Robert Sullivan, Author of Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants
Want to know what's amazing underneath New York City? Start digging into Solis' anatomical report on the Big Subterranean Apple.

Saskia Sassen, author of The Global City
Both in her text and in the photos Solis shows us [New York's] mysteries, beauties, dangers, and desolations.

Mike Wallace, co-author of Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898
Looks at a broad range of subjects from the perspective of explorer as much as historian...nicely written and engaging.

Margaret Morton, photographer and author of The Tunnel
Even New Yorkers will be astounded to discover the secrets underground...entertaining and informative...

Book Description
Did alligators ever really live in New York’s sewers? What’s it like to take a raft through the city’s old water tunnels? How deep is Grand Central Station? And how exactly did the New York postal office’s pneumatic tube system work? In this richly illustrated historical tour of New York’s vast underground systems, Julia Solis maps out the anatomical foundation of the city—from the bowels of Grand Central Terminal to the labyrinthine ruins of the Old Croton Aqueduct to the old gang tunnels that run below the streets of Chinatown. Along the way, she tells the fascinating stories of the how these structures came into existence. For instance, a 19th century publisher secretly built the city’s first subway tunnel— an opulent one-block showpiece—in an effort to rally public support for efficient public transportation while evading the corrupt hand of Boss Tweed. She also uncovers the dark crypts of the city’s first cathedral, the creepy passageways beneath a Staten Island hospital, the strange artifacts of abandoned train stations, and the work of the city’s underground graffiti artists. Solis, an accomplished photographer, has spent years investigating this subterranean world that she describes as "incredibly desolate and yet alive." New York Underground is the chronicle of her journeys, recounted through stories of dangerous travels through claustrophobic tunnels and her own striking photographs. While New York City is justly famous for what lies aboveground, its underground passages are equally legendary and tell us just as much about the workings of the city.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In this illustrated historical tour of New York's vast underground systems, Julia Solis maps out the anatomical foundation of the city - from the bowels of Grand Central Terminal to the labyrinthine ruins of the Old Croton Aqueduct to the old gang tunnels that run below the streets of Chinatown. Along the way, she tells the stories of how these structures came into existence.

SYNOPSIS

Writer and photographer Solis is an extraordinary urban spelunker, braving the lost tracks of subway tunnels, waterways both clean and foul, and even the abandoned underground passages of the mental institution that has been converted to Columbia University. She shows us the remains of the cyclotron of the Manhattan Project, the cave for liquor maintained by "21" during Prohibition, and the bent pilings beneath what was once the World Trade Center. She augments her own photographs with her collection of postcards, original plans, and pictures left behind by those who bored and sealed away tunnels beneath the streets. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

Jonathan Yardley - The Washington Post

The subways are only part of the story that Solis tells. Herself what might be called an urban spelunker -- a person who loves to explore urban undergrounds -- she provides a tour of everything in New York from sewers and water mains to railroad tunnels and secret wine cellars built (most famously, at the "21" club) during Prohibition.

Library Journal

Does your library really need another book on New York City? Well, yes, and how about these two different and unique looks at the Big Apple. Solis, a local photogra-pher and writer, goes beneath the streets to present readers with a fascinating glimpse of the architectural wonders few ever chance to see. She features not only the subways but also bridge supports, abandoned rail stations, aqueducts, viaducts, and maxes of tunnels beow Chinatown. In the process, she covers such topics as whether or not there are giant alligators living in the sewers and the devastating effect that the 9/11 attacks had on the underground structures. Above ground, Dunn and Hood, freelance journalists based in New York City, also go beyond the usual landmarks to bring readers humorous accounts of places often overlooked in standard tour guides. How about, for example, checking out the building that has incorporated Art Deco figures of rats climbing up ropes? Or the giant Macy's sign that doesn't belong to Macy's? Will you ever think of the UN in the same way once you read about the land it was built on and its bloody history? This is a fun book to bring along with your Frommer's for a quirky, irreverent, and just plain nutty look at a great city. Both books are highly recommended for all public libraries.-Joseph L. Carlson, Allan Hancock Coll., Santa Maria, CA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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