FIFTH AVENUE

Description

Essentials about Fifth Avenue in brief

Along with Broadway and Wall Street, Fifth Avenue is the most famous street in New York City and one of the most famous streets in the world. The 10-kilometer-long street begins at Washington Square Park at the level of 6th Street, runs through the whole of Midtown Manhattan, then forms the eastern boundary of Central Park and finally ends in Harlem at 142nd Street and the Harlem River. To this day, Fifth Avenue is one of the most luxurious streets in the world. Both for buying a property and for shopping, one should bring deep pockets if possible. For those who want something a little more affordable, Fifth Avenue is home to some of the world’s most famous museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum and the Frick Collection. In addition, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Empire State Building, the Rockefeller Center and the Flatiron Building are some of the most interesting buildings in Manhattan.

The history of Fifth Avenue

Like a large part of the street network of New York City, Fifth Avenue also goes back historically to the so-called Commissioners’ Plan from 1811, which planned the further development of Manhattan on the basis of a rectangular street grid with 155 cross streets in east-west direction and 12 streets (the avenues) in north-south direction at that time. The urban planning of Manhattan followed the ideals of the then still young American democracy: there were to be no grand boulevards, no large squares, and no hierarchical order. For this reason, the streets were not given names, but were simply numbered consecutively. The peculiarity of Fifth Avenue is that it divides the cross streets of Manhattan into East and West, with each side having its own house numbering. For example, the addresses 10 East 42nd Street and 10 West 42nd Street designate two different buildings. The counting here runs from Fifth Avenue in ascending order to East and West.

In 1862, Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, one of the most respected women in New York society at the time, had a house built on Fifth Avenue, laying the foundation for a development that would make Fifth Avenue the most expensive residential and business address in the world. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor’s example was followed over the next decades by many of the most famous families from New York’s upper class, such as the Carnegies, the Fricks, the Mellons, the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts. They all had magnificent mansions built in French Renaissance, Neo-Gothic or Greek Revival styles. No wonder Fifth Avenue was soon nicknamed “Millionaire’s Row.”

At the beginning of the 20th century, Manhattan now had over two million inhabitants and Fifth Avenue was in the center of the city, more and more hotels and commercial buildings were attracted to Fifth Avenue. Unfortunately, many of the old mansions were torn down at that time to make way for new, even larger hotels and apartment buildings. In 1893, for example, Caroline Schermerhorn Astor’s mansion was torn down to make way for the Astoria Hotel, which in turn had to make way for the Empire State Building in the late 1920s.

Shopping on Fifth Avenue

In terms of rents, Fifth Avenue is considered the most expensive street in the world. The average store rent is over $30,000 per square meter per year. Accordingly, you will mainly find the flagship stores of major brands here, especially suppliers of luxury goods. Those who have come to New York City with a well-filled wallet can empty it on Fifth Avenue at Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Tiffany, Versace & Co. Meanwhile, the lords of creation can give their better halves fashion advice or pass the time alone in the Yankees Clubhouse Shop or the famous Apple Store.

Museums on Fifth Avenue

Fifth Avenue is not only an expensive residential address and a luxurious shopping street, but also home to many famous historical buildings and museums. The latter are especially concentrated between 82nd and 104th Streets, which is why this section of Fifth Avenue is called “Museum Mile”. The world-famous Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum are located here. In addition, also the National Academy Museum, the Frick Collection, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and the Museum of the City of New York.

Other buildings on Fifth Avenue

Churchgoers will find the beautiful St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of New York City, on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets. Those who want to enjoy a beautiful view of New York City will also head to Fifth Avenue, because here are the two buildings with the best viewing platforms in the city – the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center. Fans of the former U.S. president can check out Trump Tower between 56th and 57th Streets. And with the Flatiron Building, one of the most unusual buildings in Manhattan is located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue with Broadway and 23rd Street.