Colorful peacocks on a Garment District tower

For such a shadowy, gray part of New York City, the Garment District has lots of lovely architectural ornaments—especially of animals.

One example: these terra cotta peacocks, which sit above the freight elevator entrance at 135 West 36th Street.

They’re part of the Fashion Tower, a 17-story neo-Gothic structure just west of Sixth Avenue designed by Emery Roth in 1922.

Why peacocks, a bird that symbolizes immortality and renewal?

“Peacocks are a traditional symbol of women’s fashion, often appearing as ornament on women’s fashion boutiques,” the terrific site skyscraper.com tells us.

The Fashion Tower has more decorative elements worth a look.

The sixth floor facade features friezes of a woman looking in the mirror and another holding a spindle.

They’re homages to the industry that gave the neighborhood its name.

The angry chicks of Brooklyn Heights

These baby birds, carved into the entryway of a Henry Street apartment house, seem mighty pissed off as they stare at the sidewalk.

Come on little hatchlings, it’s almost Spring!

Elephants all over apartment buildings

Birds, horses, cows, goats—all kinds of animals decorate the facades of city residences. But elephant reliefs and statues? They’re not such a common site.

These two bronze elephants are tucked away at street level on a high-rise of Sheridan Square near Christopher Street:

The small apartment building at Nine East 10th Street, home to writer Dawn Powell in the 1930s and 1940s, features pachyderms on its beautifully carved nameplate:

On a different note, a couple of contemporary elephants guard a new house in Bushwick:

Here, the story of some real elephants that lived in New York City.