The Cherry on Top: The New York Public Library

Today I was walking aimlessly around the city when I came across the New York Public Library on 42nd Street & 5th Ave. The building is massive, and although I've posed for a few pictures on the outside steps before, I never actually explored the insides of it yet. Lately, I've been meaning to find a good place to snuggle up with my Macbook and heard the library has plenty of creativity-inspiring rooms, so I decided to check it out.

I walk two steps into the building and I literally have to catch my jaw as it plummets to the floor. It is absolutely beautiful inside. The stairs, the floor, the ceiling, the doors, the hinges - every little part of the structure exudes some type of beauty. I notice in front of me is a room with an exhibit of some sort; curiosity pushes me in.

Lunch. I see displays all around the room about...lunch. Yeah, I thought it was weird too. Again lead by my curiosity, I begin to read. Picture after picture, description after description, I'm sucking in all of the information spattered around the room. Before I know it, an hour has passed and I learned more about the evolution of lunch in America, specifically New York City, than I knew about the Civil War.

Oh yes, it's your lucky day...Cool Lunch fact regurgitation time!

Cool Lunch Facts:

The Lunch Hour was essentially founded in New York City (between hours of 12pm & 2pm) by the working people in the city. Prior to the establishment of "a lunch hour," dinner was the main focus of the day, and any snack you ate before dinner was considered "lunch," as was any snack you after after dinner. Lunch didn't actually become the meal we know and love today until the workers in NYC normalized the feeding between 12pm & 2pm.
Cafeteria style lunches began in New York City - this style of dining became so successful that cafeteria style restaurants starting popping up in other cities around the country as well.
Automat lunches and Automat coffee were all the rave. You'd put in a nickel to this Jetsons-esque machine, open the door, and take out your sandwich, pie, or coffee. Think of it like an old-fashioned, yet quailty-food, vending machine...or something that George Jetson might have used.

Side note: You know life is getting weird when you realize a show about the future feels out-dated.

Women were dieting even back then! Although the mindset back then used to be a lot less Christina Aguilera - "You're Beautiful"...you'll know what I mean when you see the photo from the magazine below that reads, "Nice People Don't Eat"...
"Quick Lunch" was very popular amongst New Yorkers - it was said that restaurant quality was not determined by quality of food, rather, how quickly they could serve their patrons.

Automat Coffee - the machine even sings. Really.

Strawberry jam on a raft? Yes, please!

iPhone users - zoom in to read! Somewhat useless, yet interesting facts about Automat coffee!

"Nice people don't eat..." I don't know who wrote that article, but what I do know is that when I don't eat, "Nice" is not the word most people would use to describe me and/or my behavior.

The Automat Sandwich machine...nothin' like food sitting in metal cabinets to really ramp up my appetite!

"Should I eat dessert?"....All women everywhere justifying the answer "yes" since 1898.

More Automat Food Fun!

I posted this to merely point out that people used to eat lunch for a dime. I now eat lunch for 100 dimes.

Fancy lunchboxes from back in the day.

When I leave the Lunch exhibit, I head straight for what quickly becomes my favorite part of the entire library - "The Rose Room" - an amazingly, creative, inspiring room that is uber quiet, bright, and beautiful! Shhhhhhhhh!! ....Pictures below!