Flatiron District, 23rd Street Between Sixth and Fifth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

That impressive building across the street with the arches and columns and flags is home to Home Depot since 2004. It is a cast iron building built in 1878 and the AIA Guide to New York City tells us that "it reeks of birthday cake with vanilla icing." Check the definition of the word reeks if you are wondering just what they meant by that.

It was made for Stern's Dry Goods Store, owned by "New York's first merchandising family". If the phrase "dry goods store" conjures up an image of a general store out on the dusty old frontier, you are wrong, wrong, wrong, as wrong as I was. It means linens, fabrics and clothing. This was, after all the heart of the Ladies Mile of the 19th Century.

See map.