The stretch that actually rewards walking is the dozen blocks from Rockefeller Center (50th) up to the Plaza and Central Park (59th) — Saks, St. Patrick's spires, Tiffany, Bergdorf, the glowing Apple Cube — not the dull office canyon south of 42nd. As shopping it's aspirational and pricey, so it's mostly window-gazing. The one time it transcends a stroll is the holidays (late November into early January), when Saks and Bergdorf unveil their windows and the Saks light show runs after dark — go on a weekday evening, since December weekends are a slow, packed shuffle.