Subtropolis, USA
May 13, 2010 9:16 AM Subscribe
With 5 million square feet of leased warehouse, light-industry, and office space, and a network of more than two miles of rail lines and six miles of roads, SubTropolis is the world’s largest underground business complex.
Abandoned mines are valued for stable temperatures, good insulation, and high security from all sorts of natural and man-made disasters. The US Postal Service keeps its archive of collectible stamps in Subtropolis. In 2001, Corbis moved its collection of historical images to a refrigerated mine in Pennsylvania to stave off deterioration (previously).
Abandoned mines are valued for stable temperatures, good insulation, and high security from all sorts of natural and man-made disasters. The US Postal Service keeps its archive of collectible stamps in Subtropolis. In 2001, Corbis moved its collection of historical images to a refrigerated mine in Pennsylvania to stave off deterioration (previously).
Neat.
I clicked on Residential Development without realizing that it was separate from SubTropolis. The picture gave me a moment of awe. Artificial underground sun and sky!
posted by gurple at 9:22 AM on May 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I clicked on Residential Development without realizing that it was separate from SubTropolis. The picture gave me a moment of awe. Artificial underground sun and sky!
posted by gurple at 9:22 AM on May 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I can rest easier knowing that unsold Simpson stamps will survive the coming nuclear winter.
posted by DU at 9:23 AM on May 13, 2010
posted by DU at 9:23 AM on May 13, 2010
Mole people now in open beta.
posted by milarepa at 9:26 AM on May 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by milarepa at 9:26 AM on May 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
At the risk of becoming known as the guy who brings up apropos Arthur C. Clarke short stories in every thread: "The Fires Within"
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:39 AM on May 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:39 AM on May 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Wikipedia summary as the website seems borked at the moment.
posted by stbalbach at 9:45 AM on May 13, 2010
posted by stbalbach at 9:45 AM on May 13, 2010
I live in Kansas City and used to work in a business there. It's pretty cool actually but the lack of windows or a glimpse outside kind of gets to you sometimes. There used to be a fun bar down there to drink at. I think it's gone. Sadly. Nothing like getting hammered underground.
posted by damnitkage at 9:56 AM on May 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by damnitkage at 9:56 AM on May 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Oh weird, I've been there. I had no idea that it was the largest of this kinda thing. I was maybe 15 at the time, and all I remember about being there is thinking "Woah. This kind of thing exists? AWESOME". I mean, it's just some limestone storage complexes, so it shouldn't be so impressive, but something about driving along above ground in Missouri and then suddenly being somewhere I might reasonably expect to see a shootout involving James Bond was just downright surreal.
I fully support anything that manages to make good use of natural conditions while simultaneously resembling the offspring of a parking garage and a villainous underground lair.
posted by Stunt at 10:03 AM on May 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I fully support anything that manages to make good use of natural conditions while simultaneously resembling the offspring of a parking garage and a villainous underground lair.
posted by Stunt at 10:03 AM on May 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
That's pretty cool but after working in a basement until recently (for almost 3 years) I have to say no thanks.
posted by ghharr at 10:41 AM on May 13, 2010
posted by ghharr at 10:41 AM on May 13, 2010
Huh, the Corbis collection is only an hour north of me. Never heard of it. The town that it's in, Boyers, looks like a bustling metropolis.
posted by octothorpe at 11:01 AM on May 13, 2010
posted by octothorpe at 11:01 AM on May 13, 2010
Am I the only one who noticed that three consecutive stories on the mefi front page are about humans doing crazy things underground?
posted by bbuda at 11:13 AM on May 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by bbuda at 11:13 AM on May 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
It is mole day on Metafilter. Not that Oct. 23 crap, I mean REAL MOLES.
posted by echo target at 11:25 AM on May 13, 2010
posted by echo target at 11:25 AM on May 13, 2010
I've been there. I volunteered at an annual 10k run held there each year. It is not a bad place to run in the middle of the winter. Of course, it was the weekend. Evidence on the walls of the place suggested that diesel exhaust could be a problem during a typical day.
Judging by the size of some of the air handling equipment I saw, providing adequate fresh air was one of the bigger engineering challenges associated with this place.
posted by kpjoyce at 11:33 AM on May 13, 2010
Judging by the size of some of the air handling equipment I saw, providing adequate fresh air was one of the bigger engineering challenges associated with this place.
posted by kpjoyce at 11:33 AM on May 13, 2010
I've never been to this one, but I've been to the INS records facility in the same area.
All that white got really boring, really quickly.
I always thought they ought to paint murals or something to liven it up.
Maybe a street scene along every thoroughfare.
posted by madajb at 11:49 AM on May 13, 2010
All that white got really boring, really quickly.
I always thought they ought to paint murals or something to liven it up.
Maybe a street scene along every thoroughfare.
posted by madajb at 11:49 AM on May 13, 2010
mccarty.tim: It's totally Black Mesa. Awesome.
Sounds to me more like a Fallout vault.
posted by joedan at 1:32 PM on May 13, 2010
Sounds to me more like a Fallout vault.
posted by joedan at 1:32 PM on May 13, 2010
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posted by mccarty.tim at 9:19 AM on May 13, 2010