A stroll down the elegant stretch of Fifth Avenue south of Central Park demonstrates how wrong the courts were.

Pedestrians who frequent that stretch of Fifth Avenue might not remember the 12-story neo-classic limestone building that occupied the site for nearly 70 years.

"It is such a short stretch of Fifth Avenue that it is very difficult to find space," he said.

The lower stretch of Fifth Avenue extended the stylish neighborhood of Washington Square northwards.

Prokopcuka made it happen down that stretch of Fifth Avenue, cruising along between the stately apartments and Central Park beautifully decorated in fall colors.

After all, that stretch of Fifth Avenue was habitually clamorous.

It's increasingly like the stretch of Fifth Avenue from 50th to 59th Street: chockablock with top purveyors, most of whom have outposts elsewhere.

Since then the pace of development on this stretch of Fifth Avenue has quickened considerably.

The stretch of Fifth Avenue known by the marketing tag Museum Mile forges some links between these worlds, symbolically at least.

But yesterday, when their paths crossed on the northern stretch of Fifth Avenue that once separated their districts, they found themselves rivals for the same job.