The Library's rear terrace, designed by Thomas Hastings includes classical ornaments such as garlands, urns, and ram's heads. This is the site of the William Cullen Bryant Memorial. Bryant (1794-1878) was a newspaper editor, one of America's most popular poets, and a civic improver who led the campaign to create Central Park. Herbert Adams, one of the best New York sculptors of his period, created the bronze figure of Bryant. The memorial was dedicated in 1911, at the completion of the library.

Samm Kunce's massive glass, stone, and marble mosaic fills the 42nd St station's main corridor. The Main Library in Bryant Park is right above the station, and Kunce chose to work a literary thread into the piece, which incorporates quotations from writers as diverse as James Joyce and Carl Jung. An MTA Arts for Transit project.

This European-style public park, with ample seating, a symmetrical design, and well-kept trees and lawns is watched over by a massive branch of the New York Public Library. The rehabilitation of the park recaptured a derelict public space by introducing amenities, careful interventions in the landscape and proper maintenance. To draw pedestrian traffic, hedges were removed and openings made in the central lawn's balustrade. New entrances and ramps to the north and south were added, and access points were altered to encourage easy visitation. The park is anchored by four neoclassical food kiosks and the grand-café style Bryant Park Grill and Café, allowing patrons to dine inside, outside and on a roof terrace. These amenities have become a permanent part of the New York Public Library's landscaped perimeter, unanimously approved by the Landmarks Commission and universally praised by visitors.