Urban exploration in Las Vegas

June 2, 2007 12:33 PM

Beneath the Neon is a book-length account of author Matt O'Brien's exploration of most of the 400+ miles of flood-control tunnels underneath the glitzy lights of Las Vegas. This excerpt contains an interview with one of the hundreds of people who manage to live in these tunnels, despite the lethal floodwaters that sometimes wash through. Here's another excerpt, and there's also a Flickr gallery of images from the book's photographer, including graffiti galleries, enterprising inhabitants, and rarely seen perspectives of the Strip.
posted by crazymonk (10 comments total)

Once long ago, a history teacher told me "to learn what will happen to a civilization, start by examining its sewers." The more people you find living in those sewers, the more unstable the society is.
posted by metasonix at 1:03 PM on June 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

PREPARE FOR THE COMING OF C.H.U.D.

MUTANTS, ARISE!
posted by loquacious at 1:19 PM on June 2, 2007

Ooh, excellent - thanks, crazymonk!
posted by carter at 2:13 PM on June 2, 2007

Amazon
posted by acro at 2:36 PM on June 2, 2007

Ick. My sister lives in those tunnels. She's been under the influence of rather heavy drugs for quite a few years, despite our best efforts to help, and stays with her equally drugged-out husband in a section not far from UNLV where the tunnels go topside and become open washes.

It's been nearly six months since we've heard from her, and every day we worry slightly that the cops will call to have us identify her body. Those tunnels are most likely going to be her grave.
posted by mystyk at 3:18 PM on June 2, 2007 [3 favorites]

This is really interesting. I'm fascinated by tunnels underneath cities -- maybe I've read Neverwhere too many times, I don't know. Thanks for the post.
posted by sugarfish at 6:33 PM on June 2, 2007

Fascinating find. Thanks so much for this.

Mystyk, that must be a horrible nightmare. Dunno what to say, other than I'm so sorry to read that and I hope for the best...
posted by rmm at 7:21 PM on June 2, 2007

Reminds me of the documentary Dark Days, about the homeless folk who live underneath New York City. Definitely worth watching.
posted by randomstriker at 7:56 PM on June 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

Sorry to hear about that, mystyk. That is tragic.
posted by phaedon at 8:32 PM on June 2, 2007

Previously, on Metafilter: The Mole People
posted by hattifattener at 9:22 PM on June 2, 2007