What does "Fifth Avenue" really means?

[Yohanes]

The words "Fifth Avenue" are frequently mentioned in describing a certain type of Fedora, particularly Dobbs, but I also see that other brands use it such as Adam 5th Avenue, etc.

So what does it mean actually, indicating factory, place, quality, or what? Thanks

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Fifth Avenue is in New York City, at one time the street where the wealthiest and elite live, but as time marched on, it became the street where all of the better stores were located, as in Saks Fifth Avenue, to be closer to their upper scale clientelle.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Dobbs & Co. was a retail business initially formed to sell Dobbs hats and other Crofut & Knapp products. They later ventured into apparel as well. They had several shops on Fifth Avenue which is where the Fifth Avenue name came from regarding Dobbs hats.

Brad

 

[dhermann1]

Easter Parade

If you ever see the film "Easter Parade", with Judy Garland, the scene where they're "strolling along", is Fifth Avenue. At the height of the "Gilded Age", the late 19th century, the most expensive homes were along 5th Ave. The Vanderbilt mansion was at 5th Ave and 59th St. That location is now the Plaza Hotel. As the years went by, and population moved uptown, the swanky homes were replaced by fancy stores. Today, the east side of Central Park is Fifth Ave., and there are still very expensive apartments there.
Also, in the street numbering system of Manhatten, the streets east of 5th Ave are East (as in East 55th St), and the same street west of 5th Ave is West 55th St.

 

[John K Stetson]

Now You Can Own a Piece of the Plaza...

That location is now the Plaza Hotel.

I believe there will be around 150 condos and almost as many hotel rooms.

http://www.theplazaresidences.com/index.php

 

[KObalto]

Speaking of the Easter Parade and hats,

the tradition was to close 5th Ave to vehicular traffic and allow everyone to promenade down the Avenue with the women all sporting their finest new spring hats while newspapermen and others snapped photos. And what happened to this quaint custom? It continues to this day except that now many of the women wear vintage hats. My wife and I have done this and she was in heaven wearing her vintage piece featuring fabric cabbage roses as her picture was taken dozens of times. If you're a lover of vintage and find yourself in Manhattan on Easter weekend, don't miss it.