It was just another regular day in London, England. The sky was dull but not depressing, gray but not rainy. I had just hopped off the tube at the Waterloo Underground Station, on my way to walk along the London Eye Pier.

I was aware of the fact that the pier would be crawling with tourists, making it nearly impossible to take a quiet, peaceful stroll. There were already tens of dozens of tourists exiting the station with me, all trying to make their way to catch their first glimpse of the infamous London Eye. Some bumped into me while too busy fumbling and trying to take out their cameras and maps.

The streets became more and more congested as the tourist attractions approached, revealing the landmarks that are what London is known for. But despite the capacity of the streets, they were still by far much cleaner than any New York City avenue. Feeling more overwhelmed by the crowds and tourists than usual, I decided to take a detour down a side street.

This street was already much calmer than the main, as most tourists tend to strictly stay on the main roads to avoid getting lost. The loud noises usually heard from the pier sounded much fainter here, momentarily making me forget that I was only a few blocks away from some of the biggest tourist attractions in the world. I turned at the end of the quieter street, walking deeper into the backroads of the famous Waterloo neighborhood. Eventually, I reached a crosswalk, with the street sign across the road reading, “Leake Street.”

The street signs in London are white and plastered to the buildings on the road, a big difference from the bright green signs attached to the poles in America. Something about the street sign itself let me instantly know that this street was different from the others in this huge city. The wall surrounding the street sign was filled with street art and graffiti, which made it stick out drastically in this neat and proper city. I felt as if I had no choice but to turn down this “Leake Street” and see what it’s all about.

Leake Street looks like an outsider in this city that is known for its elegance. Turning left on the street brings you into a tunnel that looks like exactly that - a tunnel. A tunnel is defined as “an artificial underground passage, especially one built through a hill or under a building, road, or river.” This is exactly what is on Leake Street, except for a tunnel, there is a lack of motion. The Leake Street Tunnel does not allow vehicles to pass through, an uncommon trait of a tunnel, especially for one in a big city.

To most, it is known as the “Leake Street Tunnel” or “Graffiti Tunnel.” Both are fitting. The amount of graffiti in this tunnel would give a wall of any New York building a run for its money. The graffiti is more than that - it is art. Murals can be found on all sides of the tunnel, even on the ceiling, with stunning depictions of everything from superheroes to the Queen. There is even a painting of a PacMan game on the ceiling. To be standing in the middle of the Leake Street Tunnel is to be immersed in a tunnel of art.

The Leake Street Tunnel used to be connected to the Eurostar terminal at the Waterloo Rail Station, where the road and tunnel allowed vehicles to pass through. In November of 2008, the ownership of the tunnel was passed from Eurostar to Network Rail, which ultimately led to traffic being restricted to just pedestrians. Once the Eurostar terminal moved to Saint Pancras, the Leake Street Tunnel was forgotten by all. Although pedestrians have access to the tunnel, it is mostly empty now since most pedestrians and tourists alike prefer the more main walkways.

Banksy, the famous and mysterious street artist, first started brightening up the tunnel in 2008 in order to liven it up. He invented the Cans Festival and invited some of the world’s top graffiti artists to help him decorate the tunnel. A note on the wall from Banksy read, "Graffiti doesn't always spoil buildings, in fact, it's the only way to improve a lot of them. In the space of a few hours with a couple of hundred cans of paint, I'm hoping we can transform a dark forgotten filth pit into an oasis of beautiful art."

Since then, his work has been covered, but his legacy lives on. At any given point of the day, you are sure to find an aspiring artist or photographer hanging around the tunnel, either adding to this collection of art in the tunnel or photographing it. A lot of photoshoots take place here, for it is the perfect background for anyone who has an artsy side. A strong odor of spray paint is always present, causing you to cough if you get too close to the fumes.

As I stood in the tunnel, I couldn’t help but feel as if I escaped the hustle and bustle of the city. Leake Street felt different than the traditional London I had grown to love. Walking further into the tunnel, I passed dozens of artists working on their projects in the tunnel and trying to become part of the legacy. Looking around, the combination of brightly colored art and graffiti exploding all over the walls can instantly boost your mood.

As I strolled through the tunnel, about halfway through I noticed a slight opening. My natural curiosity took over and I approached the door. I followed the slight opening as it developed into a narrow, dimly lit hall, which in retrospect was probably not my smartest idea. But soon, the narrow hall opened up into something that resembled a lobby. The room was still very dim, but there was an information desk in one corner, with a few paintings hanging on the walls around it. A young woman in her thirties looked at me from behind the desk. “Hello,” she smiled, “Welcome to The Vaults. May I help you?”

“Um, maybe, what is this place?” I was confused as to why there was an information desk in the middle of an abandoned tunnel.

“Perfect timing,” the receptionist replied, “the next tour is just about to start.” I followed the woman to the back of the small room we were in, where she pulled aside a dark curtain. An entryway came into view with a large, white neon sign hanging above that read “The Vaults.” The sign was huge and was the only thing that lit up the space. The hall beyond the sign was dark, a mystery waiting to be uncovered.

The Vaults is an underground venue located in the halls inside the Leake Street Tunnel. Only a few years old, they offer a variety of different programs and shows, including art galleries and musicals. They put on various genres of performances and shows, including Goosebumps Live and Metamorphosis. The performances are meant to immerse the audience into them and provide them with a different type of theater experience. These different type of theater experiences are fitting since the venue itself is very different.

There is a pub in one of the back rooms for people to hang out and grab a drink, along with a dance floor for people to enjoy when the DJ plays. The entire aesthetic of the venue is dark, with neon signs providing most of the light. The Vaults is almost so creepy that it feels out of place to be there as if you are trespassing into these dark London tunnels. You can’t help but feel slightly eerie standing in the venue because of where it is located. But at the same time, you can enjoy yourself and have so much fun that it is so easy to forget that you are in the pathway of an abandoned tunnel. This quality is something that makes The Vaults special since most people can agree that it is not common to have such a fun time in a place they consider creepy.

Similarly to the Leake Street Tunnel, art is a main focus inside the Vaults as well. The neon signs all contain multiple colors and designs, becoming works of art in their own way. Numerous famous artists have either donated their pieces to the venue or come bring their pieces in to be featured in a gallery.

The Vaults brings in an eclectic group of Londoners as a regular audience since tourists rarely seem to know about their existence. The people who attend events at the Vaults are untraditional, looking for someplace different to spice up their Friday night plans. The idea of going to a venue inside an abandoned tunnel seems both frightening and alluring. You are never quite sure what to expect, which makes it even more exciting.The Vaults is the type of place that mesmerizes you and will keep you coming back to see what the next exciting thing they offer will be.

I remember noting how I never knew this place existed and I probably never would have if it wasn’t for my detour earlier that morning. The woman nodded and gave me a small smile, adding, “We don’t really like to advertise. We want to stay rather under-the-radar. Word of mouth does us wonders, if people come to one of our events and have a nice time, they are quick to tell everyone they know about their fun night. You’d be surprised if you knew just how many people are eager to come to the club inside the empty tunnel.”

Both The Vaults and the actual Leake Street Tunnel itself embody the idea that just because a place is abandoned does not mean that it has to be forgotten. Although the Leake Street Tunnel technically doesn’t serve its original purpose anymore, it now does more. It is a place where aspiring artists can come to paint their dream mural or finally experiment with their new technique. It is a photographer’s dream, a great place to capture the perfect shot they’ve been searching for. It is an escape from the usual streets of London, a refreshing change from the hecticness of the main streets of the city.

It is a place you can unexpectedly find entertainment and a place you can explore with your friends during a night out. It is a place that reminds you that different is okay and exciting. It is a place that shows us exciting things are around every corner and behind every door if you remember to look hard enough.