Eyeballing Telephone Switching Hubs in Downtown Manhattan

Donate for the Cryptome archive of files from June 1996 to the present

29 March 2006. A writes:
On the telephone hubs in Manhattan, the building on Thomas Street is now primarily to serve private client networks (corporate systems.)

21 August 2003:
From: B
Subject: Downtown Switching Hubs
I visited http://cryptome.org/nytel-eyeball.htm
There is one major mistake. 375 Pearl Street (your #4) is not a switch hub. It is an admin building for Verizon. And there are most definitely windows. The building was designed to be a switching hub but there was difficulty in bringing the lines into the building.

10 July 2002. Update photos of hubs and temporary cabling.
7 July 2002. Add construction dates and names of hub buildings from One Thousand New York Buildings, Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, New York, 2002.
4 July 2002
Source of maps and photos: Mapquest.com
See related telecommunication cable systems:
https://cryptome.org/eyeball/cable/cable-eyeball.htm

As in all countries, telecommunication hubs are dependable sources of information by legal and illegal taps, interception of air-borne signals, acoustical and optical Tempest, and lesser known techniques. A specialist in technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM) says encryption is ineffective against what is available; that may be true or smoke.
Another TSCM specialist claims there are at least 18 US intelligence and counterintelligence offices in Manhattan targeting United Nations members and foreign intelligence, consulate and commercial activities along with a bevy of law enforcement agencies surveilling criminal suspects. Governmental and commercial surveillance teams encounter each other, equipment spying on equipment, competing with latest technology and methods, and practice hands-off tolerance so long as identities and locations are kept quiet within the robust, well-fed and financed family, ready to switch jobs and swap tips for boosting the national and domestic security industry.

Eyeballing

Telephone Switching Hubs in
Downtown Manhattan

Hub 1 - 140 west Street, Barclay-Vesey Building
This is one of the oldest active telephone hubs downtown, built in 1927, located north across Vesey Street from the World Trade Center site, 29 stories in height. It was damaged by the collapsing North Tower and adjoining 7 WTC and had to be closed temporarily (photo at right about 15 September 2001). Telecommunication services were rerouted through other hubs by way of surface-mounted cabling.

140 west Street
Photo: Cryptome, 3 October 2001

140 west Street
Photo: Cryptome, 27 June 2002

140 west Street
Photo: Cryptome, 10 July 2002

140 west Street, temporary cables running down face.
Photo: Cryptome, 10 July 2002
140 west Street , temporary cables running down face.
Photo: Cryptome, 10 July 2002

140 west Street, temporary cables running along south arcade;
at left they rise to the underside of sidewalk scaffold.
Photo: Cryptome, 10 July 2002
140 west Street, temporary cables running under sidewalk
scaffolding.
Photo: Cryptome, 10 July 2002

Temporary cables from 140 west Street two blocks away,
running into booster station for distribution.
Photo: Cryptome, 10 July 2002

Temporary utilities
Photo: Cryptome, 4 January 2002
Three Hubs: at the left is Hub 3 - 32 Avenue of the Americas, center is Hub 2 - 60 Hudson Street, and at the right Hub 5 - 33 Thomas at Church Street, with antenna atop each.
Photo: Cryptome, 8 January 2002

Hub 2 - 60 Hudson Street, the Western Union Building

This is the second oldest hub (built 1930), about 30 stories high. Immediately after the 9/11 attack it was placed under high security and remains one of the heaviest-guarded telecommuncations facilities along with the other hubs described here.
This building also housed the Manhattan office of the NYC Building Department, regularly visited by Cryptome architects. Due to the emergency the office was set up temporarily at the Brooklyn Office of the Building Department. The Manhattan Building Department is relocating so the public can have regular access.

60 Hudson Street
Photo, Cryptome, 8 July 2002

Hub 3 - 32 Avenue of the Americas, formerly AT&T Headquarters
This is the third oldest hub (built 1932 as an expansion of an earlier office building), about 30 stories high. Tyco Telecommunications advertises co-location services here with connection to its transatlantic cable landing.
Not far north of this building a French cinematographer happened to film the aircraft hitting the north tower of the World Trade Center.

32 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue)
Photo: Cryptome, 8 July 2002

Hub 4 - Avenue of the Finest
This is the fourth oldest hub (built c. 1960s), a windowless high-rise structure, over 40 stories in height, adjacent to the Brooklyn Bridge ramp. It is located south across the street from NYC Police Headquarters (built 1973, the square building in the photo with its newly installed radiation detector and ex-CIA deputy commissioner for intelligence). North from Police HQ is the US Attorney's Office and Federal Metropolitan Correctional Center (built 1975) where several of the defendants of the bin Laden trial and other terrorism suspects are imprisoned.
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 10:56:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Downtown Switching Hubs
I visited http://cryptome.org/nytel-eyeball.htm
There is one major mistake. 375 Pearl Street (your #4) is not a switch hub. It is an admin building for Verizon. And there are most definitely windows. The building was designed to be a switching hub but there was difficulty in bringing the lines into the building.

375 Avenue of the Finest (Pearl Street)
Photo: Cryptome, 8 July 2002

Hub 5 - 33 Thomas at Church Street, AT&T Long Lines Building
This is the newest hub (built 1974), another windowless high-structure, with 29 equipment floors each 18 feet in height it is as tall as a 52-story conventional building, whose massive bulk is partially ameliorated with fortress-like crenellations and folds in the facade. A block to the east is the Jacob Javits Federal Building (built 1969) where the FBI and other federal agencies are securely housed.

33 Thomas Street
Photo: Cryptome, 8 July 2002

Hub 1 - 140 west Street, Barclay-Vesey Building This is one of the oldest active telephone hubs downtown, built in 1927, located north across Vesey Street from the World Trade Center site, 29 stories in height. It was damaged by the collapsing North Tower and adjoining 7 WTC and had to be closed temporarily (photo at right about 15 September 2001). Telecommunication services were rerouted through other hubs by way of surface-mounted cabling.
140 west Street Photo: Cryptome, 3 October 2001 140 west Street Photo: Cryptome, 27 June 2002	140 west Street Photo: Cryptome, 10 July 2002
140 west Street, temporary cables running down face. Photo: Cryptome, 10 July 2002	140 west Street , temporary cables running down face. Photo: Cryptome, 10 July 2002
140 west Street, temporary cables running along south arcade; at left they rise to the underside of sidewalk scaffold. Photo: Cryptome, 10 July 2002	140 west Street, temporary cables running under sidewalk scaffolding. Photo: Cryptome, 10 July 2002 Temporary cables from 140 west Street two blocks away, running into booster station for distribution. Photo: Cryptome, 10 July 2002
Temporary utilities Photo: Cryptome, 4 January 2002	Three Hubs: at the left is Hub 3 - 32 Avenue of the Americas, center is Hub 2 - 60 Hudson Street, and at the right Hub 5 - 33 Thomas at Church Street, with antenna atop each. Photo: Cryptome, 8 January 2002


Hub 2 - 60 Hudson Street, the Western Union Building This is the second oldest hub (built 1930), about 30 stories high. Immediately after the 9/11 attack it was placed under high security and remains one of the heaviest-guarded telecommuncations facilities along with the other hubs described here. This building also housed the Manhattan office of the NYC Building Department, regularly visited by Cryptome architects. Due to the emergency the office was set up temporarily at the Brooklyn Office of the Building Department. The Manhattan Building Department is relocating so the public can have regular access.	60 Hudson Street Photo, Cryptome, 8 July 2002


Hub 3 - 32 Avenue of the Americas, formerly AT&T Headquarters This is the third oldest hub (built 1932 as an expansion of an earlier office building), about 30 stories high. Tyco Telecommunications advertises co-location services here with connection to its transatlantic cable landing. Not far north of this building a French cinematographer happened to film the aircraft hitting the north tower of the World Trade Center.	32 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue) Photo: Cryptome, 8 July 2002


Hub 4 - Avenue of the Finest This is the fourth oldest hub (built c. 1960s), a windowless high-rise structure, over 40 stories in height, adjacent to the Brooklyn Bridge ramp. It is located south across the street from NYC Police Headquarters (built 1973, the square building in the photo with its newly installed radiation detector and ex-CIA deputy commissioner for intelligence). North from Police HQ is the US Attorney's Office and Federal Metropolitan Correctional Center (built 1975) where several of the defendants of the bin Laden trial and other terrorism suspects are imprisoned. Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 10:56:10 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Downtown Switching Hubs I visited http://cryptome.org/nytel-eyeball.htm There is one major mistake. 375 Pearl Street (your #4) is not a switch hub. It is an admin building for Verizon. And there are most definitely windows. The building was designed to be a switching hub but there was difficulty in bringing the lines into the building.	375 Avenue of the Finest (Pearl Street) Photo: Cryptome, 8 July 2002


Hub 5 - 33 Thomas at Church Street, AT&T Long Lines Building This is the newest hub (built 1974), another windowless high-structure, with 29 equipment floors each 18 feet in height it is as tall as a 52-story conventional building, whose massive bulk is partially ameliorated with fortress-like crenellations and folds in the facade. A block to the east is the Jacob Javits Federal Building (built 1969) where the FBI and other federal agencies are securely housed.	33 Thomas Street Photo: Cryptome, 8 July 2002