Midtown Manhattan, or Midtown, represents the central lengthwise portion of the borough and island of Manhattan in New York City. Midtown is home to some of the city's most iconic buildings, including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and the headquarters of the United Nations, and it contains world-renowned commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square. Along Manhattan's north-south long axis, Midtown Manhattan separates Lower Manhattan from Upper Manhattan.
New York's Fifth Avenue is best known as an unrivaled shopping street.
Just about every upscale retailer has a prestigious store located on this street.
Soaring above elegant Fifth Avenue,
the Empire State Building became the city's second tallest building
after the World Trade Center was destroyed.
The building has a classical composition with a five-story base,
a large tower with setbacks, and a monumental spire.
The limestone façade has little or no ornamentation.
What makes the design so great is that for all its simplicity and sheer bulk,
it has a perfect composition and mass, giving the building its unique grandeur.
The Art Deco movement influenced every form of the aesthetic arts,
including architecture, interior design, fashion, painting, and the graphic arts.
The Art Deco style exemplified elegance and glamour,
its sleek yet functional aesthetic seen as quintessentially modern.
Visitors can go up to the observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors.
On a clear day, they can see over 130 kilometers from the lower deck.
One hundred years ago, in this section of Midtown,
Fifth Avenue was a street lined with elegant and sumptuous residences.
Only a few traces of that past have survived in the modern-day city.
Rockefeller Center, known as the City in the City,
is an exceptional example of civic planning.
All the buildings share a common design style, Art Deco,
and are connected to each other via an underground concourse, the Catacombs.
The complex is nevertheless well integrated into the city of New York,
especially along Fifth Avenue.
One of the largest cathedrals in the world,
St. Patrick is an oasis of tranquility in the heart of Midtown.
The site of religious celebrations for many of the city's residents,
the steps of the cathedral offer a great perspective on the steady stream of pedestrians.
Its architectural style defies classification.
Inspired by the Cathedral of Cologne, Germany,
its design is nevertheless eclectic,
incorporating elements of various other European styles.
