Fifth Avenue's famous shopping district looks like it's been around for more than two centuries.
The iconic luxury retailer between 48th and 55th Streets in Manhattan celebrated its 200th anniversary with a huge birthday party on Sunday, closing the street and allowing New Yorkers and tourists alike to flood the streets. I was able to come out and soak in the Christmas cheer.
“Fifth Avenue is our city's most historic street. Fifth Avenue has more landmarks than anywhere else in the United States,” said Madeline Wills, Interim President of the Fifth Avenue Association, in a post. I gave a voice to the paper.
“St. Thomas of St. Pat's Church[rick’s Cathedral]saxophone [Fifth Avenue]University Club…For the first time, people could look up and not worry about getting hit by a bus,” she said of Sunday’s celebration, dubbed “Arrived on the 5th: 200 Years of Icons.” I added. and Dream'' closed the road from noon to 6 p.m.
The pedestrian mall formed by Sunday's festivities could grow even larger every day below. The future of the fifth A plan for a “complete redesign” of the cityscape was announced in October. The aim is to transform the boulevard into a pedestrian-centric district by widening sidewalks, shortening crosswalks and reducing traffic lanes.
“When I joined the company, [Fifth Avenue] At the 2022 association, we talked to other property owners and stores, and we talked about how crowded the main streets are, how many more buses there are, the fact that people aren't crossing from east to west; There were concerns about how stores were functioning. “There's less traffic,'' Wills said.
“The idea is that pedestrians are the No. 1 mode of transportation,” she said. “They have to be a priority. … It's clear that we need to address it.”
This milestone birthday celebration brings thousands of attendees to the red carpet, cake-cutting ceremony, and everything from ice sculptures to custom “fashion sketch” portraits, complimentary coffee, apple cider, and hot cocoa. A variety of art installations were provided, ranging from
“We were looking for something to do together as a family,” said Angie Aguilar, 27, who brought her two young nieces, Leah and Carmen, from Brooklyn's Coney Island to the event.
“I heard there would be a choir and lots of food vendors,” Aguilar, who is studying pediatrics, told the Post. “We were dancing to 'Feliz Navidad' with Santa. It was perfect.”
Richard and Sarah Simpson of Princeton, N.J., hopped on New Jersey Transit Sunday morning to enjoy the shopping district's infectious holiday cheer.
“This is about cheer and peace. It's a very difficult time that we're in right now, but this is our chance to have that, at least for a while,” Richard said.
“I've been attending the St. Patrick's Day parade here for a long time, so it's great to see this being repurposed but also bringing New York together in a unique way.” ” he added about the strip. “Let's make this an annual tradition.”
The soiree, which also featured appearances by the Juilliard Jazz Duke Ellington Ensemble, Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church Community Choir, and Sing Harlem, culminated with a cake-cutting ceremony hosted by Mayor Eric Adams, in temperatures close to 50 degrees. Temperatures melted the cake and turned it upside down. Before Hizzoner arrived at 3 p.m.
Adams called the road closure “a vision of what needs to be done on Fifth Avenue.”
“Our sidewalks just can’t keep up with the number of people going up and down,” he said. “With this investment, [Fifth Avenue] Continue. ”
The planned $350 million redesign is expected to “pay for itself within five years” and be completed by 2028, Adams said.
“Every store, every building on Fifth Avenue, they’re totally excited.” [about it]” Wills said. “These are global retailers and they understand what's going on.” [with retail] It's happening all over the world, and New York needs to be at the forefront. ”
