Every great writer had something that inspired them; William Faulkner had the French Quarter, James Joyce the Northern Cross and Ernest Hemingway had Paris. Then there is New York City. Just about every great American writer in the last century has lived in the city, including Eugene O’Neil, Langston Hughes and H. P. Lovecraft.

All through the five boroughs that make up New York City, you’ll find numerous cafes and bars that are frequented by aspiring authors crunching their latest books and pieces on their laptops. While it’s easy to find Wi-Fi at every corner, where do you go to find inspiration? When no amount of coffee can get your imagination going, it’s time to take a legendary trip to one of the many genius-inspiring locations in New York City.

1. Brooklyn Heights Promenade

Brooklyn Heights Promenade waterfront walk takes you so close to the Manhattan skyline that it feels like you can literally just reach out and touch it. The pier, the Brooklyn Bridge, City Hall and the Battery are all within reach. While it’s a popular destination for rollerbladers, walkers and joggers, it still gives you a quiet space where you can just sit, enjoy the view and start writing – however, the winter wind coming off the water can stop your heart, so dress well.

2. The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

The building is part of NY’s public library system that has four large research libraries and 88 libraries spread out across Staten Island, Manhattan and the Bronx – you can find information on how to reach the boroughs on resources like the Liberty Cruise homepage. Often referred to as the main branch, the Stephen A. Shwarzman Building is home to a huge collection of books covering topics from archeology and anthropology to world history. The building is also famous for providing free and equal access to its facilities and resources.

If the third-floor reading room were not cheerful, it would look like the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Plus, the library is home to over 15 million items that include contemporary novels, dime novels, ancient Japanese scrolls, baseball cards and priceless medieval manuscripts. If you are looking for inspiration, this library has it!

3. The Cloisters

It doesn’t matter if you have never read Wired or an Umberto Eco novel; no writer can help but be touched by the monastic tranquility at The Cloisters at Fort Tryon Park. The chapel, galleries, and gardens make it the perfect getaway without leaving the island. While it is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this little getaway usually goes unnoticed by many visitors in the Big Apple – perhaps due to it being a 40-minute ride from the Manhattan center.

The Cloisters Museum and Gardens is a medieval sanctuary that is open to you for the price of whatever you want to donate. The best part is that The Cloisters is a careful mosaic with parts from various medieval European monasteries shipped into New York in the 1930s by robber-baron industrialists.

4. Alice in Wonderland in Central Park

Lewis Carroll, despite being a writer that was so sensitive and fanciful, never quit his day job of teaching undergraduate math. The inspiring bit is that Carroll did not die without his genius being recognised. Apparently, he became too famous for his own liking. If your day job is driving you up the wall, consider paying homage to Alice in Wonderland in Central Park, a tribute in the form of a statue to a brilliant writer who simply refused to grow up.

Like most sculptures, kids can touch, crawl and climb over Alice and friends. Over the decades, thousands of tiny feet and hands have polished parts of the statue smooth.

PLEASE PIN THIS POST:

This is a collaborative post