10 Humble Brooklyn Landmarks That We Irrationally Love
Air Vent for a Sewage Pump
This ornate black tower on the corner of Ocean Parkway and Avenue U might be one of the most mysterious landmarks in all of Brooklyn. I used to ride my bike past this corner with some frequency and always wondered what it was. It didn’t seem to serve any purpose, but it was too deliberate looking to be purely decorative. It turns out that this thing is the air vent for an underground sewage pump located beneath the streets. So it does serve a pretty important—though maybe stinky?—purpose, and we’d be sorry to ever see it go. Plus, knowing what this mystery tower is all about is a great piece of Brooklyn trivia you can use to impress your friends.