Macy's

There is probably no store more commonly associated with NYC than Macy's. Present in film (Miracle on 34th Street) and other media, sponsor of the annual Thanksgiving Day parade, the annual fireworks display (since 1976), Macy's has been around for nearly 150 years. It was established as a dry goods store in 1858 on 14th Street and 6th Avenue, then moved to 18th Street and Broadway (on the Ladies Mile) for 40 years, and came to rest in 1902 at its current location at Herald Square (34th Street and Broadway). Click here for more photos. The company went public in 1922 and subsequently expanded to locations across the country (it now has over 800 stores). It was the first store to use escalators - the original wood escalators are still in use. Macy's is part of the fabric of New York City - like Central Park, Times Square, Grand Central Station and the Empire State Building, it is nearly impossible to conceive of the city without it. Although it is a place a business, I think it has a different meaning in the hearts and minds of most New Yorkers than any other store. In 1992, Macy's actually filed for bankruptcy and icon or not, any seasoned citizen knew that nothing is guaranteed and Macy's survival was in real jeopardy. They survived and merged with Federated Department Stores. Many internationally known businesses have gone under that may at one time been considered invulnerable such as Pan Am ...