Fifth Avenue in New York City is one of the main streets of Manhattan: 28 blocks of shops, several world-famous museums, and a stretch of Central Park. It is also the most expensive street in the world for retail rent. Even the Champs-Élysées in Paris look like a budget option in comparison.
If you are visiting New York City for the first time, you will end up on Fifth Avenue by accident. If you have already been there, you will still return. Here is everything you need to know.
Interesting facts about Fifth Avenue
- Fifth Avenue ranks first in global rankings of the most expensive retail real estate. Rental prices are around 2,000 to 3,000 dollars per square foot per year.
- At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Fifth Avenue was an ordinary dirt road, and by the end of the century it had become “Millionaire’s Row.”
- Most of the grand mansions from the late nineteenth century were demolished to make way for more profitable hotels.
- The tradition of holding parades on Fifth Avenue dates back to the nineteenth century. The most famous is the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, which has been held here since 1762 and is the oldest in the world. Every year on March 17, about 150,000 participants march along Fifth Avenue.
- If you visit New York City in winter, you will see holiday window displays, the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, and lights along the entire street.
- Fifth Avenue is not only about shopping and museums, but also about parades. They take place here from April to October every two to three weeks.
- The library at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street is guarded by two stone lions named Patience and Fortitude.
- Fifth Avenue is the central axis of Manhattan. It is used to determine east and west in New York City addresses. Everything east of it is the East Side, and everything west is the West Side.
Where is Fifth Avenue located
Fifth Avenue runs through the entire length of Manhattan, from Washington Square Arch in Greenwich Village to Harlem at 142nd Street. However, if you are a tourist with one day to explore, you need the section from approximately 34th Street to 86th Street. This is where all the main attractions are located: the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, the entrance to Central Park, and the museums.
How to get to Fifth Avenue
The subway is the fastest and most affordable way:
- From Brooklyn, it is most convenient to take the F or R lines to Midtown, or the A, C, or E lines to 34th Street near Penn Station.
- From Queens, the E line goes directly to the 5 Avenue and 53 Street station.
- From the Bronx, take the 4, 5, or 6 lines to 59th Street or 86th Street, where Museum Mile begins.
- From Lower Manhattan, the easiest option is to take the N, R, or W lines to 5 Avenue and 59th Street.
If your destination is the Empire State Building, get off at 34 Street–Herald Square (lines B, D, F, M, N, Q, R, W). If you are heading to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral or the main shopping district, use 5 Avenue and 53 Street (lines E and M). For The Plaza Hotel and the entrance to Central Park, use 5 Avenue and 59th Street (lines N, R, W). Finally, for Museum Mile, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum, use 86th Street (lines 4, 5, 6).
Main attractions on Fifth Avenue
Empire State Building (34th Street)
The iconic skyscraper, 443 meters tall, was built in 1931 in just 410 days. It is one of the main attractions of New York City and offers some of the best views of Manhattan. The 86th floor has an open-air observation deck, and the 102nd floor has an enclosed one. The best time to visit is at sunrise or sunset, when there are fewer crowds and more dramatic views.
Rockefeller Center (48th to 51st Streets)
A complex of 19 buildings in the Art Deco style, one of the finest architectural ensembles in New York City. It includes the Top of the Rock observation deck, a winter ice rink, and the famous Christmas tree. It also houses NBC studios, where shows such as Saturday Night Live and the Today Show are filmed.
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral (50th Street)
A Neo-Gothic Catholic cathedral that looks especially striking against the backdrop of modern glass towers. Construction was completed in 1878, and restoration in 2015. Admission is free, but it is an active place of worship, not a museum.
New York Public Library (42nd Street)
One of the most beautiful buildings in Manhattan, designed in the Beaux-Arts style. Inside, you will find the grand Rose Main Reading Room, temporary exhibitions, and a permanent collection of historical documents. Admission is free.
The Plaza Hotel (59th Street)
Located at the southern entrance to Central Park, The Plaza has been a legend since 1907. You do not have to stay there, as the rooms are expensive, but you can visit the lobby for a glass of wine or simply admire the interiors. In front of it, there is also one of the most beautiful Apple Stores.
Central Park (from 59th Street)
Strictly speaking, Central Park begins where the “shopping” section of Fifth Avenue ends, but it runs alongside it from 59th Street to 110th Street. The entrance from Fifth Avenue is the most postcard-worthy, with open plazas, the Great Lawn, and horse-drawn carriages.
Museum Mile on Fifth Avenue
The section of Fifth Avenue from 82nd Street to 105th Street is known as Museum Mile. Many notable museums are located here.
In addition, every year in June, the Museum Mile Festival takes place. During this event, all museums are open to the public free of charge for one evening:
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) — 82nd Street. One of the largest art museums in the world. Admission is 30 dollars and well worth it. It is best to dedicate an entire day to this museum.
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum — 88th Street. The spiral building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is itself a work of modern art.
- Neue Galerie — 86th Street. Austrian and German art from the early twentieth century, including works by Gustav Klimt. A small but very refined gallery.
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum — 91st Street. An interactive and surprisingly engaging design museum located in the Carnegie Mansion.
- Museum of the City of New York — 103rd Street. Tells the story of the city from colonial times to the present day.
Shopping on Fifth Avenue
The section from 49th Street to 60th Street is the global standard of luxury shopping. Flagship stores of Tiffany and Company, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Harry Winston, and many others are located here.
Here are a few notable addresses:
📍 Saks Fifth Avenue / 611 5th Ave, New York, NY 10022 — people come to New York City in winter specifically for the holiday window displays.
📍 Bergdorf Goodman / 754 5th Ave, New York, NY 10019 — the oldest and most aristocratic department store on the avenue, operating since 1901.
📍 Apple Store / 767 5th Ave, New York, NY 10153 — the Apple Store in the shape of a large glass cube. It operates twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, and this is not a mistake.
If your budget does not allow for shopping on Fifth Avenue, go inside just for the atmosphere. It is free.
Parades at Fifth Avenue
Fifth Avenue is not only about shopping and museums, but also about parades. These include the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, the Easter Parade, the Tartan Day Parade, the Greek Independence Parade, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, and many others. They take place here from April to October every two to three weeks. Depending on the time of year, you may either see a festive winter city or a colorful parade.
Saint Patrick’s Day Parade
Perhaps the most famous parade on Fifth Avenue. The first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade took place here on March 17, 1762. It was organized by Irish soldiers of the British Army, who simply marched through the streets of the colonial city.
Since then, the parade has never been canceled, not during economic depressions and not during wars. Today, it is the largest Saint Patrick’s Day parade in the world, with about 150,000 participants marching along Fifth Avenue.
In 2002, during the first parade after September 11, the entire procession stopped at noon and turned south. It is said that this was the only time in history when complete silence could be heard on Fifth Avenue.
Fifth Avenue in popular culture
Fifth Avenue is perhaps the most cinematic street in New York City. It appears in countless films, but here are a few of the most famous:
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) — Audrey Hepburn in a little black dress in front of the Tiffany and Company window on Fifth Avenue.
- Home Alone 2 (1992) — Macaulay Culkin runs from the bandits along Fifth Avenue, past The Plaza and the shops.
- Sex and the City — the characters frequently appear on Fifth Avenue, for both special occasions and everyday moments.
Visitor information
📍 5th Avenue, New York, United States
Best time for a walk: a weekday morning before 10:00 or evening after 19:00
Food on Fifth Avenue is expensive. Walk one or two streets away, and you will find more reasonably priced cafés.
