Library Way

Yesterday I walked along Library Way and took a picture of each plaque in the sidewalk. They follow a path between Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue in front of the library on both sides of the street. The sayings are great. They are fairly well maintained. I’ve seen other areas with sidewalk plaques that are so full of gum you can’t see the picture! This is also a fairly quiet street. There weren’t a lot of people in the path while I took pictures.
I ended up with around 44 including street signs. Next I’m going to get over to the garment district. They have plaques with all the designer names kind of like Grauman’s Chinese Theater!

Keep your eyes down on this stretch of 41^st and brush up on your speed reading, preferably during rush hour.

Few Manhattan pedestrians, whether locals or tourists, are aware that this two-​block stretch — starting in the shadows of Grand Central Station and ending across the street from Patience and Fortitude, the lions guarding the entrance to the majestic main branch of the New York Public Library, contains a collection of ninety-​six bronze plaques, quoting forty-​five writers, imbedded in the sidewalk. The project — the brainchild of the Grand Central Partnership, a not-​for-​profit organization dedicated to revitalizing the midtown area — was started in the early 1990s and finally reached completion in May 2004, when it was dedicated by Mayor Bloomberg. Each one — selected from the works of an eclectic group that includes Marcus Aurelius, E.B. White, Willa Cather, and Tom Stoppard — includes artwork inspired by the text. Anyone intent on studying these for more than a brief moment is advised to do so on a Sunday, when foot traffic is minimal. To attempt to do so midweek will no doubt leave you trampled by impatient office workers frantic to eat and run errands during lunch hour or anxious to catch the train home.