Soho is Manhattan’s most densely packed retail district — as reflected both in terms of numbers of shoppers and the fewest vacant stores.
But Madison Avenue above East 59th Street remains the gold standard for its concentration of global brands and the affluence of customers, most of whom live in the neighborhood — unlike Soho’s tourists and day-trippers.
So we asked Matthew Bauer, head of the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District, to fill us in on the whirlwind changes we noticed recently.
The gilded stretch between 59th and 86th streets has seen a dozen major openings since Jan. 1, in addition to Sotheby’s which moved into the Breuer Building last fall.
The big names included Falconeri (fashion and accessories) at 764 Madison, Pasquale Bruni (jewelry) at No. 789, and restaurant Marcel at Sotheby’s.
Canadian luxury outerwear brand Mackage moved to 791 Madison, a larger flagship than its previous address nearby.
Bauer also explained that top-tier jeweler Graff is combining two buildings into one at 710 Madison and will temporarily move to No. 773, previous home of Kwiat/Fred Leighton, which reopened in a larger space at No. 713.
Meanwhile, CH Carolina Herrera, which is a separate fashion brand/label from the Carolina Herrera boutique farther north, is moving soon from 802 Madison for a new and larger store under construction at 825 Madison.
Dunhill, which hasn’t been seen on Madison in decades, returns soon at 821 Madison. And Loewe plans a new flagship for its Casa brand at 694-696 Madison. The latter address was once the longtime home of celeb-magnet restaurant Nello.
“The stores are reinvesting in Madison Avenue,” Bauer said. “This is an international shopping street but the market is very local.”