Have you ever noticed a missing 13th floor in an elevator in New York?
The aversion to the number 13 is well-known, largely due to its negative and superstitious associations, and these beliefs seem to extend to real estate as well.
In New York City, the absence of a 13th floor is quite common, and there’s a fascinating reason behind it.
A study conducted by StreetEasy in 2020 revealed that out of 629 residential buildings in NYC, over 90 percent do not have a 13th floor. Instead, they often label it with an alternative name like ’12A’.
According to Otis Elevator, 85 percent of its elevators in the city skip the 13th-floor button, jumping from 12 to 14, with the missing floor often used for storage.
For developers and hotel owners, omitting the 13th floor makes sense. In a 2007 Gallup poll, 13 percent of people admitted they would feel uneasy staying on the 13th floor.
TV personality Andy Cohen discussed his West Village duplex with the New York Post, noting how it skips from floor 12 to 14.
“I lived on 12 and 14 and it was weird enough for me to get my head around it,” he shared.
“But imagine trying to explain it to my kids and they learned to count!
“That being said, it’s undeniable that 14 sounds better than 13. It’s a conundrum any way you slice it.”
But why is the 13th floor absent in so many buildings?
Architectural historian and attorney Andrew Alpern explained to the Post: “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.
“But nonetheless, there are lots of people who avoid the number 13.
“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.
“There had to be someone who started it. Maybe a landlord discovered that people wouldn’t rent an apartment on the 13th floor. So he cut it out.
“Then a second landlord copied him, and eventually it just became a custom — sort of like putting two potted evergreens by the front door or using a green awning. It’s one of those New York things.”
Undivided Real Estate suggests there could also be a religious perspective at play, alongside ‘triskaidekaphobia’.
They state: “There isn’t a clear explanation for why the 13th floor is bad luck. Some say it dates back to the Bible, as Judas was the 13th guest at the Last Supper.
“Others say it’s because there are only 12 months in a year, so 13 represents unfamiliarity and the unknown.
“Regardless, the fear of the number 13 is very real and even has its own word – triskaidekaphobia.
“That’s why many buildings omit the number 13 and some home shoppers will avoid any units with the unlucky number.”
Despite this trend, some iconic NYC buildings like the Flatiron Building and the Empire State Building do have 13th floors.