It's Christmastime in the city pt. 4: 5th Avenue

I took a cold winter stroll up 5th Avenue. The upper-tier stores were all adorned with holiday lights so I whipped out my camera to create a virtual walking tour for those of you who can't make it this year. Hope you're looking at these through a bright monitor!

These are the big snowflakes on the façade of Saks Fifth Avenue's flagship store. If you stand directly in front of the building and squint your eyes, you get the illusion that they're floating in mid air.



Here's the entrance to Cartier. These lights are a lot more twinkly in person.


I think I posted a pic of this last year, as well. The lights make the building look like a big, beautifully wrapped box. The ribbon contains small strobe lights, so it sparkles. In retrospect, I wish I had waited until that MTA bus had passed by!


Here's Fendi's flagship store. The building seems to be held together by two huge, sparkly belts. Again, with the strobe lights. I first saw the strobe effect on the Eiffel Tower. Now, everybody copies it.


This is the Bergdorf Goodman and Van Cleef & Arpels. All they ever do is put a bunch of wreaths in the windows but I love it. It's a quiet, elegant touch, especially when compared to the visual noise that precedes it.


And, finally, here is a festive holiday street meat cart. Many of the street food vendors, especially those who cater to the tourist-choked midtown area, decorate their carts with lights and ornaments.


This is probably my last post until after Christmas. I hope everyone gets a little happiness and joy in their stocking this year (except for that shithead Bernie Madoff). Merry Christmas!