Unveiling the Mystery: Why New York’s 13th Floor Vanishes from Building Numbers
Ever stepped into a New York high-rise and found yourself scratching your head over the missing 13th floor? Nope, it’s not just you imagining things—or just the classic American twist of calling the ground floor the first floor. It turns out, the number 13 has been given the cold shoulder in many NYC skyscrapers, a superstition that’s carved its way right into the city’s very architecture. In a place known for sky-high optimism, why would builders choose to skip an entire floor? Is it a quirky nod to superstition, or just a landlord’s clever tactic to avoid spooking renters? Either way, it’s wild to think that one number’s bad rap could shuffle the urban skyline—and it’s got me wondering how deep this fear, called triskaidekaphobia, actually runs in NYC’s steel and glass giants. Care to dive into the mystery of the elusive 13th floor? LEARN MORE.
If you ever step foot in a New York high-rise, you may notice something unusual about the numbering on each floor.
And no, we’re not talking about the fact that Americans refer to the ground floor as the first floor either.
In fact, this is to do with the complete absence of one floor.
For example, in a 27-story skyscraper, you’d typically expect to find the floor numbers from one to 27; however, in some New York high-rises, builders may prefer to number the floors from one to 28 and miss out the 13th floor entirely.
Now I’m sure I don’t have to explain why some people have an aversion to the 13th floor, but what’s more surprising is that superstition around a number has influenced a city’s architecture. So why is that?
New York may be the city of skyscrapers, but not many 13th floors (Getty Stock Images)
According to a 2020 study by StreetEasy, only nine percent of the New York residential buildings which go to 13 floors and above have a 13th floor, which is pretty wild.
Meanwhile, Otis Elevator states that 85 percent of its elevators in the city decide to leave out a 13th-floor button, instead skipping from 12 to 14. In some cases, buildings will mislabel the 13th floor as the 14th, while others may refer to it as floor 12A.
Some buildings may even decide against using the 13th floor for homes and instead use it for storage. Or leave the floor empty.
It would appear the quirk is confined solely to residential buildings as well, with famous landmarks such as the Empire State Building and the Flatiron reported to have an official 13th floor.
As for why real estate developers choose to forego creating a 13th floor for residents to live in, it’s all down to triskaidekaphobia.
Some elevators will even skip the 13th floor (Getty Stock Images)
Also known as a fear of the number 13.
“I know that there are a lot of people in this world, for who knows what crazy reason, feel that the number 13 is unlucky,” architectural historian Andrew Alpern explained to The New York Post.
“From the point of view of any builder, the owner is interested in renting the space, and he doesn’t want anything to get in the way of that. So 13 goes out the window.”
“Maybe a landlord discovered that people wouldn’t rent an apartment on the 13th floor. So he cut it out,” he continued.
“Then a second landlord copied him, and eventually it just became a custom. It’s one of those New York things.”
Why are people scared of the number 13?
It’s a question which on the face of it is difficult to answer. After all, why would anyone be afraid of a number?
And yet, it’s one of those strange quirks which has stood the test of time.
The exact origin of why so many people associate the number 13 with bad luck is unclear, as several possible theories have been identified.
Fear of the number 13 has a long history (Getty Stock Images)
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One explanation comes from Christianity, as Jesus Christ saw a total of 13 people before he died, with the 13th person to be seated being Judas, aka, the man who would betray him.
Norse mythology has Loki – who is the god mischief – as the 13th person seated at a dinner thrown by Odin. Meanwhile, tarot card decks also have the 13th card being death.
Whatever the explanation, it’s a fear which is baked into Western superstition.
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