Ok, ok, so the shutters (left) weren't the most hidden challenge in Soho. At least they were somewhat hidden down a narrow alley-like street: Jersey Street to be exact, between Lafayette and Crosby, as correctly noted by a few commenters. No, it isn't the back of the Puck Building, but 115 Crosby St. (aka 278-290 Lafayette St.), home of a Brooklyn Industries outpost and yes, that "great," "silly little" Triple Five Soul store, as well as some two dozen co-ops up top.
As for those shutters, we doubt they're cooper; thin sheet metal sounds more likely. And while the thought that they were "blackout shutters" seemed appealing for a bit, a late-night commenter slapped us around a bit and suggested instead that they were installed back in the day to prevent fires from "spreading building to building" across alleys. Guess we have to be practical here and say fire from your neighbor is more likely than fire from the sky.
· Curbed BuildingSpotter: 'Soho Shutters' [Curbed]