The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership Business Improvement District, formed in 2006, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the area's reputation as one of New York's most vital and exciting neighborhoods.
December News Roundup
December's news highlighted festive restaurant dishes and spots on year-end 'best of' lists along with commercial property renovations and sales. The 2020 Flatiron Public Plaza holiday installation, Point of Action, was also widely featured. Stay up-to-date with the latest Flatiron District News.
Header Photo: Milu via Eater New York
Thumbnail Photo Credit: The NoMad Hotel
Join the Small Business Resource Network for Free Guidance & Recovery Resources
Calling all small businesses! In response to this time of crisis, various city partners, inluding the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce have launched the NYC Small Business Resource Network (SBRN), a network of New York City specialists offering free, personalized guidance and recovery resources for your business.
The SBRN is a unique, private-public partnership that leverages local relationships with the city’s corporate, financial, and professional service sectors. With support from universities, philanthropies and expert volunteers, the SBRN helps small business owners gain access to a range of programs and services.
Small Business Support Specialists offer guidance and next-step resources in these five fields:
Some common concerns are proper outdoor dining setup (please note, if you're in our BID district boundaries we can assist with this directly), rent negotiation, and website marketing and management. Members of the network can also enjoy special offerings such as cash credit to rebuild your business' website.
Every business is eligible, even if you are not a Chamber of Commerce member. For more information, attend the free info session webinar for small business owners on January 12th, at 2pm, or submit your business profile to join today.
The designated Chamber of Commerce Small Business Support Specialists for the Flatiron and NoMad area are:
Businesses in zipcodes 10003, 10010, and 10016:
Christopher Freire
cfreire [at] Manhattancc.org
Businesses in zipcodes 10001 and 10011:
Sean Martin
smartin [at] manhattancc.org
Flatiron Foodie: Summer Salt's Rolled Taquitos with American Guac
Summer Salt, located at 30 East 23rd Street, is open daily for pick-up and delivery from 11 am to 10 pm. Check out their full menu. Summer Salt is a beloved, local restaurant and a Partnership staff favorite too!
Directions:
Enjoy!
Chef Juan Carlos Ortiz pictured below:
Flatiron Cheer: Last-Minute Gift Guide
If the holiday season crept up too soon, or if you're missing some last presents, there are still plenty of great gifts that you can pick up in the neighborhood. Use the gift guide below to support district businesses as you check off your holiday shopping list.
We suggest visiting these stores in-person or arranging for pick-up to avoid shipping delays.
For last minute treats and kitchen goods:
Bourke Street Bakery, 15 East 28th Street
Pop into Bourke Street's Market and Pantry for cookbooks, seasonings, and sauces, including their holiday gift set- "Bourke Street Hamper" that includes housemade products: The Ultimate Chocolate sauce, Plum, Strawberry & Cardamom Jam, Avo Smash Sprinkle, Pecan Maple Crunch Granola, and Orange & Fig Marmalade, plus a Tote bag for $55.
Eataly, 200 5th Avenue, 212-229-2560
Shop Italian-inspired home goods like holiday table settings, cookbooks, and regional extra virgin olive oil in decorated ceramic bottles. Gift cards and cookbooks are also available.
Flatiron Wine & Spirits, 929 Broadway, 212-477-1315
Search through thousands of artisanal wines & spirits from around the world right here in the Flatiron district. If you're not sure what they'd love, let them pick their bottle of choice with a gift card.
Nuts Factory, 700 6th Avenue, 917-445-6556
Shop Nut Factory's selection of assorted gift boxes containing dried fruits, rich chocolates, and roasted nuts, or pick out your own custom selection for your special someone.
For other tid bits:
Fotografiska New York, 281 Park Avenue South, hello.ny@fotografiska.com
Explore the photography museums's The Shop for a curated selection of gifts such as exhibition images, artistic home decor, and sustainable products and works from Black and women-owned studios.
Il Fiorista, 17 West 26th Street, 646-490-8240
Browse Il Fiorista's hand-tied Floral Bouquets for the finishing touch to your holiday present. Il Fiorista also offers gift cards.
J&M Hardware & Locksmiths, 19 East 21st Street, 212-673-6050
Stop by the district's local hardware store to pick up homeware tools and supplies to finally make those home improvements. Whether your special someone is pro-level or more DIY-style, J&M Hardware has the expert advice, tools, and products to get the job done.
Memories of New York, 206 Fifth Avenue, 212-252-0030
The holidays aren't complete without some love for New York. Shop toys, apparel, children's books, snowglobes, postcards, and other trinkets, perfect for a stocking stuffer.
Petsmart, 1107 Broadway, 646-949-1422
We know how much pets are family. Pick up a present your adorable companion is guaranteed to love from Petsmart's selection of treats, accessories, and services. Gift cards are also available.
Rizzoli Bookstore, 1133 Broadway, 212-759-2424
Rizzoli is the perfect place to get a holiday gift for anyone and everyone in your life. The one-stop shop offers a wide selection of books from sports photography to foreign literature along with book accessories, apparel, and other trinkets.
Looking for other kinds of gifts? Check out our Flatiron Gift Guides for the Athletically Inclined, Self-Care Enthusiasts, Food Fanatics, and Family Members of All Ages.
Photo Credit:
Thumbnail: Rizzoli Bookstore
Header: Memories of New York
Holiday Meal Kits from Flatiron Restaurants
It's officially Holiday season and no matter how you're celebrating, we know a little help from some neighborhood chefs is always welcomed. We've rounded up holiday meals from restaurants and bakeries around the neighborhood, so you can celebrate the end of the year with no stress. Feed the family with delicious dishes while supporting your favorite local businesses during a time when they need it the most.
Bourke Street Bakery, 15 East 28th Street
The Austrailian bakery has launches special treats to make this holiday season a little brighter! They are offering Gingerbread People, Brandy Pear & Rhubarb Crumble pie, Christmas Fruit Mince pies and other delicious treats. Visit the store or fill out an online order for these holiday treats availble from December 7th until the 24th.
Cosme, 35 East 21st Street, info@cosmenyc.com
Cosme is offering three meal kits that serve up contemporary Mexican cuisine. The Duck Carnitas Dinner includes Duck carnitas, Guacamole, Tostadas, and Tortillas, and serves 2-4 people at $145. The Vegetable Dinner also serves 2-4 people at $145 and features Honeynut squash, Mole Blanco, Quesillo tamal, and Tortillas. Lastly, their Postres or desserts bundle includes a pint of Vanilla ice cream with guava caramel swirl, gluten-free Pecan Pie, and Brown butter hazelnut crumble at $75. Order for pick-up.
ilili, 236 Fifth Avenue, 212-683-2929, Take advantage of 10% off
The upscale Meditteranean restaurant has added exciting Christmas To-Go packages to their Chef's recommended menus in their catering store. Choose from meal kits that feature Braised Lamb Shank, Silk Road Short Rib, or Silk Road Cauliflower to serve 2, 4, or 8. Pick-up available on December 22nd and 23rd from 11.30 am to 7 pm. They will also be offering a 4-course prix-fixe menu with all your favorite a-la-carte menu items and Christmas specials for Christmas Eve dinner. Make reservations.
Luke's Lobster, 5 West 25th Street, retail@lukeslobster.com.
Take your pick from Luke's Oyster & Caviar Holiday Bundle, Gourmet Truffle Lobster Roll Bundle, and Lobster Roll & Ornament Gift Set to enjoy their fresh and sustainable seafood. The straight-from-the-shore Oyster & Caviar bundle offers the freshest Maine oysters paired with the finest Baika caviar, and a shucking knife for $165. The luxurious Gourmet Truffle Lobster Roll bundle includes 4 Truffle Lobster Rolls and a Maine crafted white pine candle for $105. And the 4-Lobster roll kit is rounded out for the holidays with an adorable lobster boat ornament and gift card for $95. Order bundles and other sets online.
maman nyc, 22 West 25th Street, andrea@mamannyc.com, Take advantage of 10% off
Enjoy maman's limited edition Holiday Cookie Box filled with a dozen fresh-baked cookies individually wrapped in a custom box & tied with a twine bow – perfect for gifting (and sharing). The assorted holiday gift box includes a combination of classic nutty chocolate chip cookies and three new flavors created for the season: double chocolate peppermint crunch cookies, brown butter cranberry oatmeal cookies, and caramel chocolate hazelnut cookies. Place your order for a delicious delivery or pick-up items in person.
mangia, 22 West 23rd Street, 212-647-0200
Celebrate the holidays with mangia's reimagined hors d'oeuvres, cakes, treats, and other offerings. Choose your holiday selection from menu items like salmon crostini with cornichons and horseradish cream and their cranberry tart with ginger, pecan crust and cranberry custard. Check out their full holiday menu, and order your holiday spread for delivery.
Milu, 333 Park Avenue South, 212-377-6403
The new Chinese restaurant has launched their Holiday Meal Special, along with Holiday sides, sweets, and wines. The meal kit features Dry Aged Duck Crown stuffed with duck and mushroom sticky rice, a jar of Milu Hoisin Sauce, roasted potatoes, Pineapple Buns with chestnut cream filling, and other sides; it serves up to four for $168. The Holiday Special will be available in limited quantity, for pick up only on December 23rd and 30th.
Seven Grams Caffe, 76 Madison Avenue
Stop by the independent roasters to grab some homemade baked goods like a variety of cookies and loaves.
Thumbnail Photo Credit: Luke Lobster's Gourmet Truffle Lobster Roll Bundle
Header Photo Credit: ilili's Christmas To-Go packages
The History of 51 Madison Avenue: The New York Life Building
In honor of New York Life celebrating 175 years in 2020, the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership looks back on the great historical significance of 51 Madison Avenue, the site for the iconic, gold-topped New York Life Building.
From the 1850s to 1871, the site was home to a passenger station for the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. The Madison Avenue Station became unnecessary with the opening of Grand Central Terminal on 42nd Street in 1871, and the space was rented to P.T. Barnum, who converted it into his famous Hippodrome (an ancient Greek-style stadium), which opened in 1874. Barnum was the proprietor of a traveling circus (which would later be a constituent of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus) and intended the site to house a permanent show separate from his roadshow that would feature circus acts, chariot races, and a menagerie.
Picture: P.T. Barnum's Great Roman Hippodrome and Zoological Institute in 1874.
The Hippodrome would prove short-lived, closing after the 1875 season, but it would establish the site as a New York entertainment hub. In 1879, the Hippodrome reopened as a live event venue under a new name, “Madison Square Garden.” That venue would be torn down and replaced by a better-known second Madison Square Garden in 1890. The second Madison Square Garden was an architectural marvel in its time. Designed by Stanford White, it featured an enclosed arena, theatre, restaurant, ballroom, and rooftop garden. The space hosted a series of societal and political functions and popular amusements, including horse shows, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, rodeos, boxing bouts, concerts, and political conventions, including the 1924 Democratic National Convention. In 1919, the second Madison Square Garden hosted the first performance of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus' combined show.
Picture: The second Madison Square Garden, decorated for the 1924 Democratic Convention.
In 1916 New York Life acquired the second Madison Square Garden at a foreclosure auction where it was the only bidder. The company leased the building out to a promoter until around 1924, when it began preparations to demolish the property and build its Home Office on the site. The second Garden was torn down to make way for the New York Life Building in 1925, by which point the venue’s best days were long behind it.
The 40-story, Gothic Revival-style New York Life Building was designed by Cass Gilbert, who also designed New York’s Woolworth Building and the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. The limestone “Cathedral of Insurance” opened for business in November 1928 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark in 1978 and designated a historic landmark by New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2000. It contains nearly 1 million square feet of working space, 38 elevators, 2,200 windows, and 72 gargoyles. The iconic gold pyramidical dome is made with gold-dipped ceramic tiles.
Today, 51 Madison Avenue is the star of Flatiron and NoMad's skyline as it looks over Madison Square Park. Gaze up to the building at golden hour to see the light reflect off of its famous gold top.
New York Life, 51 Madison Avenue, between 26th and 27th Streets.
Header & Thumbnail: New York Life
230 Fifth Avenue
Suite 1511
New York, NY 10001
T 212.741.2323
F 212.741.2324
E info@FlatironDistrict.NYC
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