The Flatiron

Critics hated it. The public feared it would topple over. Passersby were knocked down by the winds. But even before it was completed, the Flatiron Building had become an unforgettable part of New York City. This marvelously written book chronicles not just the construction of the building, but the changing technology and culture that characterized New York at the dawn of the twentieth century: Madison Square Park shifted from a promenade for rich women to gay prostitutes; photography became an art; motion pictures came into existence; jazz came to the forefront of popular music - and all within steps of one of the city's best loved buildings.