Ring the bell and get ready for this one!!! YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS IT!

@the21stcenturytrolleydodge31

2 жыл бұрын

Do the Denver tunnels next?

@billie44

2 жыл бұрын

This old the tunnelshave been remodeled the gallery has been remodeled and renamed All of Market east has Been gentrified

@the21stcenturytrolleydodge31

2 жыл бұрын

The Denver tunnels? There is still the coal tunnel and secret brothel tunnel at the Capital dome, the pedestrian tunnel at union station to the oxford hotel and the interconnecting tunnels that have been walled off downtown

@thatguy6214

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely terrible video. All you did was mention street name after street name with no highlights of where the fuck your talking about or how far between the intersections it is. Looking thru the comments you also were not accurate with many things. I wont be back.

@robloxcolorcubesfan9217

2 жыл бұрын

I live in this city!

Montreal has 32 kilometres of underground city that is active and vital and beautiful. No need to get cold in the winter. Toronto also has a huge vast underground of 30 kilometres of shops, restaurants etc. called The Path. I think there are videos on both.

@craigcook9715

2 жыл бұрын

Helsinki also has a large network of tunnels underground (or did, when I was a student there briefly in 1998).

@stevebabiak6997

2 жыл бұрын

People of Canada realized that winter weather can be brutal for humans; their underground city areas allow for humans to avoid that brutal winter weather.

@jasonbrazen3732

2 жыл бұрын

@Colourwheel Chicago has something very similar called the Pedway. I'm glad to live in Philly. I love it here. 😊

@bullhead420

2 жыл бұрын

I thought it was all syrup under there.

@francoischamberland4029

2 жыл бұрын

And no crime in these tunnels or pathways, they look at their proper maintenance with security guards and cleanliness..

I used those tunnels as a kid in the late sixties. I went to school near Suburban Station, the terminus of the Pennsylvania RR commuter lies. The concourse was a convenient way to get out of the rain and snow, at the time the only commercial activity was a news stand that stocked Marvel Comics.

@qwerty4134

2 жыл бұрын

Well it is still open in areas like Suburban station and city Hall areas. They just had to start closing the farther out areas because of the poverty and crime. Last time I was there everything was still open

@ookie4179

2 жыл бұрын

Human trafficking is why they’re closed off now

@bustedupgrunt1177

3 ай бұрын

My ride from in town to home in SW Philly was the 13 trolley, aka the African Queen.

Wow, I had no idea so many underground concourses closed. Before moving into my fraternity house at Temple, I explored all of them. Because of the many transportation systems I could travel from campus to Folcroft easily more than a dozen ways with my monthly SEPTA pass. I discovered a lot.

@ErdTirdMans

2 жыл бұрын

Same. I think we're old now man. We're going to be telling our kids about the tunnels like some cranky old fools now

In the 70s, You could walk from Arch St. underground all the way to Strawbridge's. This was great on rainy and cold days.

Watching this ,I could almost smell the piss.

Philly the first "Graffiti" City but also the First City to be known for tieing your old sneakers together and throwing them over the telephone wires. Years later you could drive by and still see your childhood sneakers hanging in South Philly somewhere, no joke, LOL

@Ghettofireman80

2 жыл бұрын

I use to do that in the early 90s when I lived in southwest philly

@rexjolles

2 жыл бұрын

And also the origin city of "yo"

@Ghettofireman80

2 жыл бұрын

@@rexjolles jawn as well

@nekomako777

2 жыл бұрын

What a classy tradition.

@speedracer1945

2 жыл бұрын

Shoes over a wire meant a death . We had them do it in Baltimore in the 80s

As a long term (though not native) resident of Philly I find this fascinating. So much invisible history.

This really takes me back. Shivers. Grew up here and took the subway all the time. This is kinda weird now. I haven't lived there since 1988 but I am going to visit next month.

@courtneyprice3487

2 жыл бұрын

You will be severely disappointed when you get here. Time has not been kind to the concourse...

@lwgoinghome

2 жыл бұрын

@@courtneyprice3487 Visiting family so I probably won't be going down there anyway...especially now that you've shared this info.

"The Gallery" mall is/was not underground. The concourse for the Market-Frankford subway might have been underground, but The Gallery rose about 3 or 4 stories above street level. The concourse from 12th and Locust to Broad St to Suburban Station is still the best pedestrian path on a rainy day. Lit's, Strawbridge & Clothier, and Gimbel's department stores (all long gone) had entrances directly from the concourse. There used to be an outdoor ice skating rink at concourse level at 17th and JFK Blvd. The center-city loop from 8th and Market to 16th and Locust is not unused. Its now the Patco High-Speed line from New Jersey. Patco also passes by the unused Franklin Square station (under the mostly overlooked northeastern square in Philadelphia's grid).

@EclecticDD

2 жыл бұрын

The ground level was underground, not street level. You took the steps or an escalator DOWN to get there. You basically went down to get into The Gallery and once you were in the building you took escalators to get to the mezzanines. Not very wheelchair friendly and this was noted as something to improve upon when it was redone as The Fashion District.

@bifftannen2062

2 жыл бұрын

The outside street level entrance at the North /West Corner of 8th and Market required you to walk down Two Flights of red brick steps (Before they remodeled the area) to reach the main lobby and food court which in fact were one Block below Market street level. It was adjacent to the Two Story Burger King at South East 8th and Market. I think that is what the narrator is referring to desite the rest of the Mall rising several stories like the famous Strawbridge Building.

@blue9multimediagroup

2 жыл бұрын

1. Lowest level of the Gallery was underground. 2. The Center City Loop was never built as it was proposed by PRT in 1914. The Ridge Spur was built by PRT in 1932 as a concession. What became PATCO was built as the Bridge Line by PRT in 1936. 3. Franklin Square is not overlooked at all and now hosts a miniature golf course and a carousel in it following its revitalization a few years. PATCO is planning to reopen the station in a few years.

@personalfunfest

2 жыл бұрын

Gallery was most definitely underground. I always remember looking UP a floor out the front door at busses going down 11th street or whatever it was from BELOW

@bradd5112

2 жыл бұрын

How is Franklin Square overlooked? That park was extensively renovated in 2018 and continues to be upgraded with plans to reopen the PATCO stop in 2023.

The internet of today still doesn’t have “smell-e-vision”; my recollection of some concourse areas is that there was a strong smell of urine there. And possibly homeless folks living there.

@RCAvhstape

2 жыл бұрын

You can almost smell it through the video even.

@TBoneProductionsVB

2 жыл бұрын

You recollect correct. The city would rather have commuters walk amongst piss and poo than pay for public restrooms.

@stevebabiak6997

2 жыл бұрын

@@TBoneProductionsVB - but even if there were public restrooms, those restrooms would then take on that same stench. And some of those substance abusers are just gonna go potty anywhere they please; San Francisco has sidewalks loaded with human excrement.

@RCAvhstape

2 жыл бұрын

@@stevebabiak6997 Worse, the meth heads and bums would all hang out in the restroom where it's nice and warm. And if you have a problem with the awful conditions for you and your family, you'd be labeled as "racist" or whatever. I love Philly, but the people who manage it, not so much.

@stefanhoimes

2 жыл бұрын

My friends and I call it "deep-fried piss". I'm just glad Septa didn't follow through on the splatter/hydrophobic paint they were planning on for stations. The puddles would be massive if they did that instead of going with the dignified solution of bathrooms. Hub of Hope isn't enough.

Huh. I never realized the network was so big. A significant chunk is still open and used around the suburban station/city hall area, though wow is it easy to get lost.

@johndor8772

Жыл бұрын

It’s a trademark meaning graffiti .I remember when cornbread first started tagging in the sixties. I didn’t think any of it was remotely close to art. I often wonder about the Reading Railroad and if there is tunnels there also?

y'know you could have like, asked people who live here and use the concourse daily about the concourse rather than fabricate a crime wave explanation for the closure of the north concourse

@donoteat01

2 жыл бұрын

what the fuck is the 2012 surge in crime

@donoteat01

2 жыл бұрын

and how is it relevant to the concourse shutdowns goddamned 40 years ago???

@donoteat01

2 жыл бұрын

y'all know it's still there and is a homeless shelter now right because they refuse to allow those people the dignity of the light?

@doimoi958

2 жыл бұрын

hi Justin

@blue9multimediagroup

2 жыл бұрын

@@doimoi958 thought we were the only one to peep that 😆

I moved away from Philly 11 years ago. I remember as a teenager walking all of those concourses underground to avoid the foot traffic on the street, especially when it rained. I am saddened to hear that many of the walkways and concourses are closed. I remember getting off the Market-Frankford El at 8th Street and walked the concourse to the Gallery directly underground. So sad to know these are closed. I also remembered during my high school years (the 80's) when the Broad Ridge Spur was re opened after years of closure, and the reopening of the Fairmount Avenue stop on the Broad Street Subway. I also remember the closed area after the Tasker Morris stop. So many memories.

@bryn494

6 ай бұрын

I arrived in Philly in '83 and was shocked at the state of the roads. Market St. was almost derelict, full of pot-holes and grit from the crumbling asphalt. It was a while before I found out it was all to be dig up :D

I guess for people familiar with Philly this is great but would've helped to have more map overlays to show the system rather than just street names.

@vnigallahoir3523

2 жыл бұрын

Yep, came here to say this. As a viewership we don't have the local knowledge to back this up, we need imagery associated to see any impact from the narration.

@stefanhoimes

2 жыл бұрын

It's thankfully a simple grid of about 1/4 mile between blocks in Center City. Number streets go north/south and tree-named streets are south of Market and go east/west (besides Juniper St). Broad is where 14th St would be and intersects Market at City Hall. Most of the number streets are still alternating One Way streets and pretty damn narrow (1/4 mi doesn't give much leeway) and a lot of the trolley hardware is still on them to this day making it more dangerous for bikes. The direction of the One Way flips to the opposite at Broad on the number streets but not on the tree streets. The grid made everything soooo much easier after my head injury.

We probably will never know what might have happened with mass transit in the future in Philadelphia if " Trolley King" George Widener( and his son) had not died on the Titanic in 1912.

Edmund Bacon was Kevin Bacon, (the dancer/actor) father. In the late 50's 56 to 59 I traveled those tunnels every day of the week. The "UGLY" graffiti was non existent. B 4 school let out for the summer it was a lot cooler to walk down there. I walked from Reading station at Lehigh Ave. & Broad St. to Broad & Spring Garden St. to go to school. You could hear the subway trains/trolleys but I did not see them till I got to major subway stops and I had the tunnels to myself. The were well lit, clean, tiled and the echo was Cool.

@Unfamous_Buddha

2 жыл бұрын

-- In the 90s I tended bar at 10 south 20th street (center city, right below Market st). Some guy came in bought a six-pack of Bud (and tipped me $2). I'm thinking, "Where do I know this guy, he looks familiar, maybe from high school or something?" -- It hit me after he left that it was Kevin Bacon.

@lorrainedubzak6654

2 жыл бұрын

When and, where did you go to school?

@tomtransport

2 жыл бұрын

@@lorrainedubzak6654 I went to Stoddart-Fleisher Middle School 1956-1958 at that time. The schools were across the street (13th and Green St.?) from one another. I had some classes in Stoddart then went across the street to Fleisher for others.

I would only add that the practice of closing down underground passageways began long before 2012. In late 70's/early 80's, I often used the underground tunnel that ran from the southwest corner of 30th street station under 30th street to the subway concourse for the Market St. El. That was closed in the late 80's I believe. And even in the early 80's when The Gallery was a thriving mall, the associated underground concourses underneath Market Street were not well utilized. It was dark and damp down there, not very inviting, thought to be dangerous. The city tried to clean it up, but their efforts did not lead to more utilization by commuters or pedestrians. There was frequently talk of extending The Gallery into that space, but nothing ever came of it, likely due to the expense of actually making it comfortable down there. It was handy on a rainy day, if you happened to be going that direction and weren't going far enough to get on the subway. I even used it a few times when I was a bike messenger, to get out of the rain, though I avoided actually riding down there. The police didn't like that at all. There used to be more underground access to office buildings. I remember using a staircase that would take you from a hallway off the below-ground-level concourse of suburban station (past the barber shop, if you remember where that was) up to a hotel fronting on 17th street. That staircase was also closed sometime in the mid-80's when the hotel was renovated or converted to office space, I don't remember. It would be nice to see some of these underground spaces be utilized again, but two things would have to happen first. One, mass transit would have to become a lot more popular again. And the issues of crime, grime and poor lighting would have to be sufficiently addressed to give the general public confidence in using those spaces again.

@tolfan4438

2 жыл бұрын

Do you remember the homeless town in the big concourse tunnel under broad st

@JOHNSTIER23

2 жыл бұрын

@@tolfan4438 yes I worked on theSpur in the eighties They would initiate new workers by putting a mask on a guy and his job was to scare the new guys in the tunnels it always worked I was one of the caught off guard by this cornbread plant man etc

@Poisson4147

Жыл бұрын

The 30th St. connection's being rebuilt, finally. I used it all the time when travelling, hate that I now have to carry bags outside even though both stations are in the same place.

@johndor8772

Жыл бұрын

Below the Allegheny station is a two level concourse filled with water and crackers not knowing this it really surprised me in 1986. I wonder if it is still there?

@johndor8772

Жыл бұрын

@@JOHNSTIER23 I saw all of this it’s true

I used to roam those tunnels as kid. It’s amazing how if you have some time and curious friends, you can discover a whole new world.

This is a great job! One thought for your next video, all these streets names - _From X street to Y street_ gives me no sense of scale because I don’t know the city. On one of those google maps perhaps placing indicators would be helpful. I enjoyed this one!

Back in the 1990’s as a police officer we would get “detailed” from our districts to the subway. We all hated it, our radios didn’t work down there, they gave us SEPTA radios so we were out of communication with Philadelphia Police Radio, the whole place was filthy and smelled intensely of urine.

@stefanhoimes

2 жыл бұрын

Not much has changed since.

@Pookybr

Жыл бұрын

Yea that was my first thought when I read the title. The smell of urine and how nasty it was down there. I’m so glad they closed it. It was so unhealthy.

@user-gz3cc8vh7g

3 ай бұрын

I can smell it from the video We have the same thing in Chicago. Wouldn't hurt a bit to send the fire department down there every once and awhile to hose it down

In all this you missed the biggest abandoned concourse of all. A lot of native Philadelphians don't know this but there is a concourse that runs under the Roosevelt Blvd that was intended as a spur of the Brraod st subway. Construction was stopped in the 40's at the advent of WWII as there was no money for infrastructure as all was going to the war effort. It is sealed and never completed

@jm-bv1wh

2 жыл бұрын

The air vents and sealed entrances are still there.

@cheezst8ke

2 жыл бұрын

Are you refering to the subway station that was built near Adams & the Blvd. where the old Sears building was?

@gt-gu7rb

2 жыл бұрын

@@cheezst8ke Yes

@dtvjho

2 жыл бұрын

@@gt-gu7rb The media made it out that the station was destroyed. Interesting. I heard some engineers looking into the proposed Roosevelt Subway noticed that the station was not in the right place, was off to the side and pointed in an odd direction.

When I was in High School in Philadelphia back in in the early 1980s (1980-81) I used to use these tunnels to get from around 15th & Spruce to 10th & Chestnut, where my dad worked... I remember fondly exploring what seemed semi-abandoned spaces at the time- especially when I would travel farther over to "The Gallery", and look at the older display windows from long gone stores. This was nothing new the... For a young teen age kid, it was quite interesting to wander these long, undulating hallways, below the street, and above other trains...

interesting, but filled with major errors and misconceptions. many tunnels were simply filled with utility lines and the walkways were moved to parallel tunnels, most of the concourses are still in use, and one can walk from 7th to 19th now, and from near arch street down to spruce...same as for past 90 years. the walkways connect two major regional commuter stations, a dozen commuter lines, 5 trolley lines, and 4 subways including one to NJ, many fantastic office towers, shops, department stores, government buildings, and restaurants. the arch street portion was cleverly and responsibly converted to a beautiful facility for homeless to shower and rest, but you never showed that. this was sensationalized with all those pix of graffiti and references to crime, making a truly beautiful city look frightening and dangerous. the video was supposed to be about tunnels, but most of it was about everything but. in all fairness you should pull that video and replace with a more balanced and honest one..

@NoNameNo.5

2 жыл бұрын

Jerry…give it a rest…I live here, I lived here my whole life…we used to skate, smoke and graffiti in the abandoned lines and factories along the Delaware. This is how the city really is, even if you don’t see it in center city/Olde city or wherever you live.

@jayh9529

2 жыл бұрын

Jon levi channel may help 🤔

@Unfamous_Buddha

2 жыл бұрын

@@NoNameNo.5 -- And they shouldn't have mentioned Cornbread without Cool Earl (and Homicide Ron).

@juniatapark54

2 жыл бұрын

Philadelphia is the city that Jerry describes and the abandoned places that Nameless mentions. It's both.

@NoNameNo.5

2 жыл бұрын

@@Unfamous_Buddha Right, but Jerry was the only one saying there were "major errors" and suggested "pulling down" someone else work, and for that, he is in the wrong

When I attended junior college in center city from 1969-1971I was able to walk from the Reading Terminal to Broad and Spruce streets using the concourse system . I did have to dodge massive piles of dog poop left behind buy police dogs. There was a police sub station in the center of the south Broad St. concourse. They were very convenient in super cold and rainy weather. All five original department stores could be accessed by the concourse system and the Market East gallery.

@johndor8772

Жыл бұрын

I liked the fact that you could access department stores from the el/ subway stops

There's also a concourse tunnel / passage in north Philadelphia, in the area of Broad St. and Lehigh Ave. It ties together the two North Philadelphia stations, the one on the Subway and the other on the NE Corridor. This also was closed with a "high crime" reason. The Subway stop was built with dual island platforms as it was originally an express stop, because both stations had high usage / transfers back in the day. This configuration still offers an advantage to commuters as those coming from certain directions can avoid Center City and directly transfer to/from Amtrak, and I understand a few hundred commuters daily still use this connection to go to NYC.

@dennisholiday1868

2 жыл бұрын

Yes I remember that tunnel because I used it to see the RFK Train when it went pass North Philadelphia Station.

Love this kind of history. In my city, we have an intire network of catacombs under our downtown area due to how they simply constructed new structures on top of old ones.

@NoNameNo.5

2 жыл бұрын

Dude….how can you make a comment like that WITHOUT telling us what city!?

@TurtleDude05

2 жыл бұрын

@@NoNameNo.5 Indianapolis Indiana. You can actually take tours of them from April to October.

Looking forward to this. I grew up in Folcroft off Chester Pike and went to Temple University after hs and I commuted my first two years. I loved exploring. Sometimes I'd take the 8th and Market Spur off the southbound Broad Street train. My last year in school I lived behind the the art museum at 27th and Brown and discovered a no longer used train tunnel running along the museum. I'm sure there's a lot more perhaps that I don't know about but very much looking forward to watching. I've lived in Chicago the past 26 years and really enjoyed your Chicago videos.

@Unfamous_Buddha

2 жыл бұрын

-- I lived in Yeadon in the 60s. I'd hitchhike to the 69th street terminal and ride the El back and forth for 25¢.

@dtvjho

2 жыл бұрын

You're right in the area where Spring Garden St. enters a tunnel that runs under the Art Museum steps. Only westbound traffic can get in there, and oddly the 2 lanes split into separate halves, and the city usually keeps one side blocked. I've been in there a few times on my bike, it looks just like a real subway tunnel, same construction as the Subway, with pillars up the middle. The city just paved each trackbed and let cars run on it.

@samanthab1923

2 жыл бұрын

Did they dye the river this St Paddy’s Day?

@phillydan

Жыл бұрын

​@@dtvjhoit is a former trolly tunnel. They converted it after that trolly route was discontinued.

We call them,Trolleys in Philly-

Fantastic video as usual!

Philadelphia Born and raised. Excellent video!

Edmund Bacon, Father of Kevin Bacon. I was lucky enough to see them both having lunch in Rittenhouse Sq one day shortly before Edumnd's passing

Absolutely loving this forgotton underground tunnel "series"

When I had Federal Court Jury Duty in Philadelphia, I found my way into one portion of a subterranean marketplace, during lunch break. I remember it was raining, and thankful for the convenience of being able to move around out of the weather. Another time, I had to take a Penske truck to clear out an office right across the street from the Comcast building. Again, the loading docks were all underground, and easily navigable, even with such a large truck. It's almost like two cities sitting atop one another.

Love going into the comments to read all of the memories of so many different people

I went to school in Newtown Square. Took the train from Baltimore to Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. Walked the tunnel to get the El out to 63rd Street the the bus to Newtown. Great transportation. This was late 50's. Baltimore only had the bus system. The subway wasn't started until the mid 70's.

as a kid we used these to escape the rain... they were so fast you could get anywhere downtown without dealing with rain. But they were disgusting... nasty tile, bum pee... The borth concourse seems to always been closed... the spur always interested me... seeing a "dead" subway station was always fascinating... gallery is now defunct... Amazon now

@pirellisuperhard

2 жыл бұрын

The Gallery isn't "defunct" - it's been rehabilitated into what they called the Fashion District. Not sure when you were last in there but visually it looks nice, like any other shopping mall in the area. Could use some more stores though. There are a TON of empty spaces. I love that it's there. A brand new Giant Heirloom grocery store just opened at 8th and Market. I am able to walk two blocks, get on the Broad St Line, ride up to City Hall, switch to the El, and ride over to either 11th (cross over the tracks and enter The Gallery, I refuse to call it FD) and walk its length and access this store without going back outside. Haven't tried it yet, but I think I can go downstairs at the Giant and get on the El at 8th for the return trip, but I will usually just go outside, walk over to 12th and get the 45 bus.

Cool vid! When I was a student at the University of the Arts I used to leave class, enter the concourse at Walnut-Locust and walk underground all the way to The Gallery nearly every day. This was back in the early '90's; the homeless encampment back then was at the 13th Street El station instead of the PATCO tunnels near where I started out. I never had any issues down there at all...

@andeeanko7079

2 жыл бұрын

I was a student at Moore College of Art in the late 80s and also made pretty good use of the extensive concourse. I took public trans from the Northeast, sometimes the Frankford El, sometimes the train, so knew the underground concourse pretty well.

@mah6183

Жыл бұрын

I used to work in Center City and used the Concourse on rainy days from Suburban Station to Broad & Walnut. Once I heard that UArts needed a bookstore location. I thought that a UArts Underground at the end of the Concourse would have been perfect.

This is so interesting! My boyfriend used to explore the tunnels and sewer system under his town in Indiana. He loves tunnels, so I've got to show him this!

@serpentkrusher7778

Жыл бұрын

I'd still be in those tunnels if it wasn't for you😏

@dahliajaynemusic

Жыл бұрын

@@serpentkrusher7778 😏

Now I see why certain gates on the market-frankford line are closed throughout the city. Also, during the Eagles parade, in center city everyone used the underground tunnels to move around different parts of the parade. Very informative and interesting piece. 👍🏼

Interesting video. We used those subways all the time. Growing up in Philly I remember the CornBread tags. Other big ones back then were Chewy and Kool Earl.

@johndor8772

Жыл бұрын

I thought they were in a competition earl and cornbread.

At 2:40 note Frank Zappa driving a trolly

@DanEBoyd

2 жыл бұрын

I thought it was my 9th grade English teacher, Mr. Landis, from Northmont!

@soulprovidermusic5647

2 жыл бұрын

Actually that guy is an immigrant musician from the Middle East, Sheikh Yerbouti...

I love the abandoned subways and concourses. they are beautifully eerie

Ah yes! The many underground tunnels of Philthydelphia. I used the SEPTIC (SEPTA) system lots; more than I care to remember. Rode the Broad Street subway from the Oregon Avenue station to the Walnut-Locust station for two years and hated every minute of it. The cars at the time were built like boxcars, they jerked all over the place, the windows would be stuck open and the sound was deafening as the train roared through the tunnels with wheel screeching. The smell of urine prevailed in all the stations. I felt like I needed to be decontaminated after having used the subway. There were stops like Lombard-South and Ellsworth-Federal that were dimly lit and dirty. I had to use Ellsworth-Federal for several months while I was working in a machine shop. If I had to work late, I'd take my huge adjustable wrench and a hardhat home with me in case someone tried to attack me. If they did, I would have bashed their head in with that wrench. Nobody ever bothered me. I do not miss that city one bit. It is dirty, corrupt, and ridden with crime. It is a genuine cesspool. Glad I was able to get out of there.

@johndor8772

Жыл бұрын

The whole city has a I don’t care vibe to it. It’s part of growing up in Philadelphia don’t pay attention to anything if you’re not threatened.

Every major city in America is has tunnels under it

FYI, Ed Bacon is actor Kevin Bacon's father.

@pamelalaroda

2 жыл бұрын

*wow*

I would have never known this. Interesting

Graffiti first appeared in the 1960’s when our under ground ancestors had just discovered spray paint. Do you think we may someday find evidence of early man tagging these ancient passages.

Expansive subway!? A single north / south line, and a single East/west line.

@Unfamous_Buddha

2 жыл бұрын

Haha, yeah, right?

@johnmurphy9646

2 жыл бұрын

There are tunnels and provisions for expansion that fell victim to the Great Depression. It would have been expansive.

Now Philly the entire city is one gigantic dope fiend

Killadelphia ? That’s pretty harsh. Lots of good in the city that’s not covered. Also when you mention something that happened in the 50s, use. Realistic picture, not something from the 70s

@charlesschauer8927

2 жыл бұрын

Use to be "Filth adelphia"

@shaynorthan101

2 жыл бұрын

I mean the gun violence here is pretty wild.

@shiftyfitter

2 жыл бұрын

Kensington Ave exists, you have nothing to be proud of.

@stefanhoimes

2 жыл бұрын

@@shiftyfitter there's good people on Kensington Ave. It's just sadly really neglected by the government. I lived a few blocks from K & S for a while. Loved my neighbors.

Nice!!!👍

" to offer you a scope of their size they ran from random street to random street and then from random street to random street " thank you I now understand how large they were

@ITSHISTORY

2 жыл бұрын

What, you've never been to Philly?

@stefanhoimes

2 жыл бұрын

Good thing it's a grid. About 1/4 mile between blocks.

You can still get down there but be careful you won't be alone

Being from Philly, there is another abandoned project for the Roosevelt blvd. they tried to build a subway system under it and there is only one tunnel that i know of that was turned into a concourse at the NE town Center, and has two access tunnels that have been closed since i was a kid.

@DrQuagmire1

Жыл бұрын

it was right where the old Sears Building used to be at, right? I've heard rumors for years that there was a subway station underneath the streets, due to stairway entrances right on street level. But it wasn't until another video had pointed out, that the actual entrance was within the Sears Building itself, most likely in the basement level.

Gives me some Toronto PATH vibes! Love learning about old infrastructure like this

wowzers, now the gallery is called "the fashion district" , i had no idea that the gallery was in 1976 wowzers.

Someway, somehow, me and some friends managed to make our way from the bsl to the trolleys and not pay a dime. One of my friends knew the way, but I was just following. When getting off of the bsl I just follow the crowd to get to the el. There might be abandoned tunnels, but maybe showing something about the tunnels today can give people just how massive they are. Then they’d be able to understand just how much more there could be. Naming streets meant nothing to me, even though I could probably picture in my mind the streets mentioned. This is a good attempt, but philly is so robust, that even making a video about this small piece of philly feels not enough

@ShardNetwork

2 жыл бұрын

15th ST/City Hall station has a free interchange between the BSL/Blue Line/Green Line. Gates and turnstyles keep you out without paying, but not between them.

@johndor8772

Жыл бұрын

@@ShardNetwork you know it

Hadn't thought about the pedestrian concourse in a lot of years but I was in them a number of times with grandparents and other relatives when I was a kid in Philly.

The city is "old" Depends in your perspective of "old"....the house im in right know is fromt he middle ages so...yeah :D

@hazzmati

2 жыл бұрын

That’s impossible as european settlers only started arriving well after the middle ages

I'm reminded of Chicago's Ford City's Peacock Alley

Woulda been good to see a map of the streets your talking about... never been there, but like watching your vids. Cheers from Australia🇭🇲

wow i grew up here and didnt realize they closed, remember walking around them as late as the 90s

0:10 I NEED TO GO TO THIS PLACE, i love history so much especially when i can see it, aged and torn i love it so much

I live in Philadelphia and the history and tourist attractions are great but the gun violence must stop and greedy developers running up rent and housing prices

Your video is a true treasure trove of historic Philadelphia transit information..🤪🚍🚇🎟️🌃

I went in a do not enter door one day and walked through tunnels for about 30-40 min before popping out in the back part of the gallery, where the fish market is

Had no idea about this in Philly, never been to the city myself. But this does remind me of the underground system in Montreal. One of my favorite parts of visiting relatives up there in the 90s was going to the underground mall/city in the business district. My family would take the subway out that way to hit that up on various stops. Or even just go above ground and roam the city. So many major buildings had underground presence tied to it. I think the Eaton building had up to like 10 underground floors, but could be misremembering.

@Poisson4147

Жыл бұрын

The setup in Montréal is 1000% better. It's clean and bright, and laid out with some sense or order instead of being like a rabbit warren. There are what they call "Complexes" that connect between stores, businesses, and apartment buildings so you don't have to go outside in -30ºC weather.

@cd5sircoupe

Жыл бұрын

@@Poisson4147 I'm assuming it's still a thing over there and hasn't been hit with decline like regular malls these days? I haven't been since like 04 and all my relatives in Montreal are dead now, so I doubt I'll be visiting any time soon.

How much do you want to get some old man who built the tunnels is living in an abandoned part where he has power, water, and is able to get in and out only when he needs to?

*6:14** The Legendary Cornbread*

@johndor8772

Жыл бұрын

Just got a spray can

when I was in 5th grade in the late 1970s my class took a field trip to Philly from the Allentown area. I seem to recall that we took a little 2 car commuter train to get there and back. And I remember running through those tunnels because it was pouring rain and we needed to get back to the train for the ride home.

@dtvjho

2 жыл бұрын

Your train would have gone through Lansdale. The right of way still exists, and SEPTA owns it all the way up just past Hellertown, stopping where the line enters the yard there. Just needs a political decision to rebuild the line.

I remember walking the tunnel from City Hall to Race Street on the Monday morning on my way to take my oath at the US Coast Guard recruiting office topside at Broad & Race - then off to Cape May. The Broad/Ridge Spur is a part of that line you refer to as the loop and does terminate at 18th & Locust with PATCO using that part of the line from 8th & Market since about 1960 some thirty-years after it was built. The complete loop back to Broad & Fairmount was not completed due to political reasons. Do not forget to mention the abandoned sections of completed subway along Arch east of Broad starting at 9th. I am not sure if there is a tunnel block north of City Hall eastward to the southeast corner but I remember using that to access Wanamaker's on rainy days or venture eastward as far as 11th & Market while slipping into the Gallery and make your way as far as 8th to catch either the El or PATCO; the concourse extends southward to Lombard and crosses at Locust to extend on PATCO property to 9th and 16th under Locust, which was suppose to be the south tunnel of the so-called loop. From any point on this description, one could also walk as far as 18th and John F. Kennedy Blvd while accessing most of the major buildings underground - can't do that in New York.

@johndor8772

Жыл бұрын

You are so right can’t do that in NY

i remember back in the 80s, when Philcon (Philadelphia SF convention) was downtown for a couple years... the hotel had an access int the underground walkways- i was stunned... you could actually go down past all the "work" areas (technically off limits but not locked off) and go down the walkways and come out into the edge of the Gallery. as to the Gallery... i suspect most people only know it form the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff song, "Parents just don't understand"

I never owned an umbrella while I lived in Philly...😎

@positively_broad_st3780

2 жыл бұрын

Well, it is always sunny in Philadelphia...

I miss walking around in the underground world of Philadelphia RIP

The part about the underground concourses being closed due to crime reminds me of a subplot in the Pokemon Gold and Silver games. The underground path in Kanto, which was accessible in the Red, Blue and Yellow versions, is closed in Gold and Silver for a similar reason.

Mind Unveiled expands on the reality of these tunnels. Its a great youtube channel

I walked those concourses every day for 10 years armed. However no one ever bothered me. In fact I saved the lives of two elderly men just being there when they needed help after they were attacked.

I always found the Philly subway to be spooky, and not so much in a ghostly way. Part of the problem is that unlike in NYC, where I was almost always very comfortable on the subway, the percentage of the people in the city that ride the subway is a very small fraction. Also there are lots of nooks and crannies where one could be pushed out of the view down the tunnel and easily robbed or worse. I would add I would never, ever use a public bathroom on the NYC subway for the same reason, and I have actually seen someone mugged in that way in NYC. Well, I didn't actually see it, just saw the victim go, saw the mugger follow and very quickly come out looking through a wallet. I was on the opposite side at the time. Anyway, Philly is spooky underground, but a very nice place to walk around above ground. Take the trolley. And of course, 'you cant' get to Frankfurt on the Frankfurt el, because the Frankfurt el goes straight to.......Frankfurt.

@ultimatevixn

2 жыл бұрын

its called Frankford!

@mindaltering

2 жыл бұрын

Its not lit up as much as it should be IMO, I've road it a few times but honestly like you said majority of the citizens do not use it. the reason behind that is how it only covers center city and you end up transferring to get out of center city onto above ground lines to reach other parts of the city.

@matthewburden9403

2 жыл бұрын

Frankfurt - Frankford - - call it what you like for being a Philadelphian I am not offended and, as I always advocated extending the Philadelphia subway especially in highly congestive areas such as in University City with a line extending to the UofP hospital area or extend the Broad Street line into the Naval Yard complex. Back in the 60's it was proposed to extend the PATCO line from 18th & Locust straight to the Civic Center located there at the time but was never done because of funding and opposition of Locust Street residence. Philadelphia politicians have always been ignorant to the concept, If you build it - they will come, that is typically seen in your town of New York with extending the no. 7 line to accommodate Hudson Yards and with the new Second Avenue Line which is dwarfed by what is now being done in London and Paris. Amsterdam was in decay until they rebuilt Schiphol Airport. They continue to fabricate marginal infrastructure projects while trying to pass Philadelphia on as a world-class city.

@myfirstcrappyvideobilly

2 жыл бұрын

Oh like people being actively killed?

@thomasjamison2050

2 жыл бұрын

@@matthewburden9403 Detroit never quite managed to destroy NYC public transportation as it has done in so many other cities. And Philly is not really big enough for the big leagues. Close, just not quite. Big enough to be difficult to get around though. I live in Providence RI these days and compared to Philly it's in the Goldy Locks zone. Just big enough to feel a bit like a real city, but small enough to offer almost no real inconvenience. No local trains other than AMTRAK, but a fairly functional bus system that one can use to get most anywhere in the area. However, it's much easier to drive and there is virtually no parking issues anywhere except for a few blocks in the very middle of town.

Hehehe I may have cackled a lil but at the killadelphia remark.. I was waiting for it

@DrQuagmire1

4 ай бұрын

he isn't lying when Philadelphia is often nicknamed "Killadelphia"

@Cubbie410

4 ай бұрын

@@DrQuagmire1 truth lol

@DrQuagmire1

4 ай бұрын

@@Cubbie410 but in all seriousness though, had the original 1913 subway plans for Philadelphia had come to fruition and actually built, it would've rivaled the New York City Subway. In fact, you know the 2nd+Market Street El stop? Originally it was to have branched off around there to Front and South Street, which it did back in the late-1920's. But because that particular route saw a dip of ridership in the late-1930's, it was later closed and dismantled around 1939.

@Cubbie410

4 ай бұрын

@@DrQuagmire1 agreed and I didn’t know that.. in all seriousness if they ever thought to bring that back, it would prolly be a profitable route with all the businesses now on Columbus BLVD and businesses and homes in that area in general

I lived in Philly in the mid 80's and walked to work from the Fairmont neighborhood to CC. I used the tunnels all the time when it was raining or windy and cold. Real shame cause it was really convenient.

@johndor8772

Жыл бұрын

Fair mount stop is where the spur started back in the eighties.

*"Killadelphia" is being heavily gentrified tho*

There's a video showing how to navigate the still existing sections of the concourse. I forgot where it starts and ends, but it goes across 10 blocks via city hall, fashion district mall and two subway stations. There's a specific route you have to take to get to one end to the other because there are a lot of dead ends.

If you ever come to Philadelphia look me up and I will walk you through the tunnels

Years and years ago I knew someone who had a website that had an entire section dedicated to the largely abandoned utility tunnels under a major American city. Not too long after the 9/11 attacks he was contacted by the FBI and told that for security purposes that he needed to delete that section of his website. Apparently they were afraid that the detailed maps and photographs might give those with ill intent the means to pursue their goals below the city streets and out view of the authorities. Supposedly. Knowing he probably could have fought them in the end he decided that it was an expensive and risky endeavor to take on the federal government so he removed the section from his website. That may be why you had such a degree of difficulty finding photographs and other information regarding the Philadelphia concourses.

There’s also a fallout shelter somewhere downtown as well

@stefanhoimes

2 жыл бұрын

There's still signs for it at City Hall. I believe on the south portal.

A lot of the tunnels on broad street are temporarily closed with construction fences due to a lot of people working from home. Sometimes you'd even find people skateboarding or even using a scooter to get around quicker down there.

Bring back The Gallery!! I miss it so much 😭😭😭😭. And I remember the trolley tracks in center city. Now they're covered up by road. It's sad. I wished they kept the Trolley lines for Center City. It would've been brought a lot of tourist traffic if they did.

@pirellisuperhard

2 жыл бұрын

The Gallery is still around! It's called Fashion District now.

@Raja-bz4yw

2 жыл бұрын

@@pirellisuperhard that's not the same mall. It's very different from the gallery

The graffiti was a big deal in Philly long before the 80s. In the early 70s the biggest tagger as 'CHEWY'.

@johndor8772

Жыл бұрын

Chewy was way after cornbread and Earl

I work in a place with one of these tunnels blocked off in our basement

Nothing like the PATH underground system of pedestrian tunnels in Toronto, it's almost 19 Miles total!!

Done watching here my friend

These tunnels are ancient and been there.

Hello I'm from Philadelphia and everytime it rains here I use those tunnels to get around the city.

I lived in my uncles great aunties house in south west philly on 54 n trinity , in the basement on 54 n trinity there was a OLD tunnel /door way that we did not know what was at the end it was actually a dead in but I’m sure if the wall that was about 20 feet inside the door way was torn down that tunnel would just keep going

@JOHNSTIER23

2 жыл бұрын

Nasty

@johndor8772

Жыл бұрын

Fifty fourth and trinity is a wild neighborhood

Killadelphia... Really??? Cheap shots are unnecessary. It undermines your "informative" vlog.

@alexcimitile

2 жыл бұрын

that’s what we call it here in Philly! (At least north philly)

@Mook215philly

2 жыл бұрын

Thought the same thing, keep it calssy.

@roadtosomewhere6125

2 жыл бұрын

It's what natives say. You can tell the author is from the area.

@rrubio6660

2 жыл бұрын

@@roadtosomewhere6125 "Natives?"

@roadtosomewhere6125

2 жыл бұрын

@@rrubio6660 Yeah, you know, people who are native to a region. Like people born in Philly are natives of Philly.

In university city I do believe this is the tunnel that is in houses, Baring Strert. And they look scary inside. But I used go to the Gallery every Friday.. love The Gallery and that bakery... their strawberry shortcake. But it's gone now. Omg

@johndor8772

Жыл бұрын

Baring st reminds me of MOVE

The concourse out at 30th street was sketchy. There was a long poorly lit tunnel from the train station to the El

Do another Philly video

I still walk under here everyday the open parts