Bryant Park is a 9.6-acre public park located in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Just blocks from Times Square and the Theater District and mere feet from the New York Public Library, the park is an ideal resting spot for the thousands of tourists and residents who pass by its boundaries each day. Highlights include the Benito Juárez Monument, the Gertrude Stein Statue, the Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, the Jose Bonifacio De Andrada E Silva Statue, the Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial Fountain and the William Earl Dodge sculpture.
This European-style public park, with ample seating, a symmetrical design, and well-kept trees and lawns is watched over by a massive branch of the New York Public Library. The rehabilitation of the park recaptured a derelict public space by introducing amenities, careful interventions in the landscape and proper maintenance. To draw pedestrian traffic, hedges were removed and openings made in the central lawn's balustrade. New entrances and ramps to the north and south were added, and access points were altered to encourage easy visitation. The park is anchored by four neoclassical food kiosks and the grand-café style Bryant Park Grill and Café, allowing patrons to dine inside, outside and on a roof terrace. These amenities have become a permanent part of the New York Public Library's landscaped perimeter, unanimously approved by the Landmarks Commission and universally praised by visitors.
Aerial view of the park and the New York Public Library at night
The park is an ideal resting spot for thousands of tourists and residents who pass by its boundaries each day
The lawn in Bryant Park
Outdoor cafes and marketspaces
Canopy of tall trees
Though it is owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Bryant Park is managed by the private not-for-profit organization Bryant Park Corporation
The park was rebuilt between 1988-1992
The park is cited as a model for the success of public-private partnerships
The park hosts several events, including a seasonal "Winter Village" with an ice rink and shops
Bryant Park is used mostly as a passive recreation space, and lacks active sports facilities
Entrance to the grillhouse
The eastern half of Bryant Park is occupied by the Main Branch of the New York Public Library