It’s free to go inside and despite the movie “The Day After Tomorrow” it remains fully intact! The solid marble architecture is grand, and there are free tours available too. Strangely, you hardly see any books in the library, but if you look at the building from the adjacent Bryant Park, the narrow windows that you see are where most of the books are kept. There are also storage areas under the park itself. The library is on 42nd Street at the junction 5th Avenue. This is an extract from our free New York City Guide.
The main entrance foyer at New York Public Library
The building is technically known as the Stephen A Schwarzman building of the New York Public Library. Free tours operate daily leaving from the sign in the entrance hall (Astor Hall) at 11am and 2pm Monday to Saturday and 2pm on Sunday. The tours last around 1 hour and we found it very informative and entertaining.
If you’re a fan of Sex & the City, Carrie attempted to marry “Big” in this building in the first movie. The area at the top of the right hand staircase in the Astor Hall (as you come through the main entrance) is where she discovers he’s not arrived. You also see Carrie run down this staircase when she decides to leave. If you love Sex & The City, see our special Sex and the City Filming Locations page and check out the highly rated Sex & The City Hotspots Tour. Free internet access is available in the library in the main reading room on the top floor (pictured below) although you will have to register first.
The books in the main reading room at New York Public Library
LOCATION & CONTACT
Address: New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018
Tel: +1 212 930 0650
MORE ON THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
Hotels near New York Public Library – Great rates from Hotels.com
New York Public Library – Tours
Wikipedia – NYPL page
Books on New York – Amazon.co.uk
Sex & The City Filming Locations – See our special page
Sex & The City Hotspots Tour - From our tours & activities pages
Buy the Sex & The City movie featuring NYPL – Amazon.co.uk
