33 Thomas Street: The Mysterious 29-Story Windowless Skyscraper in New York. What’s it use for?

In the heart of Lower Manhattan, an unusual 29-story skyscraper, devoid of windows, stands tall and mysterious. Its code name is Titanpointe, and it is located at 33 Thomas Street. This building has baffled New Yorkers for years.

The building, constructed in 1974, was designed to withstand atomic blasts and was initially intended to house vital telecommunications equipment. It was envisioned as a communication nerve center, fortified against nuclear threats, by the architectural firm John Carl Warnecke & Associates.

This imposing structure, a gray tower of concrete and granite soaring 550 feet into the New York skyline, remains, unlike any other building in its vicinity. Unlike neighboring residential and office buildings, it does not have a single window and remains unilluminated. At night, it takes on an eerie presence, and by day it casts a giant shadow, its square vents emitting a faint hum, often drowned out by the city’s bustling sounds.

For decades, 33 Thomas Street, also nicknamed the “Long Lines Building,” has captured the imagination of New Yorkers as one of the city’s weirdest and most iconic skyscrapers. But the true purpose of this enigmatic structure has remained largely concealed, shrouded in secrecy.

The Secret Behind 33 Thomas Street

Beyond its enigmatic exterior, 33 Thomas Street conceals a deeper secret. This building appears to be more than just a telecommunications hub. Evidence from documents obtained by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, along with architectural plans and interviews with former AT&T employees, suggests that 33 Thomas Street served as an NSA surveillance site, code-named Titanpointe.

The NSA’s involvement goes beyond mere speculation. Inside the building, there’s a major international gateway switch that routes phone calls between the U.S. and countries worldwide. The NSA is believed to have tapped into these calls from a secure facility within the AT&T building. This covert surveillance program has targeted not only international organizations like the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank but also numerous countries, including U.S. allies.

While AT&T has cooperated with the NSA on surveillance, few details have emerged about the specific role of facilities like 33 Thomas Street in carrying out top-secret programs. The Snowden documents, however, provide unprecedented insight into how NSA equipment has been integrated into AT&T’s network in New York City. This integration reveals the methods and technology employed by the agency to gather communications data from the company’s systems.

The NSA’s presence within this iconic skyscraper raises questions about the boundaries of surveillance in the modern world. As Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the liberty and national security program at the Brennan Center for Justice, points out, “This is yet more proof that our communications service providers have become, whether willingly or unwillingly, an arm of the surveillance state.” The deep integration of the NSA within domestic communications infrastructure challenges the notion that such surveillance can be neatly confined to non-American targets.

My husband chose his mistress over me and our kids, so I taught him a lesson

Exposing your personal life on the social media for the sake of sharing a life lesson might be a difficult decision to make, but TikTok user @tattylomas did exactly that and spoke of how she handled her husband’s infidelity and how she reacted witnessing him ruining their marriage and their family and later regretting it.

She started her story explaining that she and her now ex-husband were high-school sweethearts. She knew he was the one the moment she laid eyes on him years ago. The two proceeded to marry and welcome three children together. But one day out of the blue he told her that there was someone else in his life and that he wanted a divorce.

The TikToker felt like her entire world collapsed. She couldn’t understand how he could wrack their family for a woman he only knew for three months. But he was determined to start his life over claiming he was in love with her and deserved to be happy.

She did all in her power to prevent him from leaving her and the children, but to no avail.

It was then that she decided to put her brave face on and be strong for her kids.

They proceeded with the divorce and she got to keep the house which meant the world to her because they bought it from her grandmother, but ended paying him a hefty payout.

Once everything was over, the TikToker could finally get over her heartbreak. But then, she got a text from her ex telling her he was sorry and he wanted to get back to her. For this woman, that wasn’t an option. After everything he did, she couldn’t possibly take him back, not ever.

In fact, she learned that the woman her husband left her for was a horrible person who crashed his car while driving drunk.

Some time later, the TikToker met someone knew through her sister who was also divorced. She and this new man didn’t plan on getting married, but they got involved in a meaningful relationship.

The woman continued to express how delighted she was to watch her ex-husband suffer the consequences of his actions. “Call me evil or whatever, but he brought all of this on himself,” she added.

At the end of the video, she addressed her husband directly, saying, “So if you are watching this, enjoy your shabby one-bedroom apartment and her broken-down car. Oh, and my new partner and I will think of you on our vacation in Hawaii. I know Hawaii was the place you always wanted to go. Maybe I will send you a postcard.”