SPOTLIGHT ON: FIFTH AVENUE

By Christine Bruzzese

Traversing New York City from lower Manhattan to Harlem, Fifth Avenue is synonymous with elegance, commerce, and the Empire State Building. It is one of the premier streets in the City and often one of the first things that comes to mind when New York City is mentioned. This article highlights some publications on this famous thoroughfare that can be found in the City Hall Library collection.

Fifth Avenue: a Very Social History by Kate Simon chronicles the development of Fifth Avenue from the early nineteenth century to the 1970's. Included are the history of its founding, how Fifth Avenue became home to New York's wealthy, the growth of retail stores, and stories of some of the famous and not-so-famous residents and entrepreneurs. Neighborhoods such as Greenwich Village and the Flatiron District are discussed and the modern Fifth Avenue is considered.

The Fifth Avenue Association published Annual Reports from 1907 to 1936. The City Hall Library collection includes holdings from 1913 to 1927. Included are reports on Association activities and lists of current officers and members. The Association dealt with issues such as building heights, traffic, snow removal, and noise. Their main purposes were to promote business in the Fifth Avenue district and to encourage social, civic, and industrial growth.

Another Fifth Avenue Association title is the book Fifth Avenue: Old and New, 1824-1924. This work celebrates the centennial of Fifth Avenue in words and pictures. Take a guided tour of Fifth Avenue from Greenwich Village to midtown and learn about civic developments and such landmarks as Delmonico's restaurant, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the first traffic signal tower, and the Flatiron Building. Here is information about the families who lived along Fifth Avenue and the role of the Fifth Avenue Association in promoting civic development and pride.

On Fifth Avenue: Then and Now by Ronda Wist is another descriptive history of the street covering the early 19th century until 1992. Current and older photos provide a fascinating view of Fifth Avenue over the years.

Many structures along Fifth Avenue have been declared landmarks. Designation reports from the Landmarks Preservation Commission on such entities as the Empire State Building, Guggenheim Museum, and Saks Fifth Avenue can be found in the City Hall Library collection. Consult the vertical files for articles and other clippings of interest.

ACQUISITIONS LIST, NOVEMBER 2007

The following publications were received by the City Hall Library in the past month. Additional government publications can be found online in our Government Publications section.

Citizen's Budget Commission.
Options for budget reform in New York State: a background paper prepared by the Commission for Forum on Budget Reform. September 20, 2007.

City University of New York. Campaign Against Diabetes.
Reversing the diabetes and obesity epidemics in New York City: a call to action to confront a public health, economic and moral threat to New York City's future. September 2007.

Center for an Urban Future.
Recapturing suburban shoppers. [2007].

Gill, Brendan.
The U.S. Custom House on Bowling Green. New York: New York Landmarks Conservancy, Inc., 1976.

NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign.
Annual "Pokey" Award for the slowest city bus goes to M23... October 30, 2007.

New York Building Congress and New York Building Foundation.
Bedrock of the economy: the New York City building industry. January 2007.

N.Y. City. City Planning, Department of.
Proposed consolidated plan, effective as of November 15, 2007.

N.Y. City. Comptroller.
Audit report on the compliance of RCN Telecom Services of New York, Inc., with its franchise and open video agreements. January 1, 1999-December 31, 2005. November 5, 2007.

N.Y. City. Comptroller.
The future is now: addressing the skills gap through career and technical education in New York City high schools. October 2007
.
N.Y. City. Council.
Curbing the pigeon conundrum. November 12, 2007.

N.Y. City. Education, Department of.
Elementary, middle and high schools receiving 2006/07 progress report grades. November 6, 2007.

N.Y. City. Emergency Management, Office of.
Biennial report 2007.

N.Y. City. Emergency Management, Office of.
Get ready NY: plan for the unexpected. November 2007.

N.Y. City. Emergency Management, Office of.
Ready New York: for business. [November 2007].

N.Y. City. Emergency Management, Office of.
Ready New York: preparing for emergencies in New York City. [November 2007]

N.Y. City. Fire Department.
World Trade Center health impacts on FDNY rescue workers: a six-year assessment: September 2001-September 2007. 2007.

N.Y. City. Health and Mental Hygiene, Department of.
Clinical guidelines for adults exposed to the World Trade Center disaster. August 2006.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
Dawn of a new era: New York City fiscal policy after(?) the Financial Emergency Act. (IBO Background Paper). November 2007.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
Mayor's housing plan: progress to date; prospects for completion. (Inside the Budget) November 9, 2007.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
Mayor's new housing marketplace plan: progress to date and prospects for completion. (IBO Fiscal Brief) November 2007.

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Eberhard Faber Pencil Company historic district: designation report. October 30, 2007.

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission.
511 Grand Street House: designation report. October 30, 2007 (Designation List 397)(LP-2269).

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission.
513 Grand Street House: designation report. October 30, 2007 (Designation List 397)(LP-2270).

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Flatbush District No. 1 School: designation report. November 20, 2007. (Designation List 398) (LP-2285).

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Gillett-Tyler House: designation report. October 30, 2007 (Designation List 397)(LP-2231).

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Lord & Taylor Building: designation report. October 30, 2007. (Designation List 397)(LP-2271)

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Manhattan House: designation report. October 30, 2007. (Designation List 397)(LP-2246)

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Standard Varnish Works Factory office building: designation report. October 30, 2007. (Designation List 397)(LP-2250).

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Voelker Orth Museum, Bird Sanctuary and Victorian Garden: designation report. October 30, 2007. (Designation List 397)(LP-2272)

N.Y. City. Rent Guidelines Board.
Housing NYC: rents, markets and trends 2007.

New York City Coalition Against Hunger.
Rising food lines, sinking economy: increase in NYC hunger is early proof of economic slow-down. Annual hunger survey. November 2007.

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council.
Pedestrian safety in the NYMTC region. Prepared by CUNY Institute for Transportation Systems. September 2007.

N.Y. State. Comptroller.
The securities industry in New York City. (Report 5-2008) October 2007.

N.Y. State. Financial Control Board.
January modification review: staff report. March 13, 2007.

Phillips, Mary T.
Pretrial detention and case outcomes, part 1: nonfelony cases. Final report. New York: New York City Criminal Justice Agency, Inc., November 2007.

Queens Library.
Queens directory of immigrant-serving agencies. Prepared by the New Americans Program, Program and Services Department. 2007.

Regional Plan Association.
Northeast megaregion 2050: a common future. November 2007.

United Hospital Fund.
Annual report. 2006-2007.

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