NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Fifth Avenue marked its 200th birthday this year, and on Sunday, it was pedestrianized for the celebration complete with cake, a red carpet and guests from around the world.
The theme for its bicentennial bash was “You’ve Arrived on Fifth Avenue: 200 Years of Icons and Dreams,” which can carry different meanings for each person, Madelyn Wils, the interim president of the Fifth Avenue Association, told 1010 WINS.
“For a lot of people for the last 200 years, you’ve made it once you came to Fifth Avenue and for others, it’s about luxury shopping [and] for some others, it’s about some of the most magnificent landmarks anywhere in the city,” Wils said. “‘You’ve Arrived on Fifth’ means whatever it means to you personally.”
Wils also said what excited her the most was watching people’s faces walking down Fifth Avenue as if they were having a magical day.
Hundreds of people saw that magic as they crowded the car-free streets between 48th and 55th, which were lined with art installations, interactive pop-ups and live musical performances, featuring the Juilliard Jazz Duke Ellington Ensemble, the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church Community Choir and Sing Harlem, among others.
One of the pop-ups was a world map where visitors could place stickers on places they’ve come from. Derrick Reyes, who is from Mexico, added his sticker to the map but wasn’t aware that he would visit on such a significant day for Fifth Avenue.
Reyes said he didn’t think he would ever get to experience a day like this and was overwhelmed when he set foot on Fifth Avenue, but “in a good way.”
“Seeing all of this, people just coexisting, it’s amazing - especially since it’s the holidays, it makes me feel happy,” Reyes said.
Just a couple of streets over from the world map, the cake-cutting ceremony was being prepared and dozens gathered around the six-foot-tall cake to witness it. However, instead of a cake-cutting, they witnessed a cake-melting as the middle section of the cake collapsed from the warm day, the audience was informed.
Yaneth, Patty and Ruby stood close by waiting patiently for it the cake-cutting, but even though it never happened, they were just happy to be there.
All from Long Island and dressed cheerfully for the holidays, they said they felt the Christmas spirit immediately when they arrived.
“It was great when we walked in and we saw all these people, you feel so much joy and happiness,” Yaneth said. “Fifth Avenue, New York. Nothing like it!”
Mayor Eric Adams also stopped by to commemorate the retail corridor’s milestone. During his visit, Adams announced an investment of over $150 million to transform Fifth Avenue into a “pedestrian-centered boulevard.”
