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