New York City has been around for a long time now, and like with any old city worth it’s salt, the place has its fair share of secrets and forgotten places. When people think of urban exploration, they often think of ruined and decaying buildings. That’s true of any place, but have you ever thought about what’s right below your feet?
In this beautiful collection of photographs by urban historian and photographer Steve Duncan, we’re granted a rare glimpse at New York’s extensive underground system of tunnels and waterways. For those that are brave enough to venture below the streets, the sites and sounds can be breathtaking. Thankfully, Steve has gotten his hands dirty for us, and we can sit back and enjoy his amazing photographs.
Below the streets of New York City
Given how wide this tunnel is, I can’t help but wonder just how much… you know, stuff… is flowing through it on any given day. Clearly this person isn’t being blasted by a fountain of brown, but why would the city make the tunnel so large if it were never full?
I can’t imagine what’s causing the green tint and glow, but it sure looks interesting. This reminds me of the tint of night vision goggles, or perhaps the crash site of an alien ship. In either case, not what you would expect in the NYC underground.
It’s unbelievable how many people live underground in conditions like this. Though beautiful to see, I’m thankful I don’t have to live in a place like this. Ever seen the movie Dark Days? Yeah… not exactly happy times.
Though all the photos in this collection are slightly surreal, I think this one is the strangest. The water looks incredibly unnatural, likely because of a long exposure time and some other means of camera trickery.
I hope you enjoyed Steven Duncan‘s work as much as I did, and if you’re looking for high quality prints of his photos, you can purchase them through his website. He has a wide range of photos from New York, both above and underground, as well as many other long forgotten places spanning many places around the globe. All of them are interesting, and his prices are quite affordable for such interesting looking work.
