The Flatiron Building is one of those New York landmarks that makes you do a double take. It’s not tall compared to the skyscrapers around it, but its triangular shape — like the prow of a ship cutting through the city — is unforgettable. Standing at the intersection where Fifth Avenue meets Broadway, it creates one of the most photographed views in Manhattan.
History
The Flatiron Building was originally called the Fuller Building after its developer, the Fuller Construction Company. Architect Daniel Burnham designed it in the Beaux-Arts style, and construction was completed in 1902. At 285 feet and 22 stories, it was one of the tallest buildings in the city at the time. The triangular shape was dictated by the wedge-shaped plot at the intersection of Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and East 22nd Street — a site that had been considered unbuildable. Locals were skeptical that the building would survive the winds that whip through the intersection, but the steel frame construction proved them wrong. The “Flatiron” nickname came from its resemblance to a cast-iron clothes iron, and it stuck so completely that the formal name is rarely used. The building was designated a New York City landmark in 1966.
Features and Highlights
- The 25-degree point — the narrow “nose” of the building at the intersection, only six feet wide at its tip
- The Beaux-Arts facade — limestone and terracotta exterior with French Renaissance-inspired ornamentation
- The mansard roof at the top with round corner windows and a copper cornice
- The observation platform that was originally at the top for sightseers (now closed)
- The Madison Square Park backdrop — the park across 23rd Street offers the classic postcard view
- The ground-floor retail spaces and office floors above, still used as commercial and creative offices
- The building’s copper roof that has naturally weathered to a green patina over 120 years
Visitor Tips
The best photo spot is from the south end of Madison Square Park, looking north. Sunset lighting on the building’s western face is spectacular. The building is not open to the public except for retail shops on the ground floor, but you’d come for the exterior anyway. The surrounding neighborhood, the Flatiron District, is one of Manhattan’s best for restaurants and boutiques. Visit Eataly across the street for Italian food and market shopping. The N/R/W train at 23rd Street gets you close.
Cultural Impact
The Flatiron Building changed how architects thought about building on irregular lots. Before it, wedge-shaped buildings were considered impractical. After the Flatiron, developers started seeing value in every scrap of Manhattan real estate. The building is notorious for the wind tunnel effect it creates at its base — legend says the gusts once blew a woman off her feet, and the phrase “23 skidoo” may have originated from police shooing men who gathered to watch the wind lift women’s skirts. The building has appeared in Spiderman, Godzilla, Armageddon, and early 20th-century postcards that made it a global symbol of New York. For travelers who love Empire State Building – New York City and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Flatiron offers a glimpse of New York’s architectural audacity in a more intimate, human-scaled package. A walk through Central Park in New York to the Flatiron District gives you a full afternoon of the city’s most striking architecture.
Location and Contact
- Address: 175 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010
- Coordinates: 40.7411° N, 73.9897° W
- Building: Ground floor retail accessible — upper floors not open to public
- Official Site: Flatiron Building Information
- Wikipedia: Flatiron Building on Wikipedia
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- Email: gracezelguerra22@gmail.com
- Phone: 09460480491
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