be careful bringing home anything with rust on it. the rust tends to flake and create a pool of its rustness on the floor or surface which takes some careful cleaning. i learned that the hard way!

Cool idea, but, honestly it grosses me out a bit. I don't think I would want to set a drink or lean up against something that's been part of an LA street for who knows how long. I would soak that in bleach for weeks before it came anywhere near my home. A replica would solve the sanitary problems, but then would take the history factor away which makes it cool in the first place.

We have a coffeetable made out of a California job case and some legs.

This manhole cover was not grabbed from the street! It is irregular and never served on our streets. I got it at Handy Metal Mart
http://www.handymetalmart.com
They sell all kinds of metal by the pound. It is a wonderful resource for weird stuff. Also: you are right the rust is a problem.
Peace!

I love it (especially with the bit of white on it), but I'm wondering, how heavy is it?

Is that white? I thought it was just sunlight... Anyway, when I interned in college, I spent some time working with surveyers and had to pop a lot of manholes. As I recall, the lids weighed between 150 and 300 lbs, depending on the size.

That's cool and all, but if you want something more practical (and legal ... and cheap ... and rust-free) you should check out these Manhole Cover Rugs. They run about $25 each and look like the real deal. Of course, you couldn't use them as a table top, but I don't think the person looking for this sort of decor would mind. They're good for indoor or outdoor use, too.

The latest "found street" product I've seen and liked are these bags made from recycled construction fencing. They are extremely sturdy!
Liz