NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE

Building their name with luxury leather riding saddles, Hermès accrued a reputation for old-world taste and luxury. Today the brand name is synonymous with the much-desired Birkin and Kelly bags, each named after Grace Kelly and Jane Birkin, and each with a multiple year wait-list. The Hermès store, a museum-like Madison Avenue marvel, hosts three floors of the finest ready-to-wear, leather goods, jewelry, shoes, cuff links and notions, eyewear, jewelry, men’s and women’s hats, ties, an elegant selection of housewares and even a top floor gallery space. While most items induce quite the sticker shock, you can’t go wrong by getting your father a tie here for Christmas: Their selection of silks span classic, colorful and even storytelling. When the season ‘tis, Hermès and its surrounding stretch of shops is quintessentially New York… and beyond magical.