Joralemon Street

Joralemon Street and its fake house

The Brooklyn audio-guided tour stops you on Joralemon Street, before a very particular building. At number 58, a completely fake building stands among the typical houses of the district, hiding a secret well concealed behind its ordinary façade.

A disguised ventilation shaft

Behind its façade perfectly integrated into the Brooklyn setting, 58 Joralemon Street in fact hides a ventilation shaft of the New York subway. It allows the air of the line that passes a few metres underground to be evacuated. For the sake of aesthetics, the building was transformed in 1908 to blend in among the houses of the street and camouflage its true function. Looking closely, however, you notice a few differences, notably the colour of the windows.

What there is to see

At first glance, nothing distinguishes 58 Joralemon Street from its neighbours: same brick, same stoop, same proportions. But its blind windows, painted black, betray the absence of any inhabited interior. It is an unusual and amusing curiosity, which illustrates the ingenuity with which New York conceals its infrastructure in the heart of its residential neighbourhoods.

Practical information

The fake house is at 58 Joralemon Street, in the Brooklyn Heights district, in Brooklyn. The façade can be contemplated freely from the street, at all hours and on the level. It is a curiosity to spot along the walk; the building cannot be visited.

What does 58 Joralemon Street hide?

Behind its fake façade hides a ventilation shaft of the New York subway, disguised as a townhouse since 1908.

How can you spot the fake house?

By observing its blind windows, painted black, which betray the absence of an interior behind an otherwise very ordinary façade.