Mulberry Street Library | Manhattan, NY

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.

Posted on: January 18, 2026

I’m leaving this review about the New York Public Library – SoHo Mulberry Street branch. I called in and spoke with a woman at the desk, and she was super helpful and really clear on the phone. She tried her best, but she couldn’t figure out what I meant when I asked her to confirm the exact location of a bakery called Martin Auer at 285 Lafayette Street, which I was told should be right by the corner near the Mulberry Street Library. I also mentioned that I couldn’t find any landline listing for the bakery in the 411 directory, and that threw me off a bit, because the grocery and bakery brand is pretty well known and is trying to break into the Manhattan market. Generally I would recommand to take a visit at this mind-catching library - not only for astral entities and angels. Maybe, they could try to enrich their guides with an advertisement for this near located bakery for combining harmony, information needs and mind-catching coffee breaks.

Posted on: December 05, 2025

📍 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. ★★★★★

Posted on: October 04, 2025

I've never had a more unpleasant or unwelcoming experience at a library. My boyfriend and I visited for the first time and were unsure where to sit. When I asked a staff member at the children’s floor, if we could sit anywhere, she abruptly said “Nope!” without offering any further clarification. The man working at the last floor told us we couldn’t sit in the area we chose and told us "you could sit there, I guess" and pointed us to a room at the back. When I tried to open a library card afterwards, the same male staff member mumbled through the process, making it hard to understand him, it almost felt like he was purposely trying to speak even lower, and he even let someone cut ahead of my boyfriend in line while he was also trying to open a library card. The process for my application only took about 3-5 minutes but he told my boyfriend to wait and step aside while he let the woman behind us skip him, her request ended up taking longer than what opening his library card would've taken. Overall, the staff were dismissive and unhelpful, leaving us feeling uncomfortable. I was excited to get a library card, but instead, I left disappointed and ready to leave as soon as possible.

Posted on: October 12, 2025

I had a great experience at the library while working on paperwork, scanning, and printing, thanks to the kindness and diligence of Charlie at the front desk. People like him make NYPL feel like a space for enrichment and empowerment. Thank you, Charlie!

Posted on: January 25, 2026