From the 1880s through the 1920s, 23rd Street was a major vaudeville, entertainment, and cultural district, and ‘Ladies Mile,` the fashion and department store haven of the time, was located nearby,” states the MTA`s Arts for Transit website. Once a center of culture, fashion, and entertainment, the Flatiron area was once bustling with actresses, dancers, and people of all backgrounds. Keith Godard thought about the 23rd St. area's history with these small mosaics depicting hats he thought celebrities passing through the area might have worn. It pays homage to all the regular patrons of this very neighborhood in the 20th century. It tells a story of times long gone and the people who lived it. There are 120 hats in all 60 aligned along each side of the platform, mounted at each person's height.
