Liar’s Ball (Real Estate Board of NY annual banquet)
"Liar's Ball" is the nickname for the Real Estate Board of New York's annual banquet, held since the 1890s. Members of the real estate industry puff up their sales to colleagues…
Lights Out NY
"Lights Out NY" is a program to encourage buildings to turn off lights late at night. The lights interfere with bird migratory patterns, and the program also helps save energy. FOR…
Limestone Jesus (15 Central Park West)
Fifteen Central Park West is a condominium building at West 61st Street and Central Park West that was designed by Robert A. M. Stern and completed in 2008. It was the subject of a book, House of…
Lipstick Building
The "Lipstick" building, at Third Avenue and East 53rd Street, was completed in 1986, but was given that name by 1985. The name is from the building's shape -- like a lipstick…
Little Church Around the Corner
In 1870, a church refused to perform burial rites for a member of the acting profession. However, the actors were told that there was a "little church around the corner" (the Church of…
Little Flatiron Building (Herring Lock and Safe Company Building)
The historic Flatiron Building is at 23rd Street and Broadway. The "little Flatiron Building" (the Herring Lock and Safe Company Building) is on Hudson Street, between 13th and 14th…
Little White House (Gracie Mansion)
Manhattan's Gracie Mansion, built in 1799, has been the mayor's official residence since Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia moved there in 1942. Mayor Michael Bloomberg declined to live there,…
Living Room of Lincoln Center (Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center)
The Film Society of Lincoln Center opened the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center in June 2011. Architect David Rockwell called it the "Living Room" of Lincoln Center. Wikipedia: Lincoln…
Lollypop/Lollipop (2 Columbus Circle)
Two Columbus Circle has been called the "lollipop building." It's also been called much worse. People hate it. It's in a very important area, especially since the building of…
Low Line
The High Line is a public park that was made from an abandoned elevated railroad on the west side of Manhattan. Two proposed New York City public parks grabbed the "Low Line" moniker. In…
Luxury Liner Row
The largest luxury ships in New York harbor have (since about 1936) docked at the New York Passenger Ship Terminal, on the Hudson River between West 44th and West 57th streets, The nickname…
Mallsoleum (mall + mausoleum)
"Mallsoleum" (mall + mausoleum) is a portmanteau word meaning a mall that is dead or dying, or a mall that destroys surrounding businesses. "Monster of the Mall-soleum Monlight…
Marketplace for the World (Javits Convention Center)
The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is on the west side of Manhattan, on Eleventh Avenue between 34th and 39th Streets. "Marketplace for the World" is its new, not-very-popular slogan.…
McGurk’s Suicide Hall (the Bowery)
McGurk's (or McGuirk's) Suicide Hall at 295 Bowery was torn down in 2005. It used to be a saloon and whorehouse. Several women committed suicide while working there in the 1890s, giving…
Mecca (Madison Square Garden nickname)
Madison Square Garden is often called the "mecca," a puzzling term to many today. However, the term "mecca" was first applied to the second Madison Square Garden (at Madison…
Megatall (a skyscraper over 600 meters or 1,968 feet tall)
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat defines a building as “megatall” if it is over 600 meters (1,968 feet) in height. A "supertall" building is one over 300 meters (984…
Micro Apartment
In July 2012, New York City announced plans for proposed "micro-unit" apartments (under 450 square feet) for a city-owned building at 335 East 27th Street, in the Kips Bay neighborhood of…
Micro-loft
The term "micro-loft" was trademarked by Rosslyn Lofts (Los Angeles, CA), with a first use in commerce on August 11, 2006. The term "microloft" -- synthetic fibers -- had been…
Millionaire’s Building or Power Building/Tower of Power (740 Park Avenue)
The building at 740 Park Avenue (71 East 71st Street in Manhattan) has had many famous and wealthy residents. In 2010, New York magazine called the building one of the city's "Towers of…
Miss Brooklyn (proposed Brooklyn skyscraper)
"Miss Brooklyn" is the proposed Frank Gehry-designed 60-story skyscraper on the Atlantic Yards site. The nickname comes from Gehry himself.…