Urban Explorer at Explorer's Club

Neil gave us a nice little dose of Urban Adventure in this post he did a while back, but I have to say I want to know more. I am fascinated by the concept, the idea of experiencing a place everyone thinks they know well in a completely different way.

I more or less consider myself a bit of an urban adventurer. When I was a kid growing up in California, at a very young age I'd head out alone into my small town to find its hidden places, the nooks and shadowy corners and empty buildings where I suspected not many people had been. That was a huge thrill to me to find an old warehouse or tunnel where no one had been for a while.

And now that I live in a major metropolitan area, I still find myself poking about here and there, especially if I'm alone and coming home after a few drinks, in search of a hidden tunnel or secret passageway.

And I'm also a major fan of The Explorers Club. Located on the Upper East Side in a beautiful stone building, I've been up there for a whole series of events including the Doc Fest and the famous dinner. I've also interviewed the Club's President and have spent a lot of time roaming around the halls. The connection here is that in the spirit of adventure, the Explorer’s Club hosted a series on Urban Exploration with urban explorer Steve Duncan. Duncan has spent the past decade scaling bridges, crawling through tunnels and playing Indian Jones beneath the city's sidewalks.

Amy over at Newyorkology did a fine post about the event, which you should read.

Filed under: Climbing, Hiking, History, Learning, Business