Secrets of classic NYC: Macy's
Mon Nov 21 2011
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Photograph: Lauren Foy
Wooden Escalator at Macys
Wooden escalator at Macy's
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Photograph: Lauren Foy
Wooden Escalator at Macys
Wooden escalator at Macy's
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Photograph: Lauren Foy
Wooden Escalator at Macys
Wooden escalator at Macy's
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Photograph: Lauren Foy
Wooden Escalator at Macys
Wooden escalator at Macy's
Navigating the nearly one-block-long Herald Square branch of this department store can be overwhelming. But Macy's wasn't always quite so large: The chain opened its much smaller original headquarters on Sixth Avenue and 14th Street in 1858. As demand for goods grew, so did the company's need for space, and in 1902 the store moved to 34th Street. The relocated branch featured four banks of wooden escalators—which were considered super-swanky at the time—that connected the first floor to the fifth. These days, you can still ride a few of those original moving staircases: On the Broadway side of the shop, look for the vintage escalators between the eighth and ninth floors. 151 W 34th St at Seventh Ave (212-695-4400, macys.com)
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