Fifth Avenue in New York City
Overview of the Fifth Avenue:
Fifth Avenue is a major street in the center of Manhattan in New York City in the United States of America. The part of Fifth Avenue that crosses Midtown Manhattan, especially the area between the 49thStreet and 60th Street is known for its very famous and prestigious shops that are considered and ranked among the most expensive shopping streets in the world.
However, the rank of the “most expensive street in the world” differs based on currency fluctuations and the local economic conditions of the country from one year to another.
For many years from the middle of the 1990s, the shopping area between the 49th Street and the 57th Street was ranked as the district with the world’s most expensive retail spaces on the basis of the cost per square foot andin 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Fifth Avenue Street as the most expensive street in the world.
The American Planning Association (APA) did a list of “2012 Great Places in America” and Fifth Avenue was announced to be one of the greatest streets to be visited in the United States. This historic and famous street is home to extraordinary stores, businesses, museums, luxury apartments and parks.
Almost all upscale retailers have a prestigious store located in that street. However not all of the Fifth Avenue is mainly for shopping. At the area of the Central Park Fifth Avenue becomes a more residential street having a large number of interesting museums.
Location of the Fifth Avenue:
Fifth Avenue starts from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village and extends northwards to the heart of Midtown, across the eastern side of Central Park, where it makes the boundary of the Upper Eastern Side and through Harlem, where it ends at the Harlem River at the 142nd Street.
Shopping at the Fifth Avenue:
As mentioned above, shopping is one of the most important activities that can be carried out in the Fifth Avenue. There are shopping opportunities on Fifth Avenue that satisfy every person’s needs and taste.
If you are a fashion admirer tourist in New York City, shopping at the New York shops at the Fifth Avenue is definitely a must during your stay in New York. Shopping in Fifth Avenue is a totally different and memorable experience. So whether you are searching for the latest fashions, souvenirs, or useful housewares, New York outlets on Fifth Avenuewill suit every budget and taste.
If you are a woman, you will enjoy and love buying and shopping at the extremely famous stores like the famous Saks Fifth Avenue, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Emanuel Ungaro, Versace, Ferragamo andBergdorf-Goodman.
If you are a man, you will definitely enjoy the very famous Apple Store and the NBA store. You can also check out Bergdorf Men and enjoy shopping for what you need.
If you are a man or a woman and you are looking for something sparkly or shining you can definitely head to the displays at Harry Winston – jeweler or Cartier, Tiffany and Company, Bulgari, Arpels,Fortunoff or Van Cleef.
If you have kids, you still can enjoy your time and make them enjoy their time as well and buy their needs at the stupendous displays at FAO Schwartz, one of the largest toy stores in the world.
You can find a map with the names of all the stores and shops located there on many touristic websites like the websites:
http://www.nyctourist.com/shopping_fifthave.htm
http://www.visit5thavenue.com/
Museums at the Fifth Avenue:
Fifth Avenue is not only a shopping street. At the Central Park, which borders Fifth Avenue, the street becomes more of a residential street where a lot of palatial homes, historic buildings and grand churches exist.
The district between the 82nd and the 104th streets is known as the “Museum Mile” where a lot of museums exist.
At the 19th and early 20 century a lot of wealthy industrials settled at the Fifth Avenue where they built beautiful mansions with views over the Central Park. Many of these fabulous buildings are now home to museums.
Examples of some of the most famous museums at the Fifth Avenue:
– The National Academy Museum was once a home belonging to the philanthropist Archer Huntington.
– The Frick Collections Museum was previously a mansion owned by the steel magnate Henry Clay Frick.
– Also the Museum of the City of New York is housed in a beautiful palatial residence that dates back to the year 1932.
– The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum was once a mansion owned by the steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie.
– The most famous among all the museums at the Fifth Avenue are the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum.The Metropolitan Museum, which is also known as ‘the Met’, is considered as one of the largest museums in the world and the Guggenheim Museum is just as famous for the 20th century building where admirers of the modern art can enjoy everything inside it.
Famous buildings in the Fifth Avenue:
Among the very famous buildings that are located at the Fifth Avenue is the beautiful Saint Patrick’s Cathedral which is situated between street 50th and street 51st. The Gothic structure of the church is considered as a seat for the Archbishop of New York.
The Plaza Hotel where a lot of American presidents stayed and also the Beatles is located at the Fifth Avenue. It is considered as one of the most reputable hotels of New York City.
Other famous buildings that are located at the Fifth Avenue are: the Empire State Building, the Flatiron Building, the Majestic New York Public Library and the Trump Tower.