Why New York’s Flatiron Building is Empty
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Chapters:
00:39 - Why they named it the “Flatiron.”
01:49 - What was before the Flatiron building?
03:23 - The Chaotic land grabs in the Flatiron districts
4:06 - How George A Fuller transformed architecture
06:27 - Construction of the FlatIron building
08:46 - Why New York’s believed the Flatiron building caused wind turbulence
09:43 - The downfall of the Flatiron building
10:54 - Renovations to the Flatiron building
11:48 - Why the Flatiron Building is Empty
14:02 - The Future of the Flatiron Building
IT’S HISTORY - Weekly Tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.
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» CREDIT
Scriptwriter - Neve Brown
Editor - Karolina Szwata,
Host - Ryan Socash
» NOTICE
Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only - always reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Events of factual error / mispronounced word/spelling mistakes - retractions will be published in this section.
As Louis Rossmann has said so many times in his walks through NYC: They'd rather ask absurd rents and keep it empty if they can't get their asking price. The entirety of NYC operates in this absurd way as though supply/demand isn't a thing.
Who?
They want to inflate the property value as it is often collateral, renting too cheap might endanger the investment. It's dumb but it is what it is.
@@Look_What_I_DidHe's a notorious person, most well known for doing testimony in the "right to repair" legislation hearing and youtuber with a few million subscribers. His repair videos some years back were really cool, he was repairing Macs Apple was saying were unrepairable electronic waste. Usually the fix was one-dollar component or re-soldering some missing connection. Apple then made their laptops and devices with parts that are impossible to acquire as they are manufactured and sold directly to Apple, re-sale prohibited. The right to repair legislation is attempt to fix some of these proprietary loopholes. This is just scratching the surface you might not give a crap so I leave this here.
There is also the fact that property owners like to pump up the fact that they own a recognized landmark. Here in downtown Columbus that happened recently with the national bank building in downtown. The county actually had to step in and use eminent domain as the building was vacant for so long that it was collapsing on people and cars. It's now owned by the highest bidder and god knows what they're doing with it, construction equipment has sat around it for months.
@@n00blamer Hey man, thanks for answering that question about Louis.
From 1963 to 1967 I went to the Art Career School which was on the 22nd floor of the Flatiron Building. The elevators only went up to the 20th floor and then I had to walk up the last two floors. My 4 years of studying interior design was from 7pm to 10pm. Before classes started, another student and I climbed out the window and up a ladder and sat on the flat roof having our dinner. I have photos of me up there. What an exquisite building.
Wow how memorable memories! Thank You So Much for sharing! 🙏 Many Happy Good Blessings in Return to You! 🌷🌿🌍💜🕊
Great story. Thanks for posting.
Omg can you post them? What an adventure!
WOW!! What an amazing experience that must have been.. I can only imagine.. which I am currently doing.. I sincerely & genuinely Thank you for sharing your experience.. It would be even more amazing to see your photos.. Regardless I ❤️ that you took the time to share your experience with the KZhead community.. Thank you Jane Ingram7331!!
These would be cool to see, maybe blur any faces if you're concerned... please post them and let us know :)
My grandfather was a mechanical engineer and was part of the team that built the Flatiron Building.
Is that so ? Begorrah !!!
@@anthonydowling3356 my uncle drives a spaceship.
Architects design buildings and contractors build them. Mechanical engineers design HVAC systems, not design or construct buildings.
So... Novody calculates the structure? Weird!
My father was a tenant at 200 5th avenue - The Toy Center - across the street - since 1950. I joined the business in 1988 and we remained tenants till the building was sold in 2010. We had a very large 20,000 sf showroom in the 13th floor overlooking the Flat Iron building and looking all the way down 5th avenue to the World Trade Center. I had the corner office - very impressive…. I saw 9/11 unfold live from my office…. We used to do our banking at Chase Manhattan in the Flat Iron Building. I think it was on the 9th floor . Memories…..
How was "the corner office"? Asking from a town that the tallest building is FIVE stories!
Imagine all of the life memories stored just within that old NY apartment
It must have been wonderful growing up within a toy-business! I envy you, in a nice way!😃😃😄
@@omarslim3362 Why are you repeating almost all of what jbreakstone said?
@@TheKuptisits probably an ai fake comment bot. Most comments these days aren't real..welcome to the future. Its sad.
There is no question that the Flatiron Building should be preserved as one of the foremost landmarks of New York. Hopefully , it will again come to an important use . It makes a bond statement on one of the most important corners of the city as well as the model for similiar buildibgs in other cities. It marks one of the most important corners as well as its appearance in popular movies. May it continue to be a prestigious address and found a good use for it.
I've often wondered about that building and now I know I wish I could live in it
They should film John Wick inside it for once
They can turn it into an hotel.
Until the historic society lets go of the insane levels of control over the inside it will continue to sit empty
Sadly the building has outgrown its usefulness just as did the buildings it replaced. Even boutique use is financially impossible given NYC’s zoning and preservation restrictions.
Buildings like this need to be kept. Modern Buildings have no story or character to them like this one and other old ones like it.
Turn it into an hotel. Keep the façade and turn the inside into an hotel.
Precisely why they will level it and build migrant housing in its stead.
@@kissthesky40 "migrant housing"? what? now that's a term i've never once encountered in any policy discussion that sure is a dogwhistle if i've ever heard one
“Buildings like this need to be kept” but not a squeak about who will shoulder the cost. Did you happen to notice that when the Flatiron was first built it was condemned as an outrageous monstrosity? I prefer to see the decision to preserve or replace be based on utility and economy. Reason and logic provide better outcomes than do sentimentality and emotion.
@@kissthesky40they don't have to level it. They can just throw the migrants in there since the building is empty.
Greed ruins everything. I love this building, it truly is one of a kind. I hope it is restored soon before its too late.
Agree. The only defense is openness and scrutiny.
It won't be. They will convert it to "illegal immigrants" housing and it will be forever ruined
Agreed.
I'm a NY Realtor and by state law no building in NY if it is registered as a historic landmark can have its appearance changed in any way. The fact that this building is also registered nationally as historic it is very unlikely it will be torn down. The state would have funded it but they found someone with the money to restore it's appearance on the outside, while doing what they want with the interior. It will be interesting to see what they do with it. From an real estate viewpoint, at the prices for NYC rentals, this is a gold mine for luxury apartments.
Yes, residential makes the most sense
Problem is, as said in the video, they'll have to install bathrooms.
Hahahaha, ya'll better be thinkin about where you gonna put all those meskins... HOT TIP: you ain't gonna have any fire dept to put those building out in case of fire, much less EMS to come pick up the bodies, or sanitation to take the mess away.... But you keep riding that bubble, Roman, Bread & Circuses....
@@panzerwolf494 If they're going to convert it into luxury apartments they have to gut the interior anyway and redo it. Even the building is a landmark they could redo the interior in such a way that works well with the exterior design. From what I understand they can't really change anything on the outside but can update the interior. I am not 100% sure as it depends on how it was worded when the building went into protection by the historic society. I am sure there are exclusion to living areas.
@@KristinaKarina What are you talking about? They took the Washington DC post office and turned it into a luxury hotel which needs a whole lot more bathrooms. They refit all buildings all the time.
This is an architectural achievement as far as I'm concerned and it would be a shame if it were to be demolished... why can't we just have some nice things?
Developers will use the same excuse…..asbestos! Always when they prefer a tear down as opposed to mew build
to have nice things we need nice people. and nice people don't end up with nice money.
Power, in Manhattan land is worth more then money
@@philhoward4466💛
It provides no economic value. It’s greatest contribution to New York would be as recycled materials making way for an economically valuable condo building, office, mixed use, even a blank space that at least isn’t using maintenance resources.
I was at a business meeting from the UK to Chicago. On the return, I booked a couple of days of leave and dog-legged to NY to check out the architecture. Empire State, Chrysler Building, Flatiron, and the Brownstones. People told me I'd be robbed and killed by gangs if I went to Clinton Hill to check out the Brownstones. Turned out I split a jug of rum with an old guy on the porch of his building. He had been renting there for sixty years, and had a rich storehouse of stories to tell. He knew all the gang-bangers, and they had a strange respect for him - he knew most of them when they were kids. - 'Hey Mr. Kowalski' - 'See you there, Leroy'.
Chicago is actually more architecturally significant than New York, hope you got to see both
@@nannerz1994 Of course I did! I was given a guided tour of the Masonic Temple - which I believe is hardly ever granted. And the Burnham and Weese Exposition style buildings.
but the rum.....why is the rum always gone?????
My father was Comptroller of St Martins Press from 1961 until 1966. He grew up in Manhattan and was proud to work in a building that had been famous since he was a small boy. He told me it was "the first skyscraper in New York". He had the corner office at Broadway and East 22nd Street on the 17th floor (?). I went there on one occasion when I was 12 and still remember his gigantic SCM Marchant Electro-Mechanical Desktop Adding Machine "chattering" through sums that would take my cell-phone about 10,000th the amount of time to solve today. And all the "Secretaries" were dressed to the nines. Cat's Eye Glasses, Tight Dresses, Circle Pins, Silk Stockings, High Heels and Hairdos. And they were so nice to me! The family went to the Manhattan Club to have lunch in a private dining room decorated in French Provincial Style. Then we all went to the Ringling Bros Barnum and Bailey Circus at Madison Square Garden. The day ended with a trip to Horn and Hardart for a Prime Rib Dinner with mashed potatoes and peas followed by a train ride back to Westport. That was the New York of the Nineteen Sixties. And gone!
Beautiful story.
Like an episode of Mad Men
Thank you for sharing your memories.
What a wonderful memory!!❤
Felt like I was witnessing your memory as I read it. I'm a Southerner. Never experienced city nostalgic moments such as yours.
There is a glut of office space and a clear need for residential use in Manhattan. It could be turned into apartments.
Think about what it would take to run the nessicary plumbing, heating, gas, and venting for apartments. On multiple floors.
@@IndiAcresBeen done. Not impossible if the floor spacing is high enough.
@@IndiAcres No one said it would be easy to hold on to this building.
It's completely doable, Office buildings are turned into Hotels, Apartments and residential spaces all the time. The problem with really old buildings is that usually a owner just demolishes the entire interior and builds a new building while retaining the facade of the original. Once something is turned into apartments or hotels, it can never be turned back into offices. No the more likely scenario is that some IT firm buys the building and uses it for a data center, since that doesn't require any real improvements to the building.
@@Kisai_Yuki still too expensive to run a data center in there, even if it's Google.
The chances that the Flatiron building will be demolished is very low because the plot of land it is sitting on is not suitable for building a larger tower.
Also because it's a protected landmark.
Yes anything built there would still be a slave to that footprint
Isn't there a massive shortage of space for disadvantaged displaced economic immigrants. If it's empty, why not put it to use. Might be an issue for the "Special People" who work in the area. They try to avoid the "Cake Eater" class.
@@donkeyboy585Why couldn't they build it into a small plaza for street vendors once the build has been removed?
@@earth2006 please clarify…
My wife and were both published by St. Martin's Press and so we had many occasions to visit the building before St. Martin's moved their offices in 2019. I think the elevators in the Flatiron were probably the slowest I ever experienced in NYC. The building is a wonderful art object but it is inadequate as a modern office building. The offices were oddly shaped and cramped and the bathrooms were few and not friendly. But I always was amazed to look down from the prow of the building on the busy traffic at the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue at twilight. I hope it is preserved and made useful again.
It's a shame no one actually lives in this beautiful building. Since the rent for a closet sized apartment in NY is obscenely high, I'd love to see this turned into affordable apartments, but I'm a dreamer.
The problem with this building is that it needs total gutting, whether as an office or residential building. The owners paid $160? Million for the building. They probably would have to spend another $100m on the building to bring it up to code as office or residential space. Hopefully the current owners budgeted for an eventuality like that.
Tearing it down and building something new is probably way more profitable.
Then only rich entitled people would be able to afford them.
Everything starts with a dream.
The daily bugle lives there:
My very first job in NYC was in the Flatiron. I had an office on the 19th floor.
But was there a working bathroom?
Says the random internet person
@@veedubklown Yes, there was.
@@MasterMayhem78 It must be a miserable life to be so skeptical.
And it’s been doomed ever since.
That is such a beautiful building! In the 80s I worked in an office on 5th Avenue less than a block away from the Flatiron Building. I passed it every morning and evening. I was told that shortly after construction, the building drew huge crowds which had to be disbursed by the police. Since the building was on the corner of 23rd street, that gave rise to the expression 23 Skidoo!
It likely popularized it, but that expression predates the building.
@@user-nx7io1ns7p There's a bunch of gods bro just Google it
So what does it mean?
Great video. In the City of Cleveland, Ohio where I grew up near, there were many "flatiron" buildings. I was born in 1953,...and remember the ones that were around when I was a teenager. I grew up in a suburb, that was 30 minutes from downtown Cleveland, and as a kid we went to our downtown every other weekend. From the eastern suburbs there was an electric trolley I could take down there. I was accompanied by my mother, when I was very young, but I continued to go down there when I was teenager. The flatirons I recall were not as tall the NYC ones,...probably not more than 5 stories. I loved the kind of quirky stores that would inhabit the narrow pointed end of the building. One contained an upscale coffee cafe, another a variety store, that sold a little bit of everything. I recall one housing an Army-Navy, surplus store. I was always fascinated by unusual architecture.
I've seen a few old triangular or rhombus odd shaped buildings around still too. They're neat to see!
I hope they can turn it into residential living. Take a look at the Woolworth building in FiDi, it use to be a major bank and they turned it into beautiful residences. New York needs to protect historical buildings and modernize them to todays needs
Its too much of a hassle to modernize it it would simply be easier to demolish and rebuild with new building code specs while recreating the outside esthetic these people want.
@@missingno81 nahh that's too rational and simple. Nobody in city planning will tolerate that idea.
@@missingno81 You are correct. This bullshit nostalgia for old unsafe buildings is ridiculous. Tearing it down for a modern building is the only way anyone can operate this building without perpetual bankruptcies and abandonment.
Migrants should be housed in these empty relics instead of using tax payer money for $300.00 a night hotels. That's what they should be used for. They deserve a roof, not a 4-star hotel.
Probably not. People & business are leaving NYC. Too expensive, too much crime. I would guess FlatIron will remain abandoned for a very long time.
In the 1970s, an equally iconic Radio City Music Hall was a candidate for demolition, mostly because it was thought the land could be used more profitably with the construction of a high rise. Ditto the amazing Grand Central Terminal around the same time and for the same reason. But the residents of NYC (me included) rallied around both icons, and today, each enjoys a status better than ever. My guess is that the Flatiron Buiding wiil find the same preservationists who will insist on its glorious future.
If you ever rally around the flat iron building, I will definitely join you to save this beautiful building!
It is so sad that the Flatiron Building, and other historic structures in other cities, is not in use. I do not think I will ever understand why in Europe (as an example) there are buildings hundreds of years old and still in use. Yet, in the U.S., unless it is designated a historic landmark, we tend to tear down anything 50 years old.
These old buildings can normally make perfectly good offices, flats or workshop space depending on what there use is but there's definitely a mentality that hinders this over there in the US. In Barrow in Furness (UK) there are still Victorian buildings in use by bae systems submarines
It's all about money in the U.S.
Someone is always figuring ROIs
Not sad, at all. In the U.S. we look towards the future. In Europe, the cultures worship the past. That is why we are strong and they are weak.
careful dude your ignorance is showing @@Redmenace96
I’d be shocked if they decided to demolish that building. The trend of empty buildings continues across the country especially in places like NYC, Chicago, L.A. and San Francisco. These spaces need to be reimagined going forward, Covid and work from home really accelerated the decline of the office.
I think there's some way they can write off tons of money on taxes if they don't have any tenants. At some point, things are going to have to change to force them to do something with this space, instead of letting it sit there and create artificial scarcity.
Because this building is considered historic, the chances of it being torn down are slim. It will most likely cost about $800 or more a square foot to remodel and repair structural defects. The big question is, who is willing to step up to the plate & take on an extremely expensive project like this?
i fear for it. NYC has torn down incredible buildings before. mind you, they keep building incredible buildings however some take time to find their way into a persons heart. Once they do, no one wants them demolished. I love the Flatiron. it needs to stay. Some buildings just can't replace the uniqueness of what already exists.
@@user-nx7io1ns7p Nope. I'm sticking with Zeus. Possibly Shiva. Haven't decided yet.
With another major renovation you could probably redevelop it as condos with retail and restaurants on the first floor. One major issue is presently all those spaces have window unit a/c. There'd need to be central air added.
Go ductless.
NYC needs to eliminate the tax breaks to landlords for unrented/unleased spaces. It completely eliminates the urgency to rent their units. If the tax relief was lifted, you'd see empty places being rented and rents decrease across the board. It would still be ridiculous, but not quite AS insane as it currently is.
My favorite NYC building. I'll never forget my first sight of it...a pleasant unexpected surprise.
The corner of 23rd Street & 5th Avenue was notorious both for its wind currents and for the small groups of men crowding around on the sidewalk. Because the ladies fashion of the day was to wear long billowy skirts, the men were hoping the gusty wind would provide a glimpse of leg. The local police had to chase these groups away so often that it became known as the "23 Skidoo".
Finally someone mentions this! My grandma (b.1899) would be taken into the ‘city’ for her clothes to be made twice a year and this is the district to which they went - everyone did, and later returned to pick up their parcels or have alterations made - the men lounging on corners hoping for a glimpse of ankle always made me laugh when she retold the story - girls and women wore high boots that had to be buckled by a maid, no ankles were seen, you’d need superstorm Sandy to get that! To her dying day grandma said things like 23 skidoo and cat’s meow and till the cow’s came home … yes, she was a country girl- stuck out there in … Brooklyn!
@@bethwilliams4903 I'll bet your granny was the bee's knees!
I was just there last week. It's currently undergoing some renovations (there's scaffolding on each end) So hopefully the wrecking ball won't be there anytime soon.
They replaced all the old air conditioners and gutted the interior. It's just an empty shell now.
it would be a shame to loose that building. would love to see the inside.
Any thought of demolishing it would likely have to reckon with a limited Floor Area Ratio in any new construction scheme - meaning you might not even be able to build as big/tall a skyscraper on such a limited-size lot.
It should be converted into a computer server park. You do not need the same kind of infrastructure as modern habitation buildings do, only shitloads of Electricity, datacables, and airconditioning. The whole building could probably operate with only 20 or so toilets for staff and visitors. Having so much outside compared to the inside also makes cooling the computers easier.
Good idea ngl
That's exactly what they did with two historic buildings in South Bend, Indiana. One of them, a former Studebaker factory building (I have a truck that was assembled in it), is now a combination data center, apartments, two story condos, offices and retail.
@@user-nx7io1ns7p Gee, what does allah think about the Flatiron Building?
A lot of server farms are being built in limestone caves. It is a lot cheaper to maintain a chilled environment underground that the servers need to operate in. Toss in the fact that is duals as a natural disaster resistant site and it is a win win.
It was the Daily Bugle newspaper building in the Toby McGuire Spider-Man movies.
Iconic & amazing looking building. Needs to be kept but no doubt some developer already has plans to flatten it
It’s a landmark. It can’t be demolished.
Well, without $$$ for maintenance, it will fall down
@@josephtesoriero5165 Under Federal Law, the listing of a property in the National Register places no restrictions on what a non-federal owner may do with their property up to and including destruction, unless the property is involved in a project that receives Federal assistance, usually funding or licensing/permitting.
why they would rather tear down family neighbor hoods for shopping centers we need less housing more shopping centers
I've been to the flat iron building 10 years ago and it was amazing to see.
“Projectors that showed news bulletins, a contraption best compared to modern day projectors…” 🤯 very interesting lol. P.s. Love your videos, keep ‘em coming, y’all are amazing.
Omg I thought I was having a stroke or something when I heard that 😂
I noticed this too lol
I have never been in the Flatiron Building and I didn't know its history, but I instantly recognize it from when I used to work in NYC. Its shape and dimensions make it one of the most unique buildings I have ever seen.
Ah hour ago I was actually thinking about you making a video on the flatiron
Saw the Flatiron Building for the first time in April 2023( my first trip to NYC in my then 61 years ) , it was huge, and has a dark screen on it because they were doing work on it. Amazing to finally see in real life! ( Manhattan as a whole was amazing to finally see in real life!)
Wow! This is a lovely building to see in person. I hope that its future brightens soon. Thank you for this information. ❤
We were just in NYC not long ago. The Flatiron building remains one of my favorites. It's sad to think it might get torn down to make way for another soulless skyscraper. If it does, the new owner should pay homage to it, and have some similar styling, at least.
I can definitely see this as a mixed use building. You could have condos or apartments on the upper floors with a hotel occupying space on some of the lower floors. Retail spaces on the ground level. It definitely could work.
Exactly
Buy it and make it happen
FWIW, I was in New York this past weekend and passed by the Flatiron Building (I didn't even know the Flatiron by name until I recognized the building from Madison Square Park). The entire building was surrounded by scaffolding, so it looks like they might be doing exterior renovations or maintenance to get rid of the sheds?
This is one of the most iconic building in NYC after the ESB and Chrysler building. I've been outside the building countless times but never inside - would love to have an excuse to see the inside of it. Years ago I almost applied for a job I think it was for one of the publishers but my attention turned elsewhere. Let's hope they turn it into something useful for the area and not a flop house for migrants that would be a waste.
Whenever I walked to work i always slowed my pac to enjoy looking over this architectural "work of art". I regret never having entered the building to look at its interiors. Thanks for the video; I found the history very interesting. Thank you.
Thanks Brian. Great details. Would have liked to view historic interior photos.
Excellent video, thank you so much for this effort. Being a fascinated fan of architectural design and, living in Chicago, especially found your history on Fuller (NYC-Chicago tie-in), especially interesting. For Chicago architectural skyscraper fans, I highly recommend Thomas Leslie's new book: 'Chicago Skyscrapers'. Thank you again, NYC has always been our "big brother", to who we looked to for inspiration and inovation.
I was a photocopier tech and my area included zip 10010 so it was then I first saw the flat iron building. However there was no equipment within the building that my company serviced, so I was only in the lobby a few times. I know of one movie that had a scene on top of the building called "Bell Book and Candle" starring James Stewart and Kim Novak. I passed by the building numerous times between 1977 and 1982, always interesting to observe.
This was the tallest building in the world at that time. You did not mention it.
What a surprise this video was. A gallop through its history but with such a clear narration it was fascinating. Would be a shame to lose all that history but also the building itself. London has been ruined by all the glass and steel architects ego trips with ugly shapes and stupid names. We need these gems from former years to remind us of our pasts.
used to work near the Flatiron .... always took my breath away ... my NYC seems like a thing of the past ... great film "The Model and the Marriage Broker" shows it off beautifully
I travelled to NY from the UK recently wanting to see this iconic building, imagine my disappointment when I stepped out of the subway to a building wrapped in scaffolding and sheeting😢. Would love to see it restored to its former glory.
The original Flatiron building is in downtown Atlanta. 84 Peachtree Street. The one in New York is a takeoff. The original one is challenging to lease, too - it’s just not built for optimum office use.
The NYC is much nicer!
@@flashflame4952 Lol it’s a knockoff
@@MrRufusRToyota LOL I looked at the one you referred to and IMHO the one in NYC is architecturally better.
@@flashflame4952 Lol still a knockoff by the same people. It’s an Atlanta building.
@@MrRufusRToyota Whatever.
Well it's a good thing there is plenty of housing available in New York. Otherwise I would wonder how the city would allow so much potential housing be left empty on some of the most in demand real estate in the U.S.
Great video! St. Martin's was my publisher in the early 2000s. My editor had one of those offices in the front of the building. On my first visit I noticed that the windows were curved and asked what they'd do if one of them got broken. "Apologize to history," she said. Apparently those curved windows were seriously expensive to replace so it was actually considered a hardship to be assigned one of those spaces. Not to mention that the narrow corner made it hard to navigate. I can see why it's become difficult to lease out.
Feels like an old friend. I always appreciated walking passed it every day on my way to art school (SVA) in the 80's. 23rd st. 6th to 3rd av.
Thanks for doing these videos.
First thought before watching past 0:30: Most any New York buiding is currently worth more if it sits without renters. If word gets out that rent has to be lowered to actually attract renters, the bubble will burst. After watching all the way, in this case it also sits empty because of the changes in ownership and renovations.. But in general, my first thought is often relevant.
Went to New York for first time and was so excited to see this fabulous building . Just blew me away
fire protection, fire safety and sufficient escape routes. it is a big and expensive challenge to use the building for offices or living space according to today's security standards.
I know it's absurdly expensive to convert office space to residential, but how cool would it be to have an apartment there if it were?
It shouldn't be that hard as the building is empty inside. Even the Chrysler building has a few apartments in it.
@@charlesdavis545 If you think about it. Tightly packed residential useage is very different from 8 hours a day occupation. There's window space, plumbing, working around elevators.. It's a lot.
Beautiful building and architecture that's quintessential New York. Need more of these buildings saved and fewer of the pencil eyesores they've been building near Central Park.
My company was located right across the street on fifth avenue from 1982 to 2003. I always loved that building.
Very interesting. I’ve always loved this building but never knew it’s history. Thank you for the edification. One thing you might want to keep in mind for future videos. “Realty” is a two syllable word. A lot of people make the mistake as well as when they say real-a-tor. Just thought you might like to know as a wordsmith myself. Continued success on your channel!
Chicago and New York share so many links and common people.
Yes
I don't think it can be flattened by law. What surprises me is that it hasn't already been turned into luxury rentals or condos. Office buildings all over Manhattan and Brooklyn are undergoing this form of gentrification. I wonder what is keeping that from happening to the Flatiron. Hmmm.
I read that the triangle shape makes for strangely shaped offices, and I assume there would be a similar problem with residential units - plus the need for installing bathroom plumbing and fire escapes.
@@boston_octopus I feel with what the crooked building management industry can charge for rent these days in a major city, All those costs would be cleared up pretty fast.
New York City and the state spent a lot of money remodeling the Empire State Building which had the same problem. It's worked, now fully occupied. Old buildings not only don't fit new needs, it's very hard to make them fit.
In such physically limited areas as Manhatten, I think it is hard to weigh the benefits and costs between renovation and creating new modern buildings. Renovation costs are huge but so is potential profit from luxury apartments.
Heavens, lets not hope they are considering the wrecking ball. I hope the city of NY learned a lesson from the blooper they pulled with the old Pennsylvania Railroad station when the tore that down. Jim Hatboro, PA
the loss of that station is what spawned a full court press on building conservation in the city in the first place. One of the first ones they saved was Grand Central Terminal.
They can't demolish it by law.
You will be happy to know it's not going anywhere, @itshistory. There will be news soon, but I can assure you the exterior of the building will be left in tact.
Wish the video had some photos of the inside, especially the office space at the "point" of the triangle; the view from those windows must be awesome!!!
I think that is what happened to the Penn hotel at 32nd and 7th Avenue. This was a hotel stood as a symbol way before it was popular to save these old jewels. Sadly, it met it recking ball at a time when "protecting" historical building is at it highest. But the city of New York decided that it would secretly take the payoff to tear down that emblem.
Beautiful building . Shame that urban renewal destroyed so many historic and wonderful buildings to make way for brutalist slabs.
There are about twenty Flatiron Buildings around the world.
It's my favorite building in NYC. I lived in NYC for 10 years and the building still fascinates me❤
Yea! No glasses. 👍🏼 Such a better, uncreepy, look.😂 Thanks for the video Ryan. Learned a bunch. (Like I always do with all your videos.) For example, I didn’t know the official name was the Flatiron. I always assumed that was the nickname. (And we all know what assuming spells. 😂) Please keep videos like this coming. Because I enjoy learning.
I love the flat iron building. It's iconic! We can't let it be lost. If I had one the big lottery of 1.58 billion I'd buy it and fix it up myself
I suspect the heating/cooling plus internet upgrades plus plumbing kitchens bathrooms for apartments would price apartments/condos out off market. Plus the eternal parking for vehicles problem.
I have loved iconic historic buildings, antiques, and vintage finds my entire life. This one, however, is an eyesore.
wish more people would produce videos like you do. then again your unique so I hope they never do.
The building is old, protected and in neglected shape. A financial disaster. The electrical, plumbing, A/C, elevators, flooring, windows and much more have to be replaced. With occupation rates in the city at record lows the Flatiron is going to stay empty. Great location.
I've seen plans for this building come up for bid for redevelopment a handful of times over the past 5-years. Most folks don't know just how antiquated and small the interiors are, it needs a lot of work. Btw, because of it's age, it preceded a lot of new regulations regarding fire codes and means of egress. I remember plans showing an addition of a stairwell in the building.
Your channel is what history channel was 15 years ago. We miss your type of content
John Wick killed it
Perhaps an AT&T wire vault or perhaps a data center...
Had one in KC Kansas. Torn down. Now a small park. The park has an Iron that looks like the one in Monopoly.
If you'd like to commemorate the building for yourself at home Lego has created a set, Flatiron Building 21023, in their Architecture series. It was a lot of fun to build. I used to do work for one of the companies occupying the building, and really enjoyed its uniqueness. This is a shame that it is so empty.
Why am I not surprised that NYC could ideate housing illegals in an historic landmark! Thank God for the bathroom issue.
Very cool video Ryan!! Love the history!!
there is, or was a similar building in Riverside Ca that I remember seeing as a kid. not sure if it is still standing, but the shape always intrigued me.
It's simple. People don't buy flat irons anymore. They use dry cleaing or hire immigrants.
I visited NY in 2005 and the building is such an iconic piece of architecture. So sad it was even offered to migrants, what a world we live in now.
They’d wreck it.
@@crakkbone8473 In what way do you mean wrecked it?
literally, demolish, destroy and render it unusable but that is perhaps the goal of da Mayor...@@groovydonkey
Since that building is basically a compass ,it should be looked at by the Masons
@@vwandtiny3769 People now have no idea of history and what buildings like this are the heart of New York. I find it so sad.
I think I interned for an animator that lived in the penthouse one summer in the late 90’s. It was definitely in the Flat Iron district, and I seem to recall working in the building, but it was such a long time ago my recollection fails me. I do know that the Ghostbusters’ fire house is a few blocks north of there. I remember seeing it when I dragged a computer to repair center one time.
One of my uncles, was with the Merchant Marines! They're the ones who used unarmed ships, to bring food & supplies, into the War Zones! They were escorted by armed ships, submarine here & there - but all of them were hunted by the infamous Nazi Wolf Packs!! Not all Merchant Marines survived. Because they didn't technically fight, none of them were given the purple hearts that they earned, by putting their lives on the line, every round trip! We families fought decades, to obtain the purple hearts, that they had earned. My uncle finally received his purple heart, just before he died of cancer. Many never lived to get theirs.
Business ruins everything. Thats why the building is empty. Rent got way too high.
Business is just responding to the economic conditions set up by government. The cost of maintenance, the red tape of restoration and zoning laws make it hard for owners to make changes that would attract new tenants and tax laws make it more profitable to write it off as a loss.
If Capitalism bothers you, you should find a country more amenable.
@@rickeys are you looking into my mind ? Your speaking for me and you know nothing about me.
THats not the only empty building in woke york
Woke York? Can you explain that?😄
I have a framed print of Flatiron Bldg in my Colorado home and did HVAC projects with George A. Fuller.
I cant believe it took 15 minutes for you to answer this question. Its empty because of crime and taxes
No bathrooms ? That never stopped the homeless before when they were on the sidewalks . They'll just dump a load or drain their kidneys out the broken windows . 😂 NY is betting exactly what they wanted . They voted for it .😘
How do you resolve the issue? That is what takes brains to do.
Let's see how politely you relieve your bodily functions when you have no place to live - no nice clean bathroom. How realistic is it to expect homeless people to behave like people living in comfort?
Even if empty, the building is an urban sculpture worth preserving.