How to See Fifth Ave Holiday Windows Without Leaving Home
There’s nothing quite like New York at Christmastime. There’s the smell of roasted nuts floating down the streets, busy shoppers rushing about with packages and holiday windows bursting at the seams with fantastic sights. Although it may not be possible to book a plane ticket and rush off to Manhattan, you can at least relive some of the magic at home, thanks to Google.
Google spent three days photographing the window displays up and down Fifth Avenue and then stitching them together into an extravagant panorama. Google’s “Window Wonderland,” as the project is called, lets virtual visitors to NYC zoom in on the windows at the gigantic department stores, including Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Lord + Taylor and Macy’s. They also photographed Tiffany & Co, Burberry, Henri Bendel and Cartier. In all, visitors can peruse the windows from 18 different stores.
If you’ve got Google Cardboard or a VR headset, you can totally immerse yourself in the world. If you decide to go the VR route, Google has made the experience completely immersive. “You can even be surrounded by the sounds and sights of the city streets, taking in the storefront view alongside other onlookers,” the company said.
The virtual tour also features an audio guide from the window designers, explaining how they made the intricate and beautiful contraptions featured. And, of course, if you see something in the window you’ve got to pick up, Google has also integrated a “shopping gift window” into the experience.
Which is your favorite holiday window display? Let us know @BritandCo!
(h/t Fast Company; photo via Getty)
