Coal hole cover! This portal is a remnant of the days when buildings were heated with coal — it leads to a chute running from the sidewalk down to the building's basement, allowing coal to be delivered directly to the furnace room.
Day 69
Portal of the day
March 8th, 2012
so cool!
I was wondering if perchance your travels had taken you to Goerck Street yet… turns out they haven’t, and they won’t; it no longer exists (although apparently a section of it lives on as Baruch Place).