NYPL’s beloved lions revealed after $270K restoration

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A good cleaning for Patience and Fortitude

After a $270,000 renovation, the scaffolding will come down from the New York Public Library’s iconic lions, Patience and Fortitude. After getting what the library has dubbed “the full spa treatment”—a laser cleaning, as well as patching up small cracks and fixing other minor issues—the majestic lions will be on full view to the public once again.

The massive marble sculptures have flanked either side of the library’s Fifth Avenue entrance since it opened in 1911; Patience is on its south side, and Fortitude on the north. The lions have gotten a bit of TLC every decade or so since then, but the last time they were cleaned was in 2011 around the building’s centennial. Exposure to all sorts of environmental stressors—pollution, wind and rain, people posing with them for photos—necessitated the most recent thorough cleaning.

And soon, they’ll be adorned with wreaths to celebrate the holiday season, which, improbably, is already upon us.

And in other news…

• President Donald Trump has declared his home in Palm Beach, Florida, rather than his Trump Tower penthouse, as his permanent residence—and Gov. Andrew Cuomo isn’t sad to see him leave New York.
• A historic Harlem fire tower has been returned to its rightful spot in Marcus Garvey Park.
• Cycling advocates want better bike infrastructure, including protected lanes, in black neighborhoods.
• Staten Island’s Richmond County Courthouse is turning 100.
• Rabsky Group filed plans for yet another building in Brooklyn, this one close to the firm’s larger parcel at the Broadway Triangle.
• The head of the city’s Economic Development Corporation isn’t bullish on e-scooters.
• And finally, who doesn’t love a New York City-themed Halloween costume? Gothamist found someone who dressed as the Port Authority Bus Terminal (the horror!) but we like this guy who created a three-dimensional Vessel: