Salem is nowhere close to his apartment complex, something that is made apparent as soon as he gains consciousness. In fact, he's pretty sure he isn't even still in Astren. That is, if he's right about what this place is. It looks like an old subway station.
Actually, it definitely is. He can see the tracks, which are only a couple feet from where he's sitting. There are posters and signs on the walls that advertise attractions about the city, as well as detailed diagrams of the subway system and it's routes. Still, the station itself does not appear functional at all. Astren has a subway system—every Toplines city does—but it's functional, which is how Salem knows he's away from home.
