Study, Explore, and Stay Curious

"I had a really disappointing and honestly upsetting experience at the Mulberry Street NYPL location. I was dealing with an emergency Wi-Fi issue at home and urgently needed a quiet place nearby to take a short 30-minute school meeting before heading to other obligations in the area. Since no space was available in the adult section, and the teen area was completely empty, I briefly sat there just to finish my meeting. During that time, an older male staff member in the teen area approached me in an extremely aggressive and rude way. Instead of calmly explaining the policy, he raised his voice, interrupted my meeting, and made me feel genuinely threatened and unsafe. As a person of color, the interaction felt especially disrespectful and intimidating. There was no need for the level of hostility I experienced, especially given the circumstances and the fact that the space was empty. The only positive part of this visit was one librarian on the second floor who kindly allowed me to finish the last 5 minutes of my meeting and thoughtfully let me know about other NYPL locations that offer quiet rooms. I truly appreciated her professionalism and empathy. Unfortunately, that one kind interaction was overshadowed by how rude and hostile the lower-level staff were. Based on this experience, I would strongly recommend avoiding this location if you need a welcoming or respectful environment."

"📍 The New York Public Library's Mulberry Street branch is located at the site of a former chocolate factory in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, historically known as the Cast Iron District. The branch entrance is located at ground level, and two other floors are located below ground. ★★★★★"

"This is a smaller library with less seating and tables for those hoping to visit and do work on their laptop/notebook. According to the NYPL policy, The children’s floor is only for children and accompanying parents, and the Teens section is only for those 19 and younger. While I understand the necessity for dedicated spaces for children and teens, it can also be frustrating when there is ample tables and seats at certain times of the day, such as an hour to 1.5 hrs before closing, and there is almost no one using those spaces. Nevertheless the “adults” sections tend to remain packed and sometimes it can feel difficult to get a seat let alone a table. I feel maybe it would make sense to let others to use those spaces if there is no one else there, and then when it gets full people would be able to give up their seat for teens/children. Not an easy solution to fix but not an ideal policy either tbh. From my visit to this branch recently, I’ve found that I would prefer to instead go to other NYPL branches that are larger and allow for more visitors. Overall, not the best experience and honestly not sure if I will ever come back to this location."

"Tucked away from the busy streets of SoHo, the Mulberry Street Library is easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. It’s charming and relatively small, with a ground floor and two lower levels. There was a mix of people—some working, some reading, families with kids, and others just escaping the cold. We stopped in to kill time between activities in the area and ended up reading for a bit, which made it feel like a genuine neighborhood space rather than a tourist stop. A good option if you’re looking for a quiet reset without committing to a long stay."

"I have a fondness for quiet, low populated and dark places and this library hits all three. Most of the library is underground, with a basement and subbasement making up the bulk of the space. Even the library building itself is tucked away on a side street. Staff is friendly, computers are limited though. A small but good collection of books, so you may have to settle for your second choice. Space in the classrooms is limited but if you have your own computer their usually willing to let you in. A small but charming library, good for sitting and getting work done."