It's no secret by now that the Brooklyn Bridge was once home to several secret bomb shelters during the Cold War. (If you didn't know that, watch the video on that and more here.) 

But here's what we just found out about the Brooklyn Bridge which seriously surprised us. In the 1900s, New York City rented out several secret vaults leading up to the bridge's entrances as... wine cellars?! 

So why under the Brooklyn Bridge, you might be asking? It's pretty simple. 

Perfect conditions. Dark. Cool. Low humidity. What more can you ask when storing alcohol, right? Right. 

[anad]

The rental income, which was approximately $500/year on the Brooklyn side of the Bridge and $5,000 on the Manhattan side, was used to offset the cost of the bridge's construction. 

Just. Wow. They say you learn something new everyday. Want to know more goodies about the borough of Brooklyn? Read up more here. 

Check out 7 Reasons Why Brooklyn Got More Going on Than Manhattan.

[via 6sqft]