5th Avenue Window Crawl: Beaded Bags & Bergdorf’s

When blog friend and Tangerine Tango  contributor Dawn Landau emailed me late Wednesday night, apologizing for the last minute notice, saying she’d be in New York City on Friday and asked if I was free to meet her, I didn’t hesitate for a minute.   Dawn’s doctor husband had a conference and had  surprised her with tickets to Wicked, so they made a weekend out of it. I met her within a few hours after she arrived at her hotel. She may have been a a bit jet-lagged, yet was  ready to conquer NYC.

She’d told her husband she had plans for the day with one of her blog friends.

“You don’t know her?” he’d asked.

“Yes, I know her really well. We just haven’t met.”  Not sure he got it.

Checking the weather forecast, I told her it would be raining and perhaps we’d want to walk around a museum or two; they’re good places for chatting.

I should have known that rain doesn’t stop someone from Washington state; Dawn was determined to walk and wanted to see the Christmas window displays of the big department stores. She didn’t even carry an umbrella.

Okay.  I’m in and out of New York City all the time; I can’t remember ever visiting the holiday windows. Walking around 5^th Avenue in the midst of December, in the cold drizzle, in the midst of holiday shoppers and tourists? That wouldn’t be me.

But I’m a good sport and hey, she was the visitor.

We lunched first at the Round Table in the Algonquin Hotel, a former favorite locale of famous writers, including Dorothy Parker, George S. Kaufman, and Edna Ferber. I figured we fit right in.

In front of the writers.

It took under a second to start talking about everything and anything. Kids, writing, exercise regiments, families, and more. We may never have met, but because we read each other’s blogs; we know a lot about each other.  And then of course there’s all the stuff we talked about that we don’t write about.  Sorry, what’s talked about at the Round Table stays there.

We began the window crawl at Lord & Taylor’s, 38th & 5^th Avenue. A traditional old-fashioned display that included many musical instruments. Lovely, wintery, nostalgic. 

We walked from there north on 5th Avenue to Saks.  Something about a Yeti that didn’t really appeal to me. On our way, these beaded pocketbooks in a jewelry store grabbed our attention.

Beaded Bags

Of course we loved the one that was $2,000. Dawn bought one much less— a pretty ruby-colored bag that she felt would dress up any basic black and a perfect  5^th Avenue souvenir.

Outside of Saks, protected by the awning from the rain, a trio of young men, perhaps college students, holding a video camera, asked if we’d answer a quick question. ” Sure,”  we said.

“What is love?” They asked us.   We each gave a short response, happy to contribute.

If I had to select a window winner, I’d choose Bergdorf Goodman. I don’t shop there; but their windows were superb. They went with holidays as a theme; each window dressed for different holidays, except Christmas.  We loved how Valentines Day was portrayed all in pinks.  

We cut east to Bloomingdales, whose windows celebrated gifts from around the world, all available for purchase inside. As we walked, we talked, commenting on the various fashions we noticed on pedestrians and the slinky, diaphanous gowns  featured on the mannequins in the store windows. She’d point out a lighting display or a wreath, that I’d normally walk on by.  I quickly caught her contagious enthusiasm and enjoyed seeing New York through her eyes.

It was time for me to start home. Dawn, tireless, kept on to see Barney’s windows—we’ll have to read her post—and planned to catch Macy’s and the tree at Rockefeller Center during the weekend.

We’d hugged and hugged again, hoping there will be other get-togethers, on either coast. In the meantime, we’ll read each other’s blogs.