18:The Public Library and Bryant Park

This week's walk was a short one, but a great one - around one of the city's most beautiful blocks.

The New York Public Library has been called the "greatest legacy of the city's Gilded Age" and a "marble beaux arts palace beloved be scholars, schoolchildren, and ordinary readers." More importantly, it was prominently featured in the movie "Ghostbusters."

The NYPL means business - you have to be quiet before you can even go inside. This "Quiet Zone" was on the sidewalk before reaching the library steps.

We had another guest BeeBopper this week - wooo! Meet Karen, another of Megan's lucky cousins. She was a great guest.

This week is also special because we are bidding a fond farewell to the purple hats (at least until next winter). We'll have something new and fun to wear next week ... I bet you can hardly wait!

Megan loved the NYPL lions and apparently is over her fear of getting in trouble (from who?) for climbing on public property. I'm not afraid - just generally more respectful. :)

Do you love the beautiful shrubbery around the inner library wall? Don't be fooled, it is painted on, just like Barbie's dream house.

Meg thought it would be great if this fountain man wore the hat - imagine her disappointment when he was just too tall.

The NYPL was kind of beautiful in the morning. It was closed, and still quite deserted. By lunchtime each day, these steps are filled with hundreds of lunchers.

Meg really likes the library. I was sad to miss the reading room, which in my three years here, I still have never seen. It is supposedly quite the sight!

Karen admiring the entrance portico.

See - I was on this walk! I was super sick this weekend and looked like a sad sack, so elected to be in as few photos as possible. Megan was happy to pick up the slack.

Here, the little men around the bottom of the library flagpole wear ALL the hats! It was one of Meg's finest ideas of the day.

She's a thinker. For those of you who don't know Meg personally, here's a tidbit - she's a math teacher! And a darn good one too. She is particularly fond of FOIL.

Here is where Meg started wanting to put the hat on everything. We tried to humor her, even when it wasn't very funny. :)

The purple hat fit Gertude Stein like a glove. We are now entering Bryant Park.

Here we are with William Cullen Bryant, a romantic poet, journalist and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post.

Isn't Bryant Park gorgeous? Bryant Park is directly behind the NYPL (all on the same city block). It is a popular lunch spot, has a nice grassy field for catching some sun, and shows free outdoor movies in the summer. During the holidays, they set up an ice rink here and a really festive holiday market. It is a fantastic park!

This is the Bryant Park Hotel and Meg's finger (she really likes to be in every photo). At the time, I just thought the black/gold combo looked interesting. Later, I read that it represents coal and fire and is modeled after Chicago's Tribune building.

Megan love, love, LOVED this tree lined sidewalk. It is even more lovely when it is leafy.

This is William Earl Dodge. As you can see, we hit the statue jackpot again this week.

Here is Meg, chillin' with Benito Juarez. The hat fit Benito very nicely.

Again, such a pretty park. It has come a long way since the 70's when it was nicknamed "Needle Park" and non-drug dealers and heroine addicts steered clear.

This fine gentleman is Jose Bonifacio de Andrada. I know nothing about him.

Last, but not least, is the Bryant Park Carousel. It is super cute when not so covered-up.

This AMAZING trimming store was not on the card, but it is one of my very favorite NYC craft spots, so we had to stop in. M&J Trimming is just a couple blocks south of Bryant Park, and is something to experience, even for those of you who aren't ribbon fanatics.