#184 The Flatiron Building: A Story from Three Sides

The Bowery Boys: New York City History

Content provided by Tom Meyers and Greg Young. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Tom Meyers and Greg Young or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.

9y ago 50:56

MP3•Episode home

For our 8th anniversary episode, we're revisiting one of New York City's great treasures and a true architectural oddity -- the Flatiron Building.

When they built this structure at the corner of Madison Square Park (and completed in 1902), did they realize it would be an architectural icon AND one of the most photographed buildings in New York City?

The Fuller Construction Company, one of the most powerful firms in Chicago, decided to put their new New York office building in a flashy place -- a neighborhood with no skyscrapers, on a plot of land that was thin and triangular in shape. They brought in one of America's greatest architects to create a one-of-a-kind, three-sided marvel, presenting a romantic silhouette and a myriad of optical illusions.

The Flatiron Building was also known for the turbulent winds which sometimes blew out its windows and tossed up the skirts of women strolling to Ladies Mile. It's a subject of great art and a symbol of the glamorous side of Manhattan. We bring you all the sides of this structure's incredible story.

www.boweryboyshistory.com

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/boweryboys

489 episodes

#Travel #New York #Tom Meyers #History #Society #Documentaries #Greg Young