Life on the 13th Floor

DetroitDad · February-13-11, 05:48 AM

So why don't most buildings in Detroit have a 13th floor?

**davewindsor** · February-13-11, 06:07 AM

In the early part of the 1900s, 13 was considered bad luck so it was rare to see a 13th floor or unit #13. I heard that if you go to Chinatown or China, you won't see a 4th floor or an apartment with 4 in it for the same reason.

**ja!mz** · February-13-11, 06:39 AM

Union regulation....

**Don K** · February-13-11, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by davewindsor

In the early part of the 1900s, 13 was considered bad luck so it was rare to see a 13th floor or unit #13. I heard that if you go to Chinatown or China, you won't see a 4th floor or an apartment with 4 in it for the same reason.

Which is why none of the concourses at Metro have a gate 13. I've encountered hotels and office buildings in Japan and Korea that have neither a fourth floor nor a 13th floor, to accommodate the superstitions of both Asians and Americans [[do any European countries have the same superstition about 13?). Also, it's considered really poor form in parts of Asia [[for sure Japan, but also China and Korea, I believe - but I'm willing to be corrected by someone who knows more) to give someone a gift that's a set of four of something [[e.g., glassware).

Interestingly, despite the number of flights from Metro to Japan, Korea, and China [[seven at present), and the large number of passengers from these countries who pass through, every concourse has a gate 4.

The East Asian prejudice against 4 is because at least in some languages/dialects the word for "four" [[shi) is the same as the word for "death". One reason I've heard for the Western prejudice against 13 is because there were 13 present at the Last Supper [[the 12 disciples plus Jesus). Are there any other explanations running around out there?

**Richard** · February-13-11, 07:26 AM

But yet there are thousands of black cats running around Go figure

**iheartthed** · February-13-11, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

So why don't most buildings in Detroit have a 13th floor?

Superstition/tradition. It's pretty standard practice for high rises in the U.S. to not have a floor numbered as 13. Wikipedia also suggests that it has become a de facto standard for safety reasons.

**EastsideQT** · February-13-11, 10:44 AM

[QUOTE=DetroitDad;223098]So why don't most buildings in Detroit have a 13th floor?

Any building in Detroit that is 13 or more stories high does have a 13th floor....

**wolverine** · February-13-11, 10:48 AM

I live on the 13th floor of a 1920's highrise. When I first moved here about 2 years ago, the floors were numbered 9, 10, 11, 12a, 12b, 14, 15....

For years it had been a problem for guests visiting the building. Especially drunk guests who would stop by and start knocking on the wrong apartment door. When the elevator maintenance crew came by to upgrade the elevator panels, they replaced the 12b with 13, and our door numbers changed.

When I signed the lease, they asked if being on [[what was technically) the 13th floor would be a problem and that at if anytime I felt uncomfortable, I could relocate to a different floor if openings existed without affecting the lease agreement. For years, it hadn't been a problem for anyone, so building management changed the numbering system.

So far so good. There's been only good luck on 13, though I'm moving up to 20 in a couple months, so we'll see if my luck improves.

My girlfriend lives in 38 story building and they don't have a 13th floor. It's labeled "M" and is used for mechanical and storage. Additionally many modern highrise buildings here lack floors 2-13 altogether. They start with "L" and then begin their floor numbering at a higher count. Those missing floors are usually parking levels with sometimes weird labels. C2, C3, P4a, P4b, P5a, etc.....

**iheartthed** · February-13-11, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Don K

Which is why none of the concourses at Metro have a gate 13.

I'm not a very superstitious person, and I also fly fairly often, but I would probably think twice about boarding a plane through Gate 13.

**preserve** · February-13-11, 11:42 AM

Detroit doesn't have a 7th St. or a 13th St. either - Brooklyn and Vermont instead.

Buy American · February-13-11, 12:04 PM

The CAY building has a 13th floor.

**jcole** · February-13-11, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by Buy American

The CAY building has a 13th floor.

I don't think it did when it was called the City-County Bldg. My dad worked on the 12th floor and it jumped right to 14 IIRC

**mam2009** · February-13-11, 12:33 PM

Its been 13 on both the City and County sides for as long as I can remember.

**jcole** · February-13-11, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by mam2009

Its been 13 on both the City and County sides for as long as I can remember.

I'm talking in the late 60's, so I may very well be imagining it too.

**Ray1936** · February-13-11, 01:13 PM

I don't think there is one 13th floor in all of Las Vegas. Maybe down at City Hall, but that's about it.

**Searay215** · February-13-11, 01:36 PM

I just know someone is going to correct me on this one....as always, but I think J L Hudsons downtown had a 13th floor and it was the Toy Dept.... I was small and maybe I imagined it.....?

**Scottathew** · February-13-11, 02:20 PM

I work in the Compuware building and it does NOT have a 13th floor despite being a 14 story building.

**Jimaz** · February-13-11, 02:29 PM

Being John Malkovich - The 7 1/2th Floor

**Scottathew** · February-13-11, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

So why don't most buildings in Detroit have a 13th floor?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Why+do+building...e+a+13th+floor

**wolverine** · February-13-11, 02:46 PM

I should have mentioned my office building does have a 13th floor, but it's the only floor in the building that remains unleased

**Gistok** · February-13-11, 03:59 PM

The top floor in the Michigan Building is the 13th floor. But the building elevators only go up to 12 [[except the freight elevator). So the 13th floor is used mainly for storage... and there's a mechanical floor above that for the elevators.