restoration Corporation Project. The executive director, Dan Beiderman, notes, “in a bad time, it's nice to have a good book, and a nice place to read it.” The private, not-for-profit corporation took control of Park, which is located behind NYPL, after signing a 15 year contract in 1988. It took four years for BPC to restore the neglected space and create the present oasis. According to the BPC website, it is the largest public/private partnership project in the nation and NO TAX money is used to support the space which is an urban playground with everything from soup to nuts... restaurants, educational events & speakers, chess, backgammon, yoga, ping pong, petanque, fountains, an ice rink, holiday shopping, monuments, a carousel and WI-FI...and, of course, you didn’t forget the Reading Room or the NYPL. I think I’ve found a new definition of heaven on earth.
How’d you like a private tour with Matthew Broderick (I highly recommend it), he’ll even stop in the Reading Room and read John Reed’s poem, “America in 1918”, to you, at least he did for me. He offers a fascinating narrative, full of tidbits as he makes his way around the park. Prefer to wander on your own? Click on the interactive map to get a sense for what the park has to offer.
Check out their mission statement...how can they go wrong? It’s a win-win-win situation.
“to create a rich and dynamic visual, cultural and intellectual outdoor experience for New Yorkers and visitors alike; to enhance the real estate values of its neighbors by continuously improving the park; to burnish the park's status as a prime NYC tourist destination by presenting a meticulously maintained venue for free entertainment events; and to help prevent crime and disorder in the park by attracting thousands of patrons, at all hours, thus fostering a safe environment.”
Has anyone told Buffalo about this?
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