It was one of the first skyscrapers. When it was finished in 1902, it was one of the tallest buildings in the city. The building sits on a triangular island-block. Most Manhattan streets are on a strict grid plan but Broadway is an exception. It crosses the streets and avenue at an angle. This makes it cut across Fifth Avenue, a large and important road running N/S. At the junction sits the Flatiron on a triangle of land. There are also two E/W roads, a main road, 23rd St. and a minor road, East 22nd St.