In New York City real estate, superstition isn’t just a quirk—it’s standard practice.

Television personality Andy Cohen experienced this firsthand when he sold his West Village duplex for $10.5 million. The luxurious apartment, featuring gold tile and Empire State Building views, had an unusual layout: his living spaces were on the 12th floor, while his bedroom and office were on the 14th. Floor 13 simply didn’t exist.

“I lived on 12 and 14 and it was weird enough for me to get my head around it,” Cohen shared.

The Numbers Tell the Story

This architectural peculiarity is remarkably widespread. A 2020 StreetEasy analysis examined 629 residential buildings in New York City taller than 13 stories. The findings? Only 9% actually label a floor as the 13th. The remaining buildings either jump directly from 12 to 14, or use creative alternatives like “12A” or “M” for mechanical—though the physical floor still exists.

The phenomenon extends beyond New York. Otis Elevators estimated in 2002 that 85% of their elevators nationwide skip the number 13. In New York’s condominium market specifically, merely 5% of buildings display 13 on their floor labels.

Why Developers Skip 13

Andrew Alpern, an architectural historian specializing in New York apartment buildings, explained the business logic: “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.”

The practice emerged gradually. As buildings grew taller in the early 20th century, landlords began noticing tenant reluctance around the number 13. What started as isolated instances became industry standard.

“There had to be someone who started it,” Alpern noted. “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.”

Sam Hightower from the Office for Metropolitan History provided context: In 1900, only two building permits were filed for structures 13 stories or taller. By 1910, there were 16; by 1915, the number reached 28. As buildings climbed higher, the 13th-floor problem grew accordingly.

The Exceptions

Some iconic structures refuse to bow to superstition. The Flatiron Building, Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, and the Plaza all maintain their 13th floors. These landmarks are too prominent for numerical anxieties to matter.

Everyday residential buildings tell a different story. Properties like the Rushmore, 56 Leonard, One Madison Park, and Manhattan House all omit 13 from their elevator buttons.

Modern Attitudes

Corcoran broker Sydney Blumstein has observed changing perspectives: “I’ve seen 13 on many buildings recently. I feel like the reclaiming of things that people previously thought were superstitious has been like a big ownership in the information era.”

However, she acknowledges reality remains mixed: “Most people are not logical. Whenever I show something on the 14th floor, I’m like, ‘You know, we’re on the 13th floor, right?'”

Triskaidekaphobia—fear of the number 13—continues influencing decisions despite growing skepticism. One agent recalled a client choosing a second-floor unit over a 13th-floor apartment with superior views, purely because of the number.

The Complications

This numbering system creates practical problems. Emergency responders and delivery services sometimes struggle matching physical floor counts with elevator labels. Historians face similar frustrations. Columbia University professor Andrew Dolkart, who teaches historic preservation, said: “I count the number of floors in a building and it often differs from the official number because I count 13 and the building often does not.”

The confusion grew serious enough that Vancouver, Canada banned the practice in 2015 to prevent emergency response delays.

The Bottom Line

The fear’s origins remain unclear—theories range from Judas being the 13th guest at the Last Supper to Norse mythology. Regardless of the source, developers maintain the practice for one simple reason: avoiding risk.

“People have so much anxiety about undertaking anything that might be considered bad luck with a real estate investment, that adding a single thing to that fear pile is never worth it,” Blumstein explained.

In a market where square footage commands $2,000 per foot, no developer wants to gamble on numerology potentially costing them tenants.

As Alpern summarized: “I think the whole thing’s quite silly. But from the landlord’s point of view, it’s very real. If he loses any potential renters, that could cost him money and he doesn’t want to do that.”

Source: New York Post