We know that everyone—visitors, transplants, locals—has an opinion on the Upper East Side. Known as a home to the wealthy and to some of New York’s most beloved cultural institutions and attractions, the Upper East side has been depicted in films, television series and books as a bastion of the gilded “old New York.”
But nowhere on the Upper East Side is that more apparent and as concentrated as on Madison Avenue, where the likes of the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Astors began moving to in the 1890s. The strip between East 57th and East 86th streets is known for world-class fashion, contemporary art, fine dining and everything in between.
Madison Avenue. Photo: Julienne Schaer
What makes it different from other hubs of art, culture and luxury is that Madison Avenue still feels (and actually is) very residential, despite its stores and amenities. Wander the avenue on a sunny morning and you’ll spy ladies in shades and tailored suits walking manicured poodles, nannies pushing SUV baby carriages, consulate officials chatting over coffee and croissants, and huddles of plaid uniformed kids jostling and texting their way to private schools.
So make your way to Madison Avenue and live out your most luxurious day on the Upper East Side.
Hermes. Photo: Julienne Schaer
Shop (or browse) with style at flagship boutiques
When it comes to shopping, Madison Avenue is all about haute couture. Jewel-box boutiques for
Even with all these shopping options, the neighborhood remains residential and relatively quiet—especially compared with shopping neighborhoods like Soho or Midtown. Before the influx of luxury boutiques, wealthy New Yorkers traditionally traveled to Europe to see their ateliers. By the 1980s, the major European fashion houses realized they could service their clientele more conveniently by opening branches here (a trend that started in the late 1960s with Yves Saint Laurent’s Rive Gauche boutique).
Ralph Lauren. Photo: Julienne Schaer
While most shoppers in Soho and Fifth Avenue tend to be visitors, Madison Avenue is still primarily frequented by locals, with Succession-inspired “stealth wealth” fashion as vogueish as checkered Chanel suits. Today, NYC-based designers on the strip include
Madison Av. Photo: Julienne Schaer
Check out niche brands
Madison Avenue has had an influx of hip new designers and retailers in the last few years. Peruse the latest trends at
De Beers. Photo: Julienne Schaer
Admire the jewels at De Beers and Irene Neuwirth
While most visitors crowd into Midtown’s Diamond District or Tiffany & Co. for posh jewelry, Upper East Side glitterati go straight to the source at
Gagosian. Photo: Julienne Schaer
Marvel at contemporary art in NYC’s top galleries
The same wealthy families that enticed fashion houses to set up shop here were also avid collectors of fine art. Ever since trailblazing dealer
Frick Madison. Photo: Julienne Schaer
View the Old Masters at the Frick Madison
When architect Marcel Breuer’s Whitney Museum opened in 1966, most critics and locals were horrified by its brutalist style, the building lurching over the area’s pristine brownstones. Yet the locals were gradually won over—numerous plans for expansions were shot down repeatedly. The Whitney moved downtown in 2015, and the magnificent
Hit the spa
Need to unwind for an hour or two? Madison Avenue’s exclusive day spas provide relief, with pools, saunas, steam baths and multipage menus of beauty treatments. The
Manolo Blahnik. Photo: Julienne Schaer
Live out your Sex and the City fantasy
Madison Avenue and the Upper East Side have added glamour to movies like Breakfast at Tiffany’s and TV shows like Gossip Girl, Sex & the City and, most recently, And Just Like That… (Carrie and Charlotte are Upper East Siders in the series). Ms. Bradshaw famously loves to shop for shoes at Madison Avenue boutiques
Ladurée. Photo: Julienne Schaer
Sample a French sweet treat
The students at Gossip Girl’s fictional Constance Billard School for Girls loved the macarons at
Dowling's at The Carlyle. Photo: Julienne Schaer
End the day with a cocktail
Everyone needs a break, and Madison’s landmark luxury hotels—the