Underground living: Tiny house under New York’s subway
No one knows how many homeless New Yorkers call the subway system home, but Carlos is one of them.
He has created a tiny space to call his own under a subway tunnel in an underground world most don’t even know exists.
A friend first showed him the small spot in an abandoned sewer hole under the tracks. Carlos cleaned up the then-gritty “apartment,” which he has since painted and organized to fit his needs.
He has heat and electricity — likely the transit authority’s — a working fridge, stove and toaster oven, and even an espresso maker.
[Related: Family lives mortgage-free in 320 square foot home]
No, it’s not exactly aspirational living, but with a little ingenuity Carlos has created a safe, warm spot that shelters him from both the elements and the dangers of street life.
The Coalition for the Homeless says that homelessness in New York has reached its highest levels since the Great Depression.
While records on kept on the homeless population using the shelter system — 39,500 in February of this year — those who sleep on the streets, in the subway and in public places remain uncounted.
Carlos is among the fortunate, with a “roof” over his head and a place he can identify as home.
Small spaces like his should remind us to be grateful for wherever we live.
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