HowStuffWorks: The Functioning (?) City of New York
^ I’ve lived here for well over a decade and still have…no idea what these are and why no one else seems even remotely suspicious of them
I’m sure this comes as a shock but I would not do well in a survival situation. I have no useful life skills; abysmal hand eye coordination; don’t own bottled water, let alone drink it unless it’s colorful or is actually just coffee; and have listened to too many true crimes podcasts to be able to spend a night alone with my violently overactive imagination in the outdoors. I joke but in the case of an actual emergency, my only means of transportation out of Manhattan are rollerblades I bought for The Barbie Movie and an inflatable swan from that weird phase in 2018 we all went through.
So I don’t find myself pondering *how* Manhattan is operating too often because 1) there are more enticing topics in the catacombs of Reddit 2) it makes me keenly aware of the precarious position the city is in, at the mercy of 10,000 outdated systems that could go wrong at a moments notice 3) I don’t need my main character subconscious to play out Final Destination every time I take the subway. But today, in the name of “awareness”, let’s cover some NYC functioning basics.
So what are those big orange steam stacks in the middle of the street?
Today, there are about 105 miles of steam pipes underneath NYC’s streets, which serve as a cleaner source of energy to heat over 1,500 buildings, including the Empire State Building. The steam heat system was installed in 1882 and flourished during the skyscraper boom, as steam rises naturally so it enables buildings to get heated without using additional energy to get the heat to rise up. This article is a great read into how steam heat works but again, the orange and white stacks? Those are steam stacks. Their purpose is to direct a steam leak or vapor condition that occurs under the street away from both vehicles and pedestrian traffic, the former so they can can drive and not be impeded by it and the latter because its 250-450 degrees and we don’t need pedestrians burned.
Why is there literally scaffolding everywhere?
Local Law 11 is a city ordinance which mandates that any building more than six stories tall undergo an inspection of the facade every five years and fix any found damages. So what was the catalyst for such a law? In 1979, a 17-year-old college student in Morningside Heights was struck by a loose brick that fell from a poorly maintained building facade. What followed was legislation that required “building owners, including co-op and condo boards, to perform regular inspections and repairs of facades”. The scaffolding is in place to protect pedestrians below from ongoing work and since this ordinance strikes buildings every 5-7 years, scaffolding is seemingly omnipresent.
What exactly are manhole covers and where do they go?
This interesting article covers the evolution of manhole covers and what certain covers may hint at with regards to their age, initial use, and how they play a story in New York’s history. The oldest covers started as square or hexagonal coal covers, which you can still find originals in some of New York’s oldest neighborhoods, like Brooklyn Heights. The round covers were mainly associated with essential services like water, gas, and sewer, intended to keep those below ground and out of sight for the utopian beauty of cities. New York had a severe sewerage crisis in the first half of the 19th century due to stagnant sewerage that caused multiple catastrophic cholera outbreaks, prompting our modern sewerage system. Click here if you’re still mildly engaged and interested at this point.
How do we still have wooden water towers in 2024?
NYC’s water comes from reservoirs upstate and thanks to gravity, gains enough speed and pressure that by the time it gets to the city, the water can go up six floors naturally, about 75 feet. But if you want it up any higher, you need pumps and a water tower to store it. The traditional wooden water tower is simply cedar wood planks held together by the pressure of steel hoops on the exterior. No glue, nails, or screws are needed. The wood offers natural insulation that helps the water from freezing in the winter; you’d need concrete walls about two feet deep to achieve the same level of insulation. These benefits explain why water tanks are still so common, with roughly 15,000 tanks on city rooftops.
What are the thermometer stickers on subway cars about? What do the tiny signs on subway stairs mean?
Have you ever spotted the mysterious thermometer stickers that dot the ceiling of subway cars? They serve as new-age, hot-weather guardians. MTA employees scan these to figure out the temperature of the subway car, which then they can adjust accordingly. Ever notice the tiny white signs on subway stairs? The white signs are identifying labels that appear on step risers. The short code on each label reveals the staircase’s location. An “M,” “S,” or “P” are always the first letter – “M” for mezzanine, “S” for street, and “P” for platform – indicating which level the staircase is. The number in the middle identifies which specific staircase you’re on within the station. The final letter, “A,” “B,” or “C,” will identify the “channel” of the staircase in cases where it has multiple sections
So we know New York City water is amazing but what are its secrets?
I feel like New Yorkers don’t appreciate how damn good our public water is sometimes so here’s a fun article to get to know our “champagne of drinking water” a bit more – like did you know it contains microscopic shrimp?