The New York Public Library steps on Fifth Avenue are one of those places in Manhattan that people rush past every day without ever stopping. That is a mistake. Whether you are visiting the city for a week or have lived here for years, these steps are worth your time.
Here is everything you need to know about one of New York’s best spots for watching the city go by.
Where the Steps Are and How to Get There
The steps sit at the front of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the main branch of the New York Public Library, on Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets in Midtown Manhattan. This is the branch most people picture when they think of the NYPL — the grand Beaux-Arts building with the stone lions out front.
The nearest subway stations are 42nd Street–Bryant Park (B, D, F, M trains) and 5th Avenue–Bryant Park (7 train). From either station it is a short walk. You cannot miss it.
If you are walking from Grand Central Terminal, it takes about ten minutes on foot heading west along 42nd Street. From Times Square, walk east along 42nd Street and the library is on your left.
The Lions: Patience and Fortitude
Before you reach the steps, you will pass two marble lion sculptures flanking the entrance. They were created by sculptor Edward Clark Potter and unveiled in 1911, the same year the library opened.
For the first few decades, the lions had different names. They were called Leo Astor and Leo Lenox, after John Jacob Astor and James Lenox, two of the library’s founding benefactors. That changed during the Great Depression, when Mayor Fiorello La Guardia renamed them Patience and Fortitude — the qualities he felt New Yorkers needed to get through tough times. The names stuck, and they have been Patience and Fortitude ever since.
The lions are a popular photo spot, but it is worth pausing to look at them properly. The detail in the carving is exceptional. At Christmas, the library sometimes places seasonal wreaths around their necks.
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What Makes the Steps Worth Stopping At
The steps themselves are broad and shallow, which makes them comfortable to sit on. On a sunny day in spring or autumn, you will find a cross-section of Manhattan life spread out in front of you: office workers eating lunch, tourists with cameras, students with books, delivery cyclists threading through traffic on the avenue below.
The view from the steps looks straight down Fifth Avenue. On a clear day you can see south towards the Empire State Building. The avenue in front of you is one of the busiest in the world, yet somehow the steps feel slightly removed from it — raised just enough above street level to give you a sense of perspective.
It is a good spot simply to watch the city work. New York moves fast, and the steps give you a place to sit still while everything rushes past. There is no particular reason you need to be there, and that is exactly the point.
The Library Itself
Do not just sit on the steps. Go inside.
The Schwarzman Building is free to enter. You do not need a library card, and you do not need to be researching anything. Just walk in.
The main draw is the Rose Main Reading Room on the third floor. It is 297 feet long, 78 feet wide, and has a ceiling 52 feet high, decorated with large painted murals representing the sky, clouds, and classical figures. The room was renovated and reopened in 2016 after a two-year closure for structural repairs. It is one of the finest rooms in New York, and most people who have not been inside do not know it exists.
The building also runs a rotating programme of exhibitions on the ground floor and lower level, most of them free. These cover art, history, literature, and New York City history in particular. Check the library website before you visit to see what is currently on.
When to Visit
The Schwarzman Building is open to the public throughout the week. Standard opening hours are as follows:
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10am to 6pm
- Tuesday and Wednesday: 10am to 8pm
- Sunday: 1pm to 5pm
Hours can change for public holidays and events, so it is worth checking ahead if you are visiting on a bank holiday or around a major date in the calendar. The library is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
The steps themselves are an outdoor public space and can be used any time the area is accessible. The best time to sit on them is during library opening hours when the surrounding streets are at their most active. Midweek mornings are quieter than weekend afternoons if you want a more relaxed experience.
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Bryant Park: Just Behind the Building
One thing many visitors do not realise is that Bryant Park sits directly behind the library. You can walk through the building to access it, or go around the block on 40th or 42nd Street.
Bryant Park is a well-maintained public green space with moveable chairs and tables set across the lawn. In summer it hosts a free outdoor film series on Monday evenings, which draws large crowds. In winter it has an ice rink and a popular holiday market. The park also has clean public toilets, which is worth knowing given how scarce those are in Midtown Manhattan.
The combination of the library steps and Bryant Park makes for a good two or three hours, especially on a fine day. Pick up something to eat from one of the park kiosks, then find a spot on the library steps or in the park itself.
The Filming Location You Have Probably Seen
If the library looks familiar from screen, it is because it has appeared in dozens of films and television productions. The steps and the building’s exterior are a particularly recognisable backdrop.
Notable appearances include Ghostbusters (1984), where the team’s first ghost encounter happens inside the library, with basement reading rooms and the card catalogue featured in the opening sequence. The Day After Tomorrow (2004) uses the building as a refuge from extreme weather and floods the front steps dramatically. The library also features in the first Sex and the City film in a significant plot moment, and has appeared across dozens of other productions over the decades.
The Ghostbusters connection in particular has made the library a pilgrimage stop for film fans, some of whom visit primarily for that reason.
Practical Notes Before You Go
- There is no charge to enter the library or to sit on the steps
- The nearest public toilets are inside the building and in Bryant Park
- Food and drink are not allowed inside the library, but you can eat on the steps
- The area gets very busy at lunchtime on weekdays — allow for this if you are in a hurry
- Photography is permitted inside the building, though flash photography is discouraged in the reading rooms
- The library has a gift shop with a good selection of New York–themed books and prints
Getting the Most Out of Your Visit
If you are visiting the library and steps as part of a broader Midtown itinerary, they sit comfortably within a route that also takes in Grand Central Terminal, the Chrysler Building, and Bryant Park — all within easy walking distance of each other.
Allow at least an hour if you plan to go inside, and longer if there is a current exhibition you want to see. The Rose Main Reading Room alone is worth spending time in. For the steps themselves, even 15 minutes gives you a feel for the spot. But if the weather is good and you are in no rush, there is no reason to leave quickly. The city keeps moving regardless.
The library is one of those New York landmarks that rewards people who treat it as somewhere to spend time rather than just tick off a list. The steps are the start of that. Sit down. Watch the city. Go in when you are ready.
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Image: Vincent Desjardins via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)