3 Ave, Turtle Bay

East 50th starts off pretty strong as far as things to see. Right at the corner of 50th and 5th Ave, you have St. Patricks Cathedral and Saks Fifth Avenue staring at each other. St Pat's Cathedral is really spectacular. It's one of the most beautiful Cathedrals I've seen in America. It's very old and very famous -- and, every now and then the Pope will come into town to do a Mass. Saks Fifth Avenue represents the exact same thing to me in a totally different way: opulence, history, and 5th Ave.
There is an incredible building on the corner of 50th and Madison called the Villard Houses. It was a string of mansions built at the end of the 19th Century. There are six gorgeous brownstones all connected by a fountain to look like a Palazzo. They are now the entrance to a hotel but at least the buildings were saved. They are breathtaking.
Directly across Park Avenue are yet two more NY Landmarks: The Waldorf Astoria Hotel and St. Bart's Church. The Waldorf is one of the most famous hotels in the world. It was built in 1930 by the Astors and the first guest they served was the King of Siam. Grace Kelley, Marilyn Monroe, and every single President since FDR have stayed at this hotel. My parents used to stay here when they visited but picked a new hotel because while the ground floor is spectacular, the rooms are little bigger than a college dorm. You can't not visit the Waldorf, though. You are instantly transported to old school glamour the minute you step inside.
50th east of 2nd Avenue is a gorgeous neighborhood of the super elite. There are unbelievable townhouses and mansions and the area almost feels like a real neighborhood. It's incredibly stuffy but really beautiful. It's one of the most expensive areas in all of Manhattan -- and, that's saying a lot considering that Manhattan is the most expensive town in the world.