The Flatiron– Managing A Trophy Property
SEPTEMBER 17, 2017
The Flatiron building is one of New York’s most famous skyscrapers. It has been featured in many Hollywood movies like Spiderman, Godzilla, The Usual Suspects, as well as the TV series, Friends.
The 1902, 22 storey, Fuller building was dubbed the “Flatiron”, due to its resemblance to the old household iron. Now the whole precinct is referred to and promoted as the Flatiron district of NY and this building is not just the cause but its centre.
The site is significant as it is where 5th Avenue and Broadway converge and the architecture is striking. Everything about this building is long term. The city considers it a Landmark, the owners won’t sell, the tenant has called it home for over 60 years and the Building Super, Sunny Atis, has managed it for 28 years.
Sunny took me through the building, the tenant’s spaces, showed off the intricate fire stairs, the roof where Spiderman was filmed, the basement where the boilers are and of course the highly prized retail space adjacent to the subway.
Sunny has a terrific spirit and his warmth is infectious. He is part building manager and part tour guide. He said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal:
“I get to maintain one of the most famous buildings in the world”.
He has met many famous people who come to the building and he’s been photographed with them all, Oscar de la Hoya, Hulk Hogan and numerous singers and entertainers and his signed photographs are positioned like a gallery in his basement office.
Owning or managing a high profile building means a wealth of opportunity. When your asset is one of the most photographed, in a city hosting 61 million tourists a year, you can dream about a realm of outcomes for it. The Flatiron is a trophy building, one of many on New York’s shelf, but nevertheless a prize they’re still celebrating.