Hungry? It's Lunch Time!

Lunchtime.

It is so much a part of our lives, but has anyone ever really thought about it?

This midday meal has a history, and the New York Public Library is currently exhibiting Lunch Hour NYC discussing this very unique New York City phenomenon. 

It was probably one of the most interesting exhibits I've ever seen...

I read about it a few days ago on one of my favorite blogs, I Love Old NY, and I immediately made plans to go later that day.

First of all, I love the elegant NYPL building on 42nd and 5th Avenue. The place is dripping with ornamentation in classic Beaux-Arts style... When I walk in, I feel as if I'm entering into a palace. 

In a nutshell, the exhibit begins by explaining that historically, the largest meal of the day was eaten at midday and called dinner. This was the case in Europe, as well as in America, for centuries. However, when business, commerce and manufacturing took off in New York City at the start of the 20th century, people no longer had time to take a lengthy midday break, and instead would eat a smaller meal. This became known as lunch. 

Throughout the past century, lunchtime has taken on a unique role in New York City, more so than in any other part of the world.

Pretzels.

Hot Dog stands.

Pizza.

Delicatessens. 

Chinese takeout.

Sushi.

Each of these food items became famous in NYC, and Lunch Hour NYC traces them through the century and describes their significance. (Kinda cool, no? I never knew food could have so much of a history!).

My favorite part of the exhibit was the part about the Automat, a very unique self-service food apparatus:

You basically put a coin in a slot and then opened a door that held a single serving of the food you desired.

Automats were all over the city from the 1920s-1940s. They started closing in the 1950s when labor and food costs began to rise, making it difficult for Automat proprietors to maintain their commitment to fresh, elegant and cheap food. The last Automat closed in 1992.

I left the exhibit quite hungry... after all, I had just spent an hour looking at nothing but food!

There is so much to see in this exhibit and I highly recommend it. Make a day trip out of it and visit the Children's Center and Bryant Park while you're there.

If you can't make it to the exhibit, there is loads of information on their website: http://exhibitions.nypl.org/lunchhour/exhibits/show/lunchhour

Enjoy!

All photos are courtesy of the NYPL website.

Two for One

I noticed this today:

The Childrens Center and the Chryler Building in one picture.

So cool.

My Personal "Neverland"

I was in the neighborhood today and decided to drop in.
I subsequently found my new favorite urban retreat in New York City.

Credit: www.mommypoppins.com

I'm a kid at heart. That's about all I can say.

When first I entered the Children's Center at the New York Public Library on 42nd street, my whole demeanor changed. I was in wonderland.

First of all, the room is super colorful, and you know how much I love colors. Second, it is filled, from floor to ceiling, with PICTURE BOOKS!!

Credit: www.timeoutnewyorkkids.com

The Children's Center opened in November 2008, but I never made my way down there until today. Apparently, it is home to over 50,000 children's books, hundreds of CDs and DVDs, and even has an original Winnie the Poo bear.

I absolutely love the artwork on the walls - the murals depict landmarks of New York City.

Credit: www.timeoutnewyorkkids.com

I sat in the Children's Room for an hour (I could have stayed much longer, but real life was beckoning) reading picture books. Did you know that "the picture book" is a real form of literature? Well, it is. It takes quite a talent to write an amazing picture book.

credit: www.timeoutnewyorkkids.com

I focused on the picture books by Shel Silverstein (author of The Giving Tree) and Patricia Pollaco (wrote too many books to count, each one better than the next). I could have spent hours there perusing the shelves, reading and reading.

The Children's Center is located in the same building as the Rose Reading Room which I wrote about a few months ago. But I so much rather this world of children over the stuffy, rigid world of grown-ups ;-).

Maybe I shouldn't have called it wonderland. I think the Children's Room is my personal Neverland. Peter Pan, here I come!

Ghosts in the Library (or Studying Around Town)

I know that many of my readers are students like me who spend a lot of time studying. The nature of studying is to find a quiet place where you can study undisturbed. I've shlepped my notes to random places around NYC and have discovered some great places as a result.

I think the #1 studying spot for anyone in a big city (or small for that matter) is Starbucks. I know it's not an original place, but still... nothing beats Starbucks!

Credit: www.gourmet-coffee-cup.com

I am lucky to have a Starbucks directly across the street from my home, and I frequent it on a regular basis to do my school work. The best time? Early in the morning, or late at night. I tend to avoid mid-day because I can never find a seat.

If I find myself studying later than 10pm (when my Starbucks closes), I head uptown to Columbia University where they have a Starbucks open until 2am.


Recently, a friend directed me to the New York Public Library Rose Main Reading Room on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue. (The library with the lion statues on the outside):

Credit: www.mhpbooks.com

This room is exquisite!! I tried to find the best picture I could that would accurately show its elegance, but as with everything in life, you have to experience it in person to get the full effect.

The Rose Reading Room is the length of two city blocks, and weaves together old-world architectural elegance with modern technology. Long oak tables and brass lamps, marble arches and pillars, and the best of all - an amazing mural on the ceiling! Of course, there is free public wifi.

The room underwent a multi-million dollar restoration in 1998. The effects are magnificent. Although the quiet atmosphere is highly conducive to studying, its beauty and detail captivated me so much that I found myself getting distracted. Only once my eyes were satisfied was I able to focus on my work.


The first scene of the famous movie Ghostbusters was filmed in the NYPL Reading Room. Check out this hysterical spoof in the Reading Room by the brilliant group Improv Anywhere:





I think it is so cool that we have this spectacular room in the middle of the big city. It is definitely a haven from all the noise and dirt outside.

This library is located right next to Bryant Park, so you can head out there if you need a change of scenery.

Enjoy!