6. Sidewalk Clock in the Flatiron District

Located directly in front of New York City’s beloved Eataly, a decorative cast-iron sidewalk clock is situated next to a subway entrance, a newsstand, a telephone booth, a mailbox, lamppost, and numerous planters. The clock was manufactured by Hecla Iron works and is composed of an ornamented base and an Ionic column. Roman numerals on its face are also framed by wreaths of oak leaves and crowned by a cartouche.

Many people easily walk past this clock on a daily basis, but it’s been a fixture in the neighborhood since 1909, when it replaced an earlier clock that had accompanied the elegant Fifth Avenue Hotel. In an effort to preserve the historic importance and artisanship of cast-iron clocks, the city designated the clock an individual landmark in 1981. It’s one of seven sidewalk clocks designated as such. Three other ones are in Manhattan – in front of the Sherry Netherland Hotel, at 1501 Third Avenue and at 522 Fifth Avenue. There are also two in Queens, one at 16-11 Jamaica Avenue, thought to have been installed by Busch’s Jewelers and a Wagners Jewelers Clock at 30-78 Steinway Street. Lastly, there’s one in Greenpoint, the Bomelsteins Jewelers clock, at 753 Manhattan Avenue.