Writes & Bites: Bryant Park and building worlds

Welcome to Writes & Bites — a series where Creative Writing MFA student Arianna Gundlach will periodically review a place in New York City you could write at and tackle a writing topic that has been weighing on your mind. This week we look at Bryant Park located between 40th and 42nd Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Midtown Manhattan.

Hello, festive readers and writers. I’ve been expecting you.

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the week of Thanksgiving break. Whether you’re traveling home to be with your loved ones or staying in the city, I have a writing spot for you to enjoy while you’re here or when you’re back.

Stepping out of the Times Square–42nd Street station, you start to catch a glimpse of Bryant Park’s airy yellow-green trees nestled behind the New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman building. Walk farther down 41st Street and see the park’s iconic bronze and black granite fountain with its grand water display. You climb the steps to join the scene of park-goers, skaters, foodies, and early Christmas shoppers. The scent of heavenly, sweet cinnamon washes over you, and instantly you’re certain that this will be your happy place for the day.

During the warmer months, park-goers are captivated by Bryant Park’s free open space, vast greenery, and extensive seating whether in a chair or on a picnic blanket. You can even get fantastic views from the Schwarzman building’s Rooftop Terrace, which overlooks the park. Food and drink options are numerous, including sit-down (e.g. Bryant Park Grill) and grab-and-go (e.g. Joe Coffee Company) locations. L’OR Porch is particularly charming with its twinkle lights and cozy outdoor seating complete with a porch swing.

Although Bryant Park is already a hive of activity — host to many exciting seasonal performances, fitness classes, and literary events — the winter season is a particular treat with the stunning Bank of America Winter Village. And what inspires writers more than a good cup of hot chocolate and walking-talking character studies?

Past the fountain and up another set of steps to the carpeted blue landing, you enter a winter wonderland.  You’ll find a 17,000-square-foot ice skating rink (completely free with your own skates) with eager skaters waiting on the sidelines as the zamboni “powered by hot chocolate” takes another spin around the ice. A decked-out Christmas tree and reservable cozy, but pricey, igloos sit at the end of the rink. To your far left is The Lodge, an open-air holiday bar and food hall, where you can pretend for just a minute that you’re part of a meet-cute from a Hallmark holiday movie. Surrounding the rink, and the park itself, is the holiday market with tantalizing, mouthwatering goodies to eat and gifts to buy.

And of course there’s the reliable Bryant Park seating — signature bistro chairs with steel-frames and fitted wooden slates, painted in a custom shade of Bryant Park Green. With the free public Wi-Fi, you have the option of working on your laptop or by hand in a notebook; I’d suggest the latter, so as not to disconnect too much from the wonderfulness around you. If you’re looking for inspiration, I recommend taking a seat by the rink to watch skaters who swirl around with such confidence and those who fall and laugh and get back up. Both present interesting characters for you to consider. If you already have something to work on and want to delve into your own little world, I recommend getting a seat by The Chalet or inside The Lodge.

So much is at your fingertips, and you can’t go wrong with what you decide to do first. But make sure to get there early before the shops open (11 a.m.), so if you’re somewhat people-phobic like me, then you won’t get caught in the throng of slow-moving shoppers. And try to get your shopping done before Jan. 2 when the holiday market closes.

The “European inspired open-air market, Holiday Shops” offers over 180 vendors including awe-inspiring artisans, scrumptious eateries, and quirky craftsmen. Each stall is complete with its own unique, branded interior from pink washed walls and disco balls at Mure + Grand to the chicken portraits hanging in the back of Crispy Chick. But with all the options, what’s actually worth your time and money?

Max Brenner’s Italian hot chocolate ($6 small/$8 large) is a must-buy—it’s the chocolatiest hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. If you want to live out your 2000s teen movie makeover dreams, head to NYC Touch to try on their gloves, hats, scarves, and earmuffs to complete your winter wardrobe. Book Page Art is a must-see; their small booth is lined with art from upcycled book pages ($25/each) including classics like “The Wizard of Oz,” children’s (and adult) favorites like “Harry Potter,” theater obsessions like “Hamilton,” and fantasy bestsellers like “A Court of Thorn and Roses.” They have a great buy two, get one free sale going on — it’s almost impossible to leave their booth without buying something.

That said, it’s imperative to visit the Winter Village when you have some money to spend — even if it’s just for hot chocolate — or you’ll be doing a lot of sad window shopping.

Between the skating, walking, and wandering, the Winter Village provides an excellent opportunity for writing in your head, which is a great way to jump-start scenes. Some of the best ideas come from this technique because there’s less pressure when you’re just taking in your surroundings and not staring down the barrel of a blank page.

Despite glimmering skyscrapers towering above the park, the sensory details make you disappear into another world. You hear birds chirping, families laughing, friends talking, dates hopefully going well (or potentially bombing), and water flowing from the fountain. The ambient noises are present, but not distracting — the atmosphere is surprisingly quieter than many cafes I’ve visited in the city. 

Wandering through the park, you smell a strange but intoxicating mix of rich hot chocolate being poured into cups and ooey-gooey cheese stirred into pasta sauce and drizzled on top of fry baskets. Maybe you weren’t hungry when you arrived, but you certainly are now. A welcoming warmth flushes your face as you step up to the vendors and inside the shops — a nice break from the chill descending upon the city.

The sounds, smells, sights, tastes, and touches of Bryant Park make it an astounding sensory experience, where you can’t help but leave happy. Sensory details make an experience, and in writing they can make or break a well-crafted world.

Worldbuilding isn’t restricted to fantasy — all settings, even if they’re contemporary, have certain rules and should be grounded in specifics. Think about a high school. This may seem like a setting that writes itself, but that’s not exactly the case. The sinister Westerburg High in “Heathers” is a lot different from the peppy East High in “High School Musical.” 

Pay attention to word choice, specificity, and consistency. Without these clear distinctions, the reader will project their own experience onto your setting. In worldbuilding, you need to play the delicate game of controlling the vision without it feeling too controlling.

Think about the details that are imperative to understanding the world. They shouldn’t be frivolous or just “fluff.” Descriptions of exterior scenery start the groundwork, but you should also consider social hierarchies, culture, clothing, language, and history. You may need to create systems of magic or daily activities at a summer camp. Tyra Ann-Marie Wilson, a brilliant MFA friend of mine, created seven calendars for her story that was set at a summer camp. Not all these rules may end up in your book — readers usually only get the tip of the iceberg — but you need to make readers believe that you do have all the answers.

While mapping out all the rules is helpful and gives you a strong footing in your world, don’t let it inhibit you from getting words down. If you feel it becoming a frustration, put it aside for a little bit and just write. Then go back in later and insert the logistics.

Remember that your worldbuilding isn’t info-dumping. Make sure the included descriptions and details are organic and inherent to a scene or your character’s headspace. Don’t dump background information about your world simply to have it there. It needs a purpose, just like everything else in your story. 

Creating a playlist may help keep your world’s tone consistent and looking through Pinterest mood boards may reignite the imagery for a world you’ve been having trouble visualizing. For fantasy maps, you can even try the rice trick (pouring out rice and drawing the outline) or use an online map generator.

So when you find yourself at Bryant Park, breathe in the cinnamon, feel the crisp winter air, take a sip of Max Brenner’s hot chocolate, and just absorb everything around you. Think about the nitty gritty of what makes Bryant Park and inject this into your own world. With the right details, the world you’re imagining in your head can be built on the page.

Bryant Park

Between 40th and 42nd Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues

https://bryantpark.org/

https://bryantpark.org/activities/bank-of-america-winter-village-at-bryant-park

Commute 12 minutes from the UC via subway (F/M). Subway stations nearby:   Times Square–42 Street (N/Q/R/S/W/1/2/3/7) 42nd Street–Bryant Park/Fifth Avenue(B/D/F/M/7)   Grand Central–42 Street (S/4/5/6/7)	Hours November-December Mon-Wed: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Thurs-Sun: 7 a.m.-12 a.m.. Ice Skating Rink Daily: 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Nov-Dec weekends and holidays: 8 a.m.-12 a.m. Holiday Shops Mon-Fri: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat-Sun: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Tech Public Wi-Fi available. Laptop-friendly. Holiday Shops accept cash, card, and tappable pay.	Layout Winter Village (seasonal offering): ice skating rink (free admission, $ skate rental, reservation required), Holiday Shops (food and merchandise), The Lodge Bar + Food Hall, Cozy Igloos ($$$), Curling Cafe & Bar ($$$).
Gems People-watching hot spot; iconic fountain; reliable seating; Max Brenner’s hot chocolate; Book Page Art stall; Christmas tree photo op.	Noise Level Somewhat noisy.
Atmosphere Decent amount of seating around fountain and ice skating rink and inside The Lodge. Quieter and calmer before 11 a.m.	Rating 3/4 Stars – based on The New York Times star system: “ratings range from zero to four stars. Zero is poor, fair or satisfactory. One star, good. Two stars, very good. Three stars, excellent. Four stars, extraordinary.”
Be Aware Holiday market closes on Jan. 2. Ice skating rink closes on Mar. 3. Public restroom is located on the northeast corner of the park by 42nd St.