Secret New York City Subway Party Investigated By Police
New York City subway parties are a secret no longer, and, after an expose of the underground party was published this week, NYPD officers are looking into shutting down the rave.
This weekend, an abandoned subway station in Manhattan served as the setting for a party that drew dozens of people and had live music. The scene was covered by Gothamist, an alternative news site covering events in the Big Apple.
Pictures that accompanied the story showed scores of hip young New Yorkers navigating darkened tunnels to reach the secret subway party. Writer Jon Del Signore shared an email that told of the party, held at a place dubbed the “Echo Vault.”
The email read:
“To remind you, this is an event with some legal and physical risks. If you are uncomfortable with these risks you should not attend. Really. Once the event begins you cannot leave for two hours. Also, there are no bathrooms.
“On Friday, please follow the instructions of all staff. You will be able to identify staff by the flowers on their lapels. When a staff member tells you to do something, even if it is weird or inconvenient, do it, do it, do it.
“This is a private event. Cameras are not allowed. Cell phones must be turned off. Please do not blog or post about the event or its location before or after the event. There will be professional photographers whose images will be available afterward.”
After the story was published, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and NYPD looked into the photos, warning that they would shut down illegal subway parties in the future.
“Trespassing in non-public areas … is a serious crime and has the potential to lead to injury,” the MTA said in a statement to ABC News. “This incident has been passed on to the NYPD for investigation.”
Partygoers were mindful that the subway party was illegal, Del Signore noted. After it ended, people were instructed to go quickly up the steps to the street and go “far, far away” as quickly as possible.
