Life Under New York
I'm nearly done reading "The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City" and I'm not sure I completely believe it. Feels very urban legend-ish. It was written by Jennifer Toth based on some stories she did for the L.A. Times while she was interning there out of Columbia J-school in the early 1990s. The first cops she approached at Grand Central flatly denied the "mole people" existed though one later escorts her to some of the camps. Supposedly there are (or were) about 5,000 people living in the tunnels under the city -- mostly in abandoned subway tunnels or stations and in one case a natural cavern near Grand Central called "the Condos." Many of the people are addicted to booze or drugs, some are crazy and/or violent. "Track rabbits" (rats) are commonly used as food and many children live there with their families. It's an interesting read but hard to comprehend that there is a huge underground society there. (There's also a movie.) Here's a passage from the book:

We descend through Grand Central Station, which is spread over forty-eight acres, making it the largest train station in the world. It also goes down six levels beneath the subway tracks. There is no complete blueprint of the tunnels and tracks under the station. Many tunnels were begun but abandoned. Some were built but were forgotten. Some were sealed off, but underground homeless people have broken through , either directly by hacking a hole through the wall or by circuitous routes, to inhabit them now.

One of the largest disused tunnels starts out in a northwest direction, taking it under Central Park, before turning southwest toward penn Station across town. This tunnel can be entereed from either station, as well as at various places int he park itself. "There are hundreds maybe even a thousand people living in that tunnel," I was told by Zack, a member of J.C.'s community. "The utilities are still working there and everything."

- posted by Amy @ 12/11/2003 12:26:00 PM