Across the pond the Transport for London has stolen our Don Draper, slapped a red tie on him, and thrown him on their safety posters. At least, that's what it looks like... he's even falling, like in the show's intro and AMC's recent fifth season ad campaign. more ›

Earlier this year we got nostalgic for the game of bingo and found some spots where we could play across the city. But little did we know that the game had a dark side. Today, the Daily News explores the seamy underbelly of bingo, where "younger, often unemployed" players are gambling away their life savings in order to make ends meet! more ›

Ever want to explore the underside of the infrastructure of the greatest city in the world without, y'know, going down there? Got half an hour? Last summer Andrew Wonder and Steve Duncan went on a tour of the city's less visited attractions with trips to the abandoned City Hall station, New York's first sewer on Canal Street and the Lincoln tunnel and the results have just come online. So sit back at your desk and go vicariously run from trains while avoiding the third rail! Spot century-old footprints underground! Meet the nice folks you find down there! Climb a tower of the Williamsburg Bridge! All without actually going anywhere. more ›

Last weekend, the Underbelly Project was revealed to the world, a massive illegal confluence of over a hundred street artists making art in an abandoned subway station in Brooklyn. But it was a tease, since the curators of the project wanted "a space in the world that collectors couldn’t contaminate. A space that couldn’t be bought." Along with that came a space that was very difficult for anyone else to find or see. But that hasn't stopped some people from trying...and failing. more ›

It's that time of year again—the Straphangers Campaign has released its 11th annual report on subway cleanliness. The latest and greatest "Shmutz" Survey found that between 2008 and 2009 there has been a steady decline in underground cleanliness, which probably means this hairball is still at the West 72nd Street 1/2/3 station. Of 22 subway lines, 50% were found dirtier than the previous year, when the R train was rank. Avert your eyes, D and M train riders, here's the basic breakdown (full tables after the jump): more ›

But if they were, they won't be soon! Yep, good news: the Department of Health's rodentologist, Robert Corrigan, says he is "very optimistic that we can control the rats in subways." He's been leading an assault on underground rats, and says while the city will never fully be rid of the rodent, there is an attainable goal that can be reached which would make spotting one a rare occurrence. Can you picture it, city that has a rodentologist on payroll? more ›

As McCarren Park Pool undergoes a $50MM renovation to become, well, a pool again... the LTV Squad has been taking a look back all week at what it was like during the years it sat there being drained of its former glory. Yep, while you were all enjoying your Pool Parties there was a hidden world underneath the concrete—most notably, a tunnel system starting under the main arch. The LTV Squad was kind enough to let us use some of their photos, but be sure to check out their massive catalog here—and below is some video of what it's like in those underground tunnels. more ›

If you see something douchey, say something douchey! For those of you who don't know about every website ever (because you have lives or something), please enjoy Subway Douchery, which went live five months ago—a century in web time—but is new to us, anyway. It posts photos of New Yorkers doing all sorts of douchey things in the subway system. Match it with some clever commentary and it's ripe for a book deal! The latest posterboy of douchey dealings is this guy who decided to lug a giant plant (tree?) on the subway instead of taking a cab. To his credit, didn't look like he did this during rush hour. more ›

The bleak underground recently got a little brighter with the Xylopholks (who you've seen here before). The ragtime-playin' troupe dons colorful, furry costumes while they play in the subway system, including a Cookie Monster, a chicken, a pink gorilla, and a skunk. They recently talked to Flavorpill about the upcoming humid season, and said, "When we first started out, Pinky (Bridget) thought about doing a swimsuit version for the summer." This might even draw more attention from the cops, however, who have already nabbed them for playing illegally. Check out their style in the video... more ›

The artsy technology geeks at Eyebeam really outdid themselves with last night's sold-out "MIXER Underground" by turning their warehouse-size Chelsea space into an elaborate labyrinth and rock club. The place was swarming with giddy artists who must have spent weeks building their massive DIY creation, and the enthusiasm was contagious, evoking the spirit of the old Rubulad parties when they started in pre-gentrified South Williamsburg. There was a robotic bartender hidden away behind a fake closet, and the maze itself was filled with video installations, living sculptures, human rats, and electronic insects. On a high stage at the far end of the room, Roxy Cottontail and Judi Chicago churned out frenetic dance music, and vendors roamed the crowd with coolers of cheap beer. What more could you ask for? (Actually, some hash brownies would have been nice.) The parties are thrown quarterly, so check their website again in the winter if you want in. more ›

Recently a group traveled underground to the oldest subway tunnel in the world, rediscovered by Bob Diamond in 1980. It's dark, dirty and allegedly filled with ghosts! Located on Atlantic Avenue, it sounds like the perfect place for a haunted Halloween. Here's some more info on the mysterious underground space, that long went hidden.

The Atlantic Avenue Tunnel was built in seven months in 1844 by the Long Island Rail Road to relieve congestion in downtown Brooklyn. It was part of a rail network that eventually took passengers to Boston. For mainly political reasons, it was closed not too many years after it opened; the last train ran through it in 1859. In 1861, the tunnel was sealed up. In time, it became sort of an urban legend, and many stories were born about it and what uses some people may be putting it to.

While the MTA starts taking seats out of the subway cars, the Take a Seat project is continuously building up their public furniture installation which brings in more seats to subway stations. "Perfectly functional chairs are rescued from trash piles and reassigned to stations where limited seating options leave subway patrons no choice but to stand for extended periods of time." Great idea as long as the rescued furniture isn't infested with bed bugs (like some street finds and subway benches can be)! more ›

Starting this September the History Channel will be airing their new series, Sandhogs. The eleven episodes will focus on the people and the projects that maintain New York City's infrastructure, from the past to the present. They say, "For more than 150 years, a legendary band of mostly unknown urban miners has toiled in obscurity far below the streets of New York. They are the builders of water and sewage tunnels, subway systems and bridge footings, and underappreciated elements of the city's infrastructure." more ›

The subway ad mash-up artist has been hard at work underground. Here's some of the latest creations, including a shot of a poster he was still working on when someone snapped a picture. more ›

Scaremongering just hit a whole new level underground, with Subivor -- the subway survival kit. The website (after a short video montage of all the ways the subway will ultimately become your tomb) warns straphangers:

Dear Subway Commuters, more ›

Merging urban exploration with something akin to La Blogotheque's Take Away Shows, the below video gives a glimpse at what's hidden in the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel underneath Downtown Brooklyn while performer Greg "Cosmo D" Heffernan scores the journey. more ›

Brooklyn Ink tells us that the first rule of Punk Rock Pillow Fight is you do not talk about Punk Rock Pillow Fight. This is also the second rule, so you have most likely never heard of this underground feathered fight.The anonymous arena for this event is like Fight Club for hipsters. We exaggerate (slightly) but were forewarned not to give away too much about the pillow fight’s underground location in Bushwick. Two rows of... more ›