An apparent valve failure caused the high-pressure steam leak, at First Avenue and East 36th Street.
The steam leak closed First Avenue through the low 30s, but it reopened around 8 a.m.
"We just had the UN," resident Louie Mingione said. "There's always something, and so now I want to be able to walk around like a normal person."
There were no air quality issues, and no one was injured.
Con Edison said they isolated the section of the pipe that failed and stopped the steam.
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