There’s nothing like Fifth Avenue during the holiday season with its festive windows, glittery holiday decorations and congested sidewalks crammed with shoppers, tourists and street vendors.

The pageantry begins to materialize Nov. 18, when the 30-foot-wide crystal snowflake lights up 50 feet above the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. It’s been a Fifth Avenue holiday fixture since 1984 and was recently renovated with 16,500 crystals and high-intensity color LED lights. The snowflake is funded by Tiffany & Co., Bergdorf Goodman, Brookfield Properties, Bulgari, The Plaza, Van Cleef & Arpels, The Stonbely Family Foundation and the Fifth Avenue Snowflake Foundation for Humanity.

“The mood is gung ho. Retailers are feeling positive. They’re expecting a strong holiday season,”

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