Exploring Fifth Avenue – New York City
When we arrived at John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport and took a cab into Midtown Manhattan, the mercury was sitting just below zero (-2C/ 28F). The Arctic winds that greeted us served as a reminder that we were a world away from the sweltering Australian summer we'd left behind to visit the US mid-winter.
After abandoning our luggage at a historic hotel on Madison Avenue, we ventured out into the concrete jungle, marvelling at colossal skyscrapers and thick white steam emanating from the sewers. Eyes weeping and teeth chattering, we made our way into the nearest H&M store on Fifth Avenue. Moments later, we left armed with beanies, scarves and gloves – three essential articles of clothing you MUST wear if you plan on walking the streets of NYC come wintertime. It's cold. And I mean bitterly cold. So cold, it hurts to do a Google search on your iPhone sans gloves (and this is pre-snowfall).
Fifth Avenue | A busy shopping strip where you can find prestigious retailers and big departments stores (e.g. Saks and Bergdorf Goodman) all clustered together on the one street.
Reputable all-American labels like Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger feature prominently, as do globally recognised brands such as Barnes & Noble, Diesel and – who could forget that ginormous glass cube at the end – Apple.
Fifth Avenue is also home to historic cultural landmarks including: the Rockefeller Centre, The Flatiron Building, the New York Public Library (above) and the Empire State Building which offers spectacular city views (below).
The Empire State Building | Brooklyn Bridge, the Chrysler Building and the Statue of Liberty – can also be seen from the Observation Deck on the 86th floor.
Fifth Avenue leads all the way up to Central Park, where you never know who you'll bump into.
