The flagship stores for merchandisers on Fifth Avenue are used to window shoppers – in fact, it’s a venerable tradition, one that Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s made famous, so there’s no need to feel intimidated by the doormen and “greeters” or to actually spend money. These are flagship stores designed to stimulate desire, so leave your credit cards at home if you are an impulse shopper. A $100 wallet can seem like a bargain when you are lusting after a $5,000 Kelly Bag.
Start with Saks Fifth Avenue (611 Fifth Avenue, at 50th Street). Take note of the trees with seasonal foliage that decorate the columns. I was actually part of the crew that applied the paper mache bark to them. As you continue browsing your way up Fifth Avenue, look for two other upscale department stores with fabulous couture, jewelry and cosmetics are Henri Bendel (512 Fifth Avenue), Bergdorf Goodman’s (754 Fifth Ave). Don’t miss the baubles: the priciest can be found Harry Winston (718 Fifth Avenue), Tiffany & Co. (727 Fifth Avenue) and Bulgari (730 Fifth Ave) has classic watches as well. These are just a few of the highlights – the retail value of this stretch of Fifth Avnue is among the highest in the world.
At the apex, you will find what at least one man views as its crowning jewel – Trump Tower, the flagship of New York’s self-declared real estate king, Donald Trump. There is no architectural restraint in the five-story retail mall at Trump Tower - massive quantities of pink marble and reflective gold bathe the shoppers in a flatteringly warm glow. There are no discount stores either – most merchants sell the kind of rarified goods that you find in hotel lobbys, though there is a Tower Records on the lower level. If you travel up several escalators to the 5th floor, you can create a warm glow inside as well with a cup of coffee at Starbucks, though finding a place to rest your weary legs can be challenging at this crowded location.
The starting point, Saks Fifth Avenue, can be reached by subway on the F and Q lines, which stop at Rockefeller Center. From Trump Tower, the easiest subway to reach is the Broadway line, the N and the R at 57th and 5th Avenue. Stores are open during normal retail hours.