By the 1870s, existing retailers and more new players began opening newer, grander stores north of 14th street that catered to the wealthy carriage trade. Clustered together between 15th Street to 24th Street, and Park Ave to 6th Avenue, the Ladies Mile, as it became known, became the premier shopping district in New York City in the latter half of the 19th century. The architecture of the many department stores and other shops clustered in this area can still be seen today, with contemporary retailers setting up shop in the historic buildings. While this map only highlights a handful of the important players in fashion retailing in the district, dozens of other department stores, specialty shops and boutiques were located in the neighborhood. The Ladies Mile was designated a historic site for New York City in 1989.
