Amateur Explorer Explores Underground New York City

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They don't build cities like they used to—which is, to say, by simply backfilling and constructing on top of older architecture, leaving behind a layered time machine just ripe for adventure. The idea that some very old cities, like Rome, are three stories taller than they originally were—that the ground you walk on today is not really, precisely, the ground at all—is still completely mind-blowing to me.

That's why I love stories like this one from NPR, where professional explorer Erling Kagge accompanies amateur adventurer Steve Duncan on a 25-mile journey through the sewers of New York City. It's no Golden Palace of Nero, but there are some little historical thrills.

Notes from the Vimeo video page:

For updates and more adventures follow me on twitter twitter.com/​andrewwonder

This is a film I made after some adventures underground with Steve Duncan (undercity.org) last summer. We also have a teaser video which you can watch on my vimeo page (vimeo.com/​5752275).

For more information about the video and our other adventures please contact Andrew Wonder (Director/Cinematographer) at andrewwonder@mac.com.

Steve and I just completed another underground expedition with Norwegian explorer Erling Kagge (en.wikipedia.org/​wiki/​Erling_Kagge). It was featured in a three page article on the front page of the NY Times metro section and was written by Alan Feuer (nytimes.com/​2011/​01/​02/​nyregion/​02underground.html). We were also covered by NPR's Jacki Lyden whose report will be aired on 1/2/11 and posted on NPR's site (npr.org/​2011/​01/​02/​132482428/​into-the-tunnels-exploring-the-underside-of-nyc).

Shot on a canon 5d mkii with canon 24 f/1.4 (version 1) with the zacuto rapid fire, Zoom H4N and a sennheiser g2 wireless lav. The zacuto was really great at being there when I needed it but also staying out of the way.

My Year In Cities 2010

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I'm three days late in posting this but before I forget, I wanted to get this out.

The following list is of the cities in which I've spent one or more nights in each place. Cities marked with an asterisk were visited multiple times or on non-consecutive days. I've also ordered the non-asterisked cities in order of visitation.

Alexandria, VA*
Wirtz, VA*
Lafayette, IN*
Dulles, VA
Austin, TX
Emerald Isle, NC
San Francisco, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Chicago, IL

I increased my city count from 5 to 9 this past year.

Review: Matias Tactile Pro 3 Keyboard

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On April 28, 2008, Dan Benjamin & John Gruber recorded Episode 20 of The Talk Show (the old one) entitled "RE: The Keyboard Episode". First, go listen to that. It will take you 1:02:02 min. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Okay, done now? Good. I was intrigued. Over the past four years I had begun appreciating quality technology hardware. I was beyond the phase in my life of wanting to tinker with hardware and experiment. I was tired of hardware failing on me, being unreliable and having to maintain it. I switched to Apple and have loved their products since fall '06. Their peripherals were another story

I despise Apple Mice and can barely tolerate their keyboards. I've used Logitech Mice for well on 8 years or so and feel they make the best mice in the world. My current favorite is my G500. Their keyboards, however, I feel are not of the same quality. Up until a few days ago I was using a Microsoft Natural ergonomic keyboard. I'd been using this for years. It was just 'okay'. Nothing spectacular but I couldn't really find an alternative that I felt was far superior.

This has been nagging me ever since I listened to that episode of the old Talk Show from April 2008. For Christmas this year I asked my lovely wife to get me a Matias Tactile Pro 3 Keyboard because it was supposed to be a modern version of the famous Apple IIe keyboard that Gruber spoke of from that podcast episode. And boy, let me tell you...

This thing is amazing. Please see my Twitter timeline from yesterday evening:




Link to the audio recording contained within this tweet & the Amazon link.


This keyboard feels nice to type on. Each key press gives this very satisfyingly resonating click that your fingers get used to. It is substantial. I'm back at work in my office this morning typing on an old keyboard (Apple style circa 2005) and this thing feels like a toy compared to The Beast I have at home on my desk.

Would it be too over the top to carry my own keyboard into work each day in my messenger bag? That's not weird, right? Right guys? Anyone?