Fifth Avenue

Fifth Avenue encapsulates the architectural and social history of New York's most elegant and glamorous street in six walks that guide readers from the Washington Square Arch in Greenwich Village to Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem.

Fifth Avenue offers readers an architectural tour of Fifth Avenue, stopping at the city's major monuments - the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Saint Patrick's Cathedral - as well as the luxurious glamour of Tiffany's, Cartier, and the Plaza Hotel and the art treasures of Museum Mile.

Through six structured walks, the book not only presents the history of New York's most famous avenue, but also explores its architecture in depth, block by block, building by building.

This is a book about what can be seen and experienced on Fifth Avenue today. Buildings are chosen for discussion first and foremost because they are interesting to look at. In a relaxed and engaging style, the author presents the building's story, explores the reasons why it is there, and explains why it looks the way it does. Along the way, the reader not only has the chance to discover fascinating and unusual buildings, but also gains a comprehensive understanding of the historic, social, economic, and political forces which shaped Fifth Avenue's growth and character.

“'[Features the] most stunning architectural gems on New York's Fifth Avenue . . . these buildings make an impression on New Yorkers and tourists alike.' - Architectural Digest”

'Richly illustrated with vivid photographs, vintage illustrations, and maps, this book about strolling and looking, about observing and wondering serves as a winning homage to its famous subject. Architecture and history buffs will be enthralled.' - Publishers Weekly

'[Features the] most stunning architectural gems on New York’s Fifth Avenue . . . these buildings make an impression on New Yorkers and tourists alike.' - Architectural Digest

'[A]n homage to Fifth Avenue . . . [features] six richly detailed walking tours that together take us all the way from Greenwich Village in the south to Harlem in the north.' - Interior Design

'This guide provides a perfect adventure for urban explorers with good walking shoes. Lovely maps and loads of photographs guide you through the avenue’s most interesting landmarks — from bohemian treasures and early townhouses around Washington Square Park to the jewels of Harlem.' - Bowery Boys

William J. Hennessey is an architectural historian who has taught at Vassar College, the University of Kansas, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Michigan and directed the art museums at each of those institutions. From 1997 to 2014 he was director of the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia. Hennessey is the author of catalogs and articles on a wide range of art and design topics, including nineteenth-century architecture and twentieth-century industrial design as well as the monograph Russel Wright: American Designer and Walking Broadway: Thirteen Miles of Architecture and History (Monacelli, 2020), a tour of Manhattan from the Battery to the Harlem River.

Fifth Avenue encapsulates the architectural and social history of New York's most elegant and glamorous street in six walks that guide readers from the Washington Square Arch in Greenwich Village to Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem. Fifth Avenue offers readers an architectural tour of Fifth Avenue, stopping at the city's major monuments - the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Saint Patrick's Cathedral - as well as the luxurious glamour of Tiffany's, Cartier, and the Plaza Hotel and the art treasures of Museum Mile. Through six structured walks, the book not only presents the history of New York's most famous avenue, but also explores its architecture in depth, block by block, building by building. This is a book about what can be seen and experienced on Fifth Avenue today. Buildings are chosen for discussion first and foremost because they are interesting to look at. In a relaxed and engaging style, the author presents the building's story, explores the reasons why it is there, and explains why it looks the way it does. Along the way, the reader not only has the chance to discover fascinating and unusual buildings, but also gains a comprehensive understanding of the historic, social, economic, and political forces which shaped Fifth Avenue's growth and character.

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