Flatiron, named after the Flatiron Building on the southeast corner of 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue, is where midtown ends and downtown begins. The neighborhood was a commercial hub known as the Toy District (after its many small toy manufacturers) until the 1980’s, when it began its residential evolution. Today, Flatiron is known for its open, airy lofts that have been converted into residential homes.
The neighborhood is bounded by 14th Street to the south; Sixth Avenue to the west; Park Avenue South to the east; and 30th Street to the north. Flatiron’s commercial roots are obvious on Fifth Avenue and Broadway, where you can find a mix of shopping, restaurants, offices, and residential loft buildings. More traditional apartment buildings are scattered throughout, but tend to be concentrated towards the edge of the neighborhood.
Flatiron is convenient to all transportation at Union Square, to the pet-friendly Madison Square Park, and to the original Shake Shack. It was referred to as Silicon Alley, a play on California’s Silicon Valley, during the 1990’s dot-com boom.
NoMad
NoMad, which stands for North of Madison Square Park, is a mini-neighborhood that is usually included with Flatiron when searching online. NoMad stretches only a few blocks, from 25th Street to 30th Street, while it looks and feels similar to the rest of Flatiron. Homes with a view of Madison Square Park are usually found in NoMad. Plus, NoMad just sounds cool.