I am a foreigner and all my friends too, don't know; why there are steam pipes under the street in NYC.Steam is so old fashioned, all European and Australasian cities use Electricity.Does NYC still use phneumatic airpressure? that is SO old fashioned, it went out a hundred years ago, in Sydney!Will some kindly technical person tell we all over here the NYC story -please.Cheers.from,del-boy.