If you'd ask people on the streets in Manhattan the question "Do you like to live in New York City" .The answer you get wouldn't surprise you. Manhattan is very polarized place; either you like it or you don't, not many in between, though.  

It happens that I'd like this city because of its dynamics of culture, inspirational  intellectuals and these wonderful places such as Central Park, SoHo and its galleries , Lincoln Center, Theater District ,  Carnegie Hall, MoMA, and of course, The New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street .   

The library has awesome architecture, for instance, the impressive reading room 315 is 297 feet long, 79 feet wide with 52 feet high ceiling. Foremost, this library has a mountainous volume of books available right there waiting for readers to enjoy, and all free. I spend many hours there as other New Yorkers do.  Each time I sit there to read, I feel I am at peace like heaven on earth.  

I enjoy books and libraries, only parallel I can give for describing my likings towards them would be like this.  Supposing you let kids go to a candy store and tell them "Go ahead and knock yourself out for any candies you'd like". Their eyes would be brightened. They would be very excited .  That is what I think for books. 

In retrospect, my relish for reading was influenced by my parents, my father is a scientist and professor and my mom is an OB/GYN doctor. Both of them are avid readers. To my father there are three things that are dear to him, his undivided love to mom and his son, his devotion to his work and books. When I was about five years of old he would bring me to the library let me to sit next him and give me a picture or cartoon book to read. And then he would soak into his other dimensions. Occasionally I'd pull his cloth to let him know I'd like to go restroom or tired or want to go outside. He'd always put down his work at once and make me happy for what I'd like to have at that moment. Often on the way home from the library he would carry me on his back for few minutes and tell me a story or sing some song to me.  When I grew   I'd start to do my homework or read my favorite books next to him at library and try not to bother him. But he still stopped his reading or writing time to time smilingat me and asking me if I was ok or wanted to go outside for some activity. These were the great time we had together.  

Mom seemed always busy with her work at hospital, Lots of time she came home exhausted and sometime was sad. Dad would pull her over to him and let her head to rest on his shoulder  rubbing  her waist a bit on her back , making funny comments like   " I am wondering  why they were screaming at you not their husbands" or "it is such a small "opening" for unproportional object  to come  though, it’d totally defy the law of physics" I could tell that Dad's  words would soothe mom a lot and she would feel better and switch  her attention to me and ask  me how was I doing that day at school or the exams. When Mom had  days off she often brought me to anywhere I'd like go, and I'd  often choose parks and book stores. Both of these two places were her and Dad's favorites places as well. Mom herself is poetry fan who actually wrote many of poems herself as well.  Sometimes Mom, dad and I would read a poem altogether just  for fun.

To me books and libraries are one of the best contributions of humankind. Together they hold incalculable wealth of understanding and knowledge of the world we ever lived and dreamed of. If you ask me what things would worth to fight for?  I'd answer without hesitation "Love (family and romance), friendship("One for all and all for one") and books, granted freedom is there.