Not since the opening of Al Capone’s vault has the answer to what’s behind a door been this disappointing.
The tracks of the 72nd Street 123 Subway station in New York City are lined with small doors that look like they’ll only open if you find the right three magical items, or perhaps speak the Elvish word for “friend.” As food critic Robert Sietsema wondered when he came across them, “A Hobbit door to the Shire?”
However, as the NYC blog West Side Rag discovered, the purpose of the doors is much more mundane.
“The doors at the 72nd St 123 station are utility closets that contain cables,” an MTA spokesperson tells West Side Rag.
Maybe next time, we’ll just let the mystery be.