A man has been living underground in a NYC tunnel, like a mole, with access to electricity and the internet, creating a unique hidden home.
In the bustling heart of New York City, there is a home of the city’s ‘mole people.
Among them is Carlos, a 48-year-old refugee who has called the Freedom Tunnel his home for the past two years.
The Freedom Tunnel’s history
The Freedom Tunnel, also known as the Riverside Tunnel, has a long history of providing shelter to the city’s homeless population.
In the 1980s, it became a haven for those seeking refuge from the elements, with makeshift shanty towns springing up to house the growing community.
The tunnel even inspired two books.
One was by journalist Jennifer Toth, and the other was by anthropologist Teun Voeten, who documented the lives of the people living there.
However, this underground tunnel was not to last.
In 1991, Amtrak, the national rail operator, began clearing the tunnel, forcing the residents to move on.
In 2007, people were once again found living there, even setting up basic amenities like electricity and appliances.
Man lives as a mole under NYC tunnel with electricity and internet
Carlos is a Cuban refugee who migrated to the United States 27 years earlier.
He had been living in the tunnel for two years.
He was discovered by YouTuber Erik K Swanson in 2022.
The video showed that Carlos had managed to create a makeshift home, complete with a heat source and power supply.
However, in 2012, Amtrak once again cracked down on the tunnel’s residents.
They cleared out the area and removed the people who had taken shelter there.
Like the others, Carlos was forced to move on.
“They cleaned out much of the garbage, and removed the people who were living in the tunnel,” he said.
Swanson verified that another man named Walter had passed away the same year Amtrak started clearing the tunnels.
“When I visited the tunnel recently, I stopped by his old spot.
“There hasn’t been a ladder there for years, but you can still see some of his old belongings on the landing.”
He pointed out that if anyone is still living underground, they are ‘extremely well hidden’.
Social media reaction
Many people on social media commented, sharing similar thoughts about Carlos.
For one moment I thought it was Manson. He really lived a good life so far, one user said.
GREAT now that the city knows some real-estate developer is going to make them into apartments and charge 3500 dollars for them to rent, the second user commented.
After the video went viral, the city of NYC kicked him out and sealed the entrance to where he was living.
Sadly, he had to move on to somewhere new, the third user said.
Should’ve left him mole alone, another wrote.