Fifth Avenue, commonly referred to as the street of the millionaires, was originally lined with grand mansions of well-off families. However, in the early 20th century it changed its status from a high-class residential area into a mecca for traders dealing in luxury goods. Since then Midtown Fifth Avenue, filled with airline offices, hotels, high-end stores, has been the best known boulevard of New York City. Its most charming part stretches from the Empire State Building, the most famous of the New York skyscrapers, at 34th Street to Grand Army Plaza at 59th Street.

There are lots of attractions which cannot be missed while walking along the one-mile long Fifth Avenue. Major ones, apart from the historical mansions which once formed the well-known ''Millionaire's Row'', include:

- Grand Army Plaza with the Plaza Hotel and German William T. Sherman's statue
- General Motors Building with the famous CBS Television Studio and the nearby FAO Schwartz toy store
- the early 20th -century New York Public Library, housed in the grand Beaux Arts building, with the renowned Reading Room and Exhibition Hall, and
- St. Patrick's Cathedral, a fine example of French Gothic, with an imposing stained-glass Rose Window and the bronze baldachin above the main altar.

The avenue's Midtown stretch, commonly referred to as one of the world's most famous shopping venues, also boasts a wide selection of upmarket stores, one of which – the Tiffany and Co. Jewelry Store- has been immortalized in a novel and a movie. Another store of this kind, i.e. Cartier, the original Beaux Arts mansion should be seen, especially when wrapped in a huge red, bow-tied ribbon at the Christmas holiday season. However, the movie-famed Fifth Avenue is lined not only with fine jewelry dealers.

What makes the street world famous is mainly its wide selection of high-style department stores like the classy Bergdorf Goodman (754 Fifth Avenue) with fabulous women's collections, the stylish Henri Bendel (712 Fifth Avenue) with established designer clothing, the renowned Saks Fifth Avenue (611 Fifth Avenue) offering high-end women's and men's collections, the classic Lord and Taylor (424 Fifth Avenue) with outfit to match each pocket, and the gigantic Trump Tower – a complex of trendy boutiques and stores.

As there are attractions to cater for each taste and pocket, seeing Fifth Avenue – a symbol of wealthy New York City, is a must to all tourists!