Searching for historic locations underground

Hi all,

My name is Jon, and I%26#39;m researching a show for the History Channel that explores underground locations around the world.

I%26#39;m currently researching NY for spots we might shoot, and was wondering if anyone here might have any ideas.

If so, feel free to respond here, or e-mail me at jonj@authentictv.com

Thanks... I look forward to hearing from you!

All my best,

Jon

Searching for historic locations underground

I don%26#39;t think I understand exactly what you%26#39;re looking for. Are you looking for underground places where historic events happened to take place -- like Churchill%26#39;s bunker in London? Or are you just looking for interesting stuff underground --e.g., the sewers of Paris, the subways of New York.

I%26#39;ve always wanted to know more about how they get so much stuff to coexist underground in NY. As I walk through midtown I often wonder what%26#39;s beneath me. In one square block there could be a couple subway lines, a suburban rail line,, water, gas, electricity and cable tv lines, multiple sub-basements of skyscrapers and goodness knows what else. I think I%26#39;d like to see a program showing how they fit all that in one square block.

Searching for historic locations underground

Well, to begin with you have the whole New York City subway system. For any filming there, you should contact MTA New York City Transit.

There is also the wonderful water system that NYC has -- research on line about the digging of the amazing Water Tunnel #3, which has been underway for many years now and is still far from finished.

We also have all sorts of subterranean utilities -- I think the pneumatic message system is long gone, but we still have the public steam pipes heating many buildings in Manhattan, nad producing that steam poouring out of the ground that seems to be such an icon of NYC in the mind of filmmakers.

Oh, and how could I forget to mention it -- the gold vault at the Federal Reserve Bank!

HI, JON

Have you seen these?

http://www.newyorkunderground.org

';Invisible New York'; by Stanley Greenberg (Johns Hopkins U. Press 1998)

L.B.Deyo%26#39;s ';The Invisible Frontier: Exploring the Tunnels, Ruins and Rooftops of Hidden New York'; (Three Rivers Press 2003)

Maybe he means the ';boletos'; numbers guys in Brooklyn?

I remember reading about a railroad tunnel linking Grand Central to the Waldorf Astoria. It was used to allow FDR to enter the hotel quietly without being seen on crutches. I don%26#39;t know if it still exists, or if it would offer much visually, but I always thought it was an interesting story.

QQ2 -- I think you%26#39;d really enjoy ';The Works: Anatomy of A City'; by Kate Ascher (Penguin Press 2005).

The ';A City'; in the title is really NYC, and it%26#39;s an awesome book -- especially notable for its graphics! Reading the customer reviews of it at Amazon.com will give you some idea of the treat which awaits you :-)

Wow! Thank you all so much for your feedback.

The extensive utilities system underground is definitely fascinating, and may be worth developing something on.

Tunnel number 3 is def. a great idea, and I hope to get our cameras down there to take a look.

%26#39;New York Underground%26#39; is a great resource, and Julia Solis is definitely the rock star of underground NY.

Does anyone know if there might be any tour guides that go these places?

Anyway, I%26#39;ll keep you posted on any developments!

Best,

Jon

I%26#39;ll should also add the specifics of what I%26#39;m looking for:

Places like the Croton Aqueduct, for example, which is underground, and no longer in use. It%26#39;s an old part of the city that has been mostly lost, and rarely thought about.

The subterranean world of great cities have stories to tell about the history and nature of a place.

nationalgeographic.com/nyunderground/docs/ny鈥?/a>

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