One of the Most Striking Buildings in NYC

I mentioned in my first #WhereIWorkWednesday that my office is located in the Gramercy/Flatiron District.  To be more specific, I am just about three blocks away from the Flatiron building.  I actually have to pass the front of the building every day to get to the subway from work. There are always TONS of tourists out taking photos in "Flatiron Plaza," the area in front of building and they also set up tables and chairs for bystanders to sit down for as long as they would like. It's pretty cool!
Honestly, I haven't sat in the Plaza myself since I took my job about four years ago. It's crazy to think that I haven't spent one afternoon eating my lunch at the Plaza. I would occasionally sit on a bench in Madison Square Park (spoiler alert: which will be the focus of another post!). Maybe now I'll be inspired to actually spend a nice day eating lunch there?

The epicenter of the Gramercy/Flatiron District is the Flatiron building. It's a very distinct triangle shaped structure that is the fork between Fifth Avenue and Broadway. The building itself has a lot of history. It was built in 1902 and immediately become one of the most unique looking buildings in New York City. What's crazy is that the particular corner nook of the city that has the Flatiron hasn't changed much since 1902.

Flatiron Building circa 1903!

Above is a 110 year-old picture I took from Wiki Commons. Below is a picture I took on my walk in front of the building to my train.

I thought I would do a comparison shot of the building in black & white and color. Doesn't the 2013 black & white version look nearly identical as the 1093 version?! (Besides all the modern people and horse and buggies in the old photo.) You can also see the dome-like thing on top of the building to the right of the Flatiron in the 1903 photo and in the 2013 photo they are restoring it.

The Flatiron Pedestrian Plaza.