U.N.C.L.E. - Headquarters

Headquarters

U.N.C.L.E. headquarters is in New York City near the lower East 40's United Nations.

U.N.C.L.E. HQ has four levels: one ground level; two higher levels (Waverly's office is on the top floor) and one sub-level. The roof has radar, a laser beam weapon, a helipad and communication antennas, disguised as billboards, that have a world-wide reach. Below the sub-level, there is an underground docking area and a tunnel that runs under the United Nations headquarters giving U.N.C.L.E.'s boats access to the East River.

The HQ is designed as a fortress hidden in the center of a block of buildings with Brownstone apartments serving as the exterior facade. On one end of the block is a public parking garage (complete with machine gun bays hidden in the ceiling). On the other end is a three-story whitestone building. The first and second floors of the whitestone are occupied by The Mask Club, a sort of Playboy Club-like, members-only "key club" in which the waitresses wear masks. On the third floor are located the offices of U.N.C.L.E.'s propaganda front, a charity fundraising organization.

There are four primary entrances to U.N.C.L.E. HQ. In the daytime, field agents are admitted by way of Del Floria's, a small, nondescript tailor/dry-cleaning shop located one flight below street level. The agents go to the single fitting booth and turn the coat hook on the back wall. Outside in the shop, an operator activates a mechanism on the pressing machine that releases the disguised armored door. The wall swings inward and an agent finds him/herself in the main admissions area. There, a receptionist pins on a security badge (white or later, yellow for highest security clearance; red and green for low clearance and visitors). A chemical on the receptionist's fingers activates the badge. There are also entrances through the Men's and Women's lockers at the rear of the parking garage (admissions for non-field personnel). After hours, when Del Floria's is closed, agents may also enter through the Mask Club or through the offices of the charitable organization.

Although in theory the location of U.N.C.L.E.'s New York HQ is supposed to be secret, the very first episode of the series, "The Vulcan Affair", demonstrated that it was a poorly-kept secret, at best, as the very teaser of that episode shows THRUSH operatives infiltrating U.N.C.L.E. headquarters through Del Floria's entrance in an attempt to mount an armed assault and kill U.N.C.L.E. head Alexander Waverly. Other episodes showing THRUSH's knowledge of the location of U.N.C.L.E. headquarters include "The Deadly Games Affair", "The Deadly Decoy Affair" and "The Mad Mad Tea Party Affair" (all first-season episodes). In "The Deadly Decoy Affair", the Del Floria entrance is even used for egress during a high-profile prisoner transfer during daylight hours. Although, as noted in The Double Affair" and other episodes, THRUSH has a very effective intelligence service and has also, as demonstrated in "The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair" successfully corrupted U.N.C.L.E. personnel, or infiltrated their own as moles.

The New York office is but one of several located around the world -- and some also use the Del Floria tailor shop as a front (as seen, for example, with U.N.C.L.E.'s Italian headquarters in "The King of Knaves Affair").