(Photo: Xavier Guardans)

Macy’s has been a legend since it opened in Herald Square in 1902 (the move uptown from 14th Street was considered risky at the time). Early on, the store boasted the world’s first modern escalators, a “livestock floor,” and a section for poultry shows. The owners (one of whom died on the Titanic) were the first to carry some of Thomas Edison’s inventions. It remains the city’s third-most-visited tourist site, after the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. About 35,000 visitors come through each day; the day after Thanksgiving, the number approaches 75,000. About 160 extra employees are hired each year to play Santaland helpers -- and just (there is a Santa Claus) one Santa.

Related:

• Archive: “Cover Story”
• Articles by Sara Cardace
• Table of Contents: December 23, 2002 issue of New York | Subscribe!