Leonard Street Substation

Need to glimpse how a neighborhood keeps the lights on? Behind the storefronts and apartment buildings on Leonard Street sits Leonard Street Substation, quietly humming at the edge of SoHo. Substations like this put power where it’s needed; without them the blocks around would flicker every time demand spiked. They don’t sell tickets or serve coffee — instead, they are one of the invisible nodes that keep voltage stable after it leaves the big transmission lines. 45 Leonard St, New York, NY 10013 — dial 212-925-2700 for the operations desk or to report an outage. Check the map and directions to stay clear of the delivery trucks that crowd the curb at midday: https://www.google.com/maps/place?ftid=0x89c25a1ff8752983:0xd765cb9807bcd34b. Once you round the corner the substation’s brick facade blends into the industrial edge SoHo hasn’t quite shaken off.