Flatiron

In the mid-1990s, the Flatiron District was known for its commercial real estate. Offices, department stores, and big-box retailers dotted the avenues between Union Square and Madison Square Park.

 

With its central location, Flatiron is great for those who want a little bit of everything. Bustling daytime transit dissipates into relaxed evening strolls as Flatiron bends to be energetic when you want it, and peaceful when you don’t.

 

 

Flatiron’s central location makes it a convenient neighborhood for commuting to other parts of the city. Union Square is a major hub for public transportation and other subways are within close walking distance.

 

Flatiron acts as a passageway between downtown and midtown, which makes it easy to quickly get around the city on foot. You’ll also see a fair share of commuters on two wheels moving through the neighborhood as well.

 

 

By day, Flatiron is defined by the 9-to-5 hustle. The streets are packed with people on their way to work in one of the many office buildings in the neighborhood.

 

Mornings and lunchtime are especially busy as professionals speed off to work or other early engagements. At the southern border of Flatiron is Union Square, which is a central hub of activity at all hours of the day. The world-famous Union Square Greenmarket is a favorite stop for both tourists and city dwellers alike looking for locally grown, healthy produce.

 

Union Square is also known for the eclectic activities that go on from dusk to dawn, from yoga and chess games to music performances and holiday markets in the wintertime.

 

Flatiron also has a growing reputation as a destination for great dining. Union Square is surrounded by some of the most popular restaurants in the city. Mainstays like Union Square Cafe are booked weeks in advance, but casual eateries and fun food trucks are popular for on-the-go-meals.

 

The weekends in Flatiron are similarly busy. With plenty of open outdoor seating on Broadway especially, you’ll often spot people relaxing and taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling streets around them. Shopping is also a popular activity in the neighborhood, especially on Fifth Avenue, which houses modern stores like Anthropologie, Madewell, Free People, and Joe Fresh.

 

By night the neighborhood quiets down, but is still a popular destination for a laid back bar scene. Lillie’s and Park Bar are popular with the cocktail-obsessed, and club-goers can dance all night at the W Hotel’s bar, Lilium.

 

 

The streets of Flatiron can become fairly congested during the day and on the weekend. You might want to try and avoid the neighborhood if you’re averse to loud and busy foot and street traffic.

 

Still, quiet moments are not impossible to find. Side streets around Park Avenue are more peaceful than the hustle and bustle around the major avenues as you move west.

 

 

Because Flatiron is predominantly a commercial neighborhood, there are fewer options for apartments than other places in the city. The neighborhood has a fair number of recently developed luxury buildings on Broadway, Park Avenue, and Fifth Avenue. They often come with all-inclusive gyms, rooftops, and doorman service, but also come with hefty price tags.

 

There are also smaller doorman buildings that are sprinkled throughout the neighborhood. Walk-ups can be more affordable, but are sparse and hard to find.

 

 

Flatiron has grown from an industrial neighborhood centered around one major architectural landmark into a residential area teeming with historic significance and cultural pride.

 

Those who walk through the neighborhood often can’t help but snap a photo to capture the elegance in the details of Flatiron architecture.

 

Nowhere is this more true than of the Flatiron Building is, one of the most recognizable and photographed buildings in New York. Only six feet wide in some parts, it’s a marker of early twentieth century architecture and an impressive reminder of the impact that this small but mighty neighborhood has made on the landscape of the city.