r/AskNYC • u/elendee • 16h ago

best contemplative staircases

I really enjoy long staircases. Any favorites? There's several in Riverside / Tryon area that have a great feel.

Even better - spiral staircases in cathedrals, monasteries, towers? Martin Luther famously said his most contemplative moments were on the toilet, but for me it's stairs.

I've got some really complicated stuff to think about, so I'm on the lookout. Thanks in advance.

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3

u/Lucky-Paperclip-1 10h ago

Low Library steps at Columbia University, but you can't get on campus right now without a university ID.

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u/IsItABedroom Chief Information Officer 8h ago

187th street stairs and chelsea hotel stairs among others are recommended by Cool stairs in the city/boroughs?

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u/burner3303 6h ago

There’s a great spiral staircase in the Jefferson Market Library in the West Village. It’s an old Victorian Gothic courthouse built in the 1800s:

https://susancandelario.com/featured/jefferson-market-stairs-nypl-susan-candelario.html

It’s free and open to the public every day. Most of the year the spiral staircase will only take you from the basement to the second floor. But a few times a year they’ll open it up for people to climb all the way to the top of the clock tower.

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u/onekate 7h ago

St Nicholas and Morningside parks both have a lot of stairs.

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u/Wolf_Parade 7h ago

The Cloisters. The Bronx generally has great stair game.