Often overlooked, doors are perhaps the most important feature of a building. They are the means by which we escape the often crowded and chaotic streets of the city. Every building has one (well, maybe except for the Raymond Street Jail which was accidentally constructed in 1836 sans front door), but some outfit this largely utilitarian feature with more panache than others. This collection highlights some the city's loveliest historic doorways, from the simple but classic columns of early 19th century Federal rowhouses to the gloriously geometric brickwork of Art Deco apartment houses, and everything in-between.

Central Substation, IND Subway, entrance detail, ca. 1994. Much of the infrastructure for the IND subway lines are designed in an Art Deco syle owing to their construction in the late 1920s and 1930s. This Central Substation was the largest of the IND powerhouses. The building is four-stories and constructed of a tan brick. Completed in 1932, the Art Deco lettering and ornamentation above the doors and at the roofline still remains.