ˌɑːɹkɪtˈɛktʃɚɹəl hɪstˈoːɹiən hˈɛnɹi hˈoʊp ɹˈiːd dʒˌeɪˈɑːɹ. hɐz dᵻskɹˈaɪbd ðə mˈeɪn stˈɛɹz æz "ðɪ ˈoʊnli wˈʌnz ɪn nˈuː jˈɔːɹk fˈɪt fɚɹə kˈɑːɹdɪnəl".
Architectural historian Henry Hope Reed Jr. has described the main stairs as "the only [ones] in New York fit for a cardinal".