Steve Duncan Brings "No Man's Land" to The Masses And In The Process, Humanizes Those Who Are Homeless

Spending some time wandering streets around the country while living either homeless or addicted, and sometimes both, I know first-hand that cities have "hidden" sides to them. Many of them are extraordinarily dangerous for the uninitiated and/or uninvited, but for those who know how to engage - or avoid with courtesy - those who inhabit them, the rewards of exploration are mind-boggling glimpses into the lives and activities of people you probably don't even know exist in your own community.

I've always been fascinated and impressed with those who can live where most of us wouldn't or couldn't imagine; from homeless camps to sewer tunnels to innercity "caves" created by construction processes. The ability to adapt and overcome is a human being's strongest skill and peeking into the lives of those who have taken "alternate" approaches to surviving in our cities is an eye opening reminder of just how clever and adaptable we are.

A couple of years ago, while waiting for a flight in an airport in anywhere, USA, I came across a book by Moses Gates called "Hidden Cities." I was immediately intrigued and it re-piqued my interest in life lived off the beaten path, especially given that I'd grown fat, lazy and comfortable in my now boringly predictable and solidly middle class lifestyle. 

I'm a wanderer by genetics; my father's lineage is nomadic and the steps of my ancient ancestors across deserts and plains continually smolders and occasionally flares within me. I'm compelled at my core to travel, explore, move to the next place.  It's hard as hell for me to remain in one area and I am pulled always to see what's around the next corner, over the next hill, down the road a little further, so it's a no-brainer why explorations like Hidden Cities or Carl Hoffman's fantastic journeys around the world via "The Lunatic Express" hold such high interest for me.

So it's no wonder that Andrew Wonder's video below of Steve Duncan's undercity explorations immediately grabbed and held me from the moment he hopped off a subway platform and began running through the tunnels.  His encounter with folks living under the city begins around 15.00 and runs to 20.00, so you can skip right to that if that's all you're interested in here, but the video itself is well worth the time to watch from start to finish if you're inclined, as I am, to wonder what's behind the barricade, at the top of a bridge tower, or behind closed doors that never see "the public's" footprints. The bridge climb is particularly sweet, and you can catch that around 25.00 in...

 
UNDERCITY from Andrew Wonder on Vimeo.