Flatiron News Roundup: Highlights from 2019

2019 was an exciting year in the Flatiron District with a number of news media highlights. We’ve rounded up several notable openings, announcements, and accomplishments within the neighborhood.

A Renovated Subway Station Was Unveiled.

At the start of 2019, the 28th Street 6 line subway station opened after six months of renovations with striking floral mosaics complimenting the extensive technological and structural upgrades (via Untapped Cities). The station was later named the most instagrammable subway station In NY by Gothamist.

Two Game-changing Cultural Institutions Debuted in the Neighborhood.

The country’s first museum dedicated to posters, Poster House opened June 20th at 119 West 23rd Street. This museum will host a wide range of rotating exhibitions, a permanent collection of poster art, and interactive spaces where you can be the subject or the designer of your own poster (via City Guide). Fotografiska New York, a destination for photography and culture, debuted in December at 281 Park Avenue South. In addition to the three exhibition floors, Fotografiska will be home to the restaurant Verōnika, a cafe, speakeasy bar, boutique, and penthouse event space.

The World’s Largest Harry Potter Store is coming to Flatiron in 2020.

Warner Bros is reportedly opening a Harry Potter experience exhibit here in the Flatiron District at 935 Broadway. The expected 35K square foot space would allow visitors to walk through recreations of many of the films’ most iconic locations, including the Great Hall, the Forbidden Forest and the locomotive (via Crain’s New York Business).

Flatiron-based Cosme was named “Best Restaurant in the Country” and “Best Female Chef in the World”.

Cosme, a contemporary small-plate Mexican eatery in the Flatiron District, was named the best restaurant in the country by World’s 50 Best Restaurants list (via New York Post). Cosme’s Chef Daniela Soto-Innes was later named the “World’s Best Female Chef” of 2019 (via Eater New York).

Whole Foods is on its way to Flatiron.

The Flatiron District is getting its own Whole Foods! The supermarket will be moving into a tower 63 Madison Avenue. The lease includes 10K ground-floor space and 50K sq on the second floor (via Real Estate Weekly).

A Ground-Breaking Life Sciences Research Center is Under-Development.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation and Deerfield Management, a New York City-based healthcare investment firm, are developing an approximate 300,000 square-foot campus for life sciences at 345 Park Avenue South. The site, designated a NYCLifeSci campus, will bring together scientists, entrepreneurs, and leading organizations from around the world to work shoulder-to-shoulder to conceive of and develop new treatments and better ways to prevent and defeat disease (via HIT Consultant).

The Flatiron Building is Undergoing a Major Renovation.

The owners of the historic Flatiron building, GFP Real Estate, and Sorgente Group announced they will begin an $80 million renovation process on the 117-year-old building (via The Real Deal). The office component of the Flatiron Building closed for the extensive renovation after the departure of publishing house Macmillan, its longtime sole tenant (via Commercial Observer).

25% of Crain’s Fastest-Growing Companies are Located in and around Flatiron District.

Ranked by their three-year revenue growth, 12 out of New York City’s 50 fastest-growing companies are located in the neighborhood. Hungryroot, Policygenius, and Bombas near the top of the list.

Jeff Bezos Calls Flatiron Home.

Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos closed on three apartments at 212 Fifth Avenue, scooping up a penthouse and two units that are right under it for approximately $80 million. The deal is reportedly the largest to ever close in New York City south of 42nd Street, and the second-largest deal of the year (via Metro).

Header Credit: Fotografiska New York via Galerie Magazine