11 Most Iconic Buildings in New York

The Flatiron Building towers over 5th Avenue in Manhattan and was first built in 1902, named for its iconic triangular shape resembling a clothes iron. When it was originally completed it was amongst the tallest buildings in the city. It has been called a quintessential symbol of New York City, and it serves to anchor the city centre and uptown areas. The building was added in 1979 to the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1989 became a National Historic Landmark. It has seen its share of tenants and vacancies over the years, but today it serves as an office building and commercial property.

The Oculus is the central junction of the World Trade Centre Transport Hub, featuring iconic and stunning architecture by famed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The building's exterior is designed to reflect a child releasing a bird and is symbolic of the city's hope and love following tragedy. Inside, the white marble floor reflects sunlight streaming in from gigantic skylights to completely illuminate the structure with natural lighting. The design is sleek and ultramodern and features indoor shopping, dining, exhibits, and pop-ups all year long both indoor and in the outdoor plaza surrounding the building. It's located in the heart of Manhattan.

The Woolworth Building is a National Historic Landmark on Broadway with fantastic Gothic architecture and deep ties to the city's commercial past. The building was first constructed by retail tycoon Frank Woolworth in 1912, and once was called The Cathedral of Commerce. At the time it was one of the tallest buildings in the world. Today it's still known for its towering arches, marble floors and stairs, and the gargoyles that watch over the structure. Guided tours are available, though today it serves largely as an office building with high-priced penthouse condos on the upper floors.

56 Leonard Street is a towering 57-story skyscraper in the Tribeca area of Manhattan with luxury condominiums and unique architecture. The building was first designed by a Pritzker Prize-winning architecture firm, and features a sculpture similar to Chicago's Cloud Gate at its base. Each of the top 8 floors is a full-floor apartment ranging from 5,200 square feet to 6,400 square feet in size with ceilings rising to between 14 and 19 feet high. Residents enjoy amenities like screening rooms, a swimming pool, private dining room, and children's play areas. It is amongst the tallest buildings in Tribeca and has been described as "houses stacked in the sky."

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a private college in Manhattan's East Village area which has stood since 1859 and has featured in popular culture. Today it houses 4 schools—an engineering school, an art school, a school of architecture, and a humanities and social sciences school. Over the years the college has produced professionals who have won a Nobel Prize, a Pritzker Prize, Rome Prizes, Guggenheim Fellowships, Chrysler Design Awards, and many others. It also boasts more than 30 Fulbright Scholars. It has appeared in independent films such as Whatever, The Interpreter, and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, in Pulitzer-winning novel His Family, and in the television series Instinct.

The United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan is a patch of international land in the heart of New York City, and the entire world helped to design and build it. It was first erected in 1950 and even though it's on Manhattan along the East River, the United States does not have jurisdiction on its grounds. The building has been the site of many landmark historic decisions by international groups, and was built with design input from architects hailing from Uruguay, the UK, Sweden, the Soviet Union, France, China, Canada, Brazil, Belgium, and Australia as well as the United States.

The Chrysler Building is an art deco classic skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan that is famed for its 7 radiating arches and its stainless-steel reflective façade. It once had the privilege of being the tallest building in the world, albeit for just 11 months after it was first opened in 1930. It rises 1,046 feet into the sky and is watched over by distinctive eagle-shaped gargoyles. Inside, the lobby is decorated with Moroccan red marble walls and a ceiling mural which shows scenes telling the story of industrial progress throughout the ages. These include portrayals of the Chrysler assembly line, of stylized hubcaps and radiator caps.

30 Rockefeller Plaza, colloquially called "30 Rock," is the headquarters of NBC and features a public observation deck and the chance to see celebrities in action. Thousands of people crowd the plaza outside of 30 Rock every day to watch NBCs Today Show filming. It's also the location of Saturday Night Live, and many other famed series. The top, 70th floor of 30 Rock features an observation deck that's open air and offers a 360-degree breathtaking view of Manhattan. The building was one of the first structures of the Rockefeller Midtown Complex to open in 1933, after Radio City Music Hall.

St. Patrick's Cathedral offers classic Gothic Revival architecture and spires that rise 330 feet into the air with ornate, bronze doorways rising 16.5 feet tall and weighing over 9,000 pounds. The structure is arguably the most iconic cathedral in the entire United States and certainly one of the most iconic in the world, and it's in the heart of Manhattan. The church was designed by James Renwick, Jr, and construction began in 1858. The spires were added in 1888 and the upper windows including the famed grand rose window, weren't added until the 1950s. Like all churches, it's open to the public and many flock here to hear the historic pipe organ during Mass times.

Radio City Music Hall is best known as the home of the Rockettes but is also amongst the largest indoor theatres in the world, and a staple of Rockefeller Centre in Manhattan. The auditorium stretches 160 feet long with an 84-foot high ceiling. The proscenium arch rises 60 feet high and 100 feet across. It's designed as a dome with no columns for support and as such, no obstructions to the view of the stage. The building is part of Rockefeller Plaza, and is within walking distance of many other New York points of interest.

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine is an unmissable landmark in the Morningside Heights neighbourhood of Manhattan. Construction began in 1892 but the cathedral is sometimes referred to as ‘the unfinished church’, as only a fraction of the original design was ever built. Even in this state, many consider it as among the largest cathedrals in the world.

The funerals of some famous figures have been held there, including jazz greats Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie, electrical engineer Nikola Tesla, and Eleanor Roosevelt – the longest-serving First Lady of the United States.