Flatiron Building

The Flatiron Building, originally called the Fuller Building, is at 175 Fifth Avenue in the borough of Manhattan, New York City. It was one of the first skyscrapers. When it was finished in 1902, it was one of the tallest buildings in the city. The building sits on a triangular island-block. Most Manhattan streets are on a strict grid plan but Broadway is an exception. It crosses the streets and avenue at an angle. This makes it cut across Fifth Avenue, a large and important road running N/S. At the junction sits the Flatiron on a triangle of land. There are also two E/W roads, a main road, 23rd St. and a minor road, East 22nd St. The name "Flatiron" is because it looks like a old-fashioned cast iron clothes iron. The building has been called "[o]ne of the world's most iconic skyscrapers, and a quintessential symbol of New York City". It gives its name to the neighborhood around it, known as the Flatiron District. It has become an icon of New York City. The building was designated a New York City landmark in 1966. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. References