What is 5th Avenue?

5th Avenue is a street without which it is impossible to imagine New York. The famous road that runs from Washington Square Park to the Harlem River is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. Here is a real paradise not only for shopaholics, but also for connoisseurs of history and architecture.

Fifth Avenue: What can be found on the most expensive street in the world

Fifth Avenue runs from Harlem at 134th Street to Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. The total length of the famous street is 10 km. This is one of the most expensive and best places to trade not only in New York, but throughout the world.

The history of Fifth Avenue begins in 1811, when it first appeared on New York maps. It was originally a country road leading to Yorkville. After a while, it began to be called the "great boulevard" or "social ridge". The city developed, production grew, and by 1907, local merchants and residents of this street began to worry about attempts by factories to also settle on this road. To save their street from changes they didn't like, together they formed the Fifth Avenue Association.

Today, "Millionaires Street" embodies a real example of order and rationality - from here the numbering is counted for the streets coming from it. 5th Avenue divides Manhattan into two parts - east and west. The house numbers go like this: the streets going to the east are called that, to the west - respectively. The further south the street, the smaller its serial number. And the closer the house is to Fifth Avenue, the smaller its number: for example, the building at the entrance to the street will have the first number, and so on.

Fifth Avenue can be conditionally divided into several parts: between 49th and 59th streets there are boutiques and branded stores of well-known companies, the section from 82nd to 105th streets is called the “Museum Mile” - there are as many as 10 museums of the city. But in principle, museums are located throughout the site: the world-famous Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon Guggenheim Museum - one of the first museums of the street, appeared here in 1959; Jewish Museum, German Goethe Center and others. One of the last to open was the Museum of African Art,built in 2009. The Museum Mile Festival is held annually on the street: this is an evening event when museums become free to visit, and traffic is blocked so that the Mile becomes pedestrian.

On one of the sections, Fifth Avenue is located next to Central Park : here, the richest people in New York live in their luxurious houses.

That part of Millionaires Street that crosses Manhattan - especially between 49th and 60th streets - is lined with upscale stores and is a favorite place for fashionistas and connoisseurs of quality shopping. Here you can buy clothes from the flagship stores of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Tiffany, Bottega Veneta, Giorgio Armani, Fendi, Versace, Cartier, Omega, Harry Winston. However, shopping on Fifth Avenue isn't just about outrageous prices: starting on 16th Street, you'll find plenty of mid-range stores, from Gap and Banana Republic to Abercrombie and Madewell .

The title of the most expensive street in the world is awarded to different places every year - 5th Avenue received this status in 2008 according to Forbes magazine. And there is every reason for this. For example, since the mid-90s, the shopping area between 49th and 57th streets has been considered the most expensive (on a global scale!) retail space in terms of rent per square foot.

Fifth Avenue is also considered a wealthy street, as one of the most sought-after types of real estate here is townhouses on the top floors of prestigious buildings.

Apple Store

What is 5th Avenue famous for?
The section of Fifth Avenue between 34th and 60th Streets is one of the largest and most expensive shopping areas in the world, with stores of all famous brands of clothing, shoes, perfumes and luxury goods.

The most famous store located on 5th Avenue is Apple store. It is located near Central Park. This is a recognisable store that offers visitors laptops with Internet access, a move highly appreciated by tourists. Previously, the famous toy store Fao Schwarz still stood not far from the "apple" point, but in 2015 it closed.

Saks Department Store Fifth Avenue in Midtown is called nothing but a Mecca for trendsetters. It was opened in 1924 by merchants Horace Sachs and Bernard Gimbel, a high-end department store located right in front of Rockefeller Center. Since then, it has been offering high quality cosmetics, shoes and clothing. The area of the store is equal to a whole city block, and the height reaches 10 floors. For the holidays, the famous department store prepares real light shows and decorates the windows in such a way that it is worth visiting Saks just for their original decor.

Empire State Building
Image source: Flickr/GSCuriousEye

5th Avenue is also home to one of New York's most popular landmarks, the Empire State Building. The 102-story building can be safely called an icon of American culture, because the Empire State Building is associated exclusively with America among residents of different countries.

On the famous street you can find not only establishments of the leisure or entertainment industry, but also religious buildings. For example, St. Patrick's Cathedral is the largest Roman Catholic church in the United States.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

The next object of Fifth Avenue is Bob's Park equestrian fountain. The famous sculpture is very popular in Scottsdale and always attracts fans of photo cards with the best cultural sites in the city.

At the intersection with 42nd Street is the Main Branch of the New York Public Library. The building is widely known for its research and collections for children. The view of majestic columns and regal lions at the main entrance is familiar to many New Yorkers: the city dwellers often stop here to have a bite to eat while sitting on the steps, make an appointment or just read a book.

Main Branch of the New York Public Library
image source: Flickr/Kristina D.C. Hoeppner

Which city has a 5th avenue?
Fifth Avenue is a street in downtown Manhattan in New York, one of the most famous, respectable and expensive streets in the world, where there are many exclusive boutiques.

In addition to Central Park on 5th Avenue, there are two more places where you can relax and take a walk - Madison Square garden and Bryant Park. The first park was named after the 4th President of the United States, James Madison. The second park is located right behind the library. Bryant Park park is good at any time of the year: open restaurants and cafes are open in summer, and a festive fair is open in winter. Madison Park is very close to another Fifth Avenue attraction, the Flatiron Building. This building is famous for its interesting shape in the form of an iron.