The 5pointz outdoor graffiti gallery. April 2008

I sincerely doubt that the new breed of LIC resident shares your affection for graffiti, whether its sanctioned or not.

Right #1, down with art, up with condos. You just bummed out my day.

I share your affection LIQcity. These pictures are great.

Not everybody that lives in the new buildings is as conservative as you may imagine, #1.

If you #1 think you are the new breed of LIC, that is a very sad thing. For all of us.

I gotta say, some of these pieces are amazing, particularly when you consider the scale. And I was the guy saying I wanted all the chain stores on the amenities list. #1, you are wrong.

#1 SUCKS. The Liberty piece is ill. Love the eyeball on fire.

Whoa -- hang on. This is No. 1. I wasn't giving my own opinion and I'm not a newcomer (I'm graffiti-agnostic, I guess.) I was trying to say that I don't believe the yuppies in the new towers love graffiti art. Try this experiment: let the artists spray the gantries or the handball courts and see the reaction you'd get. For crying out loud, these are the same people who've cheered on the destruction of the Powerhouse, the Hackett Building, and other neighborhood icons.

#1 - don't be so negative. I don't think there is anything to be gained in assuming that everybody living in a new building in LIC is anti-art, anti-culture, and just wants to flood the area with chain stores and skyscrapers. You should remember that lots of these people are renters, like me. And, also like me, lots of them are not from the U.S. They were attracted to LIC because it was interesting, because of the art, because of the culture, because of the fact they wanted something different from Manhattan, and wanted to support a lively community. These people might not have had the luxury of time to be able to find their dream home with normal sized rooms and a garden on a little side-street in LIC -- but yet they were still attracted to the area. Give people a break, and you might be pleasantly suprised.

I don't see 5pointz spreading to anything larger then what it is. It will prolly become just another fixture next to PS1 and just that… another neat thing to see.

I was at Shannon Pot for drinks two Fridays ago I believe, and it was surprisingly packed! It was one of the 5Pointz artist's bday and it was like a graffiti convention. Very mixed crowd of international and local NYCers who has a love for graffiti. Many of them were more then happy to show their portfolio. Pretty impressive work from what I saw. Many of them offered to tattoo it. I kindly turned down the offer.

So, #1, that wasn't your opinion, just the opinion you THOUGHT the newcomers had. From the looks of these comments you were very wrong--and I am very relieved. The new people here are not necessarily all assholes. Some may have actually moved just exactly for things like 5POINTZ. I know I did.

hey #7, thanks for coming back and clarifying. I think what's becoming clear is that there is no One Breed of Newcomers to LIC. They are in all kinds of mindsets, which is evident in the general diversity of commentary. I also feel it important to mention that the liQcity blog is not just aimed at the newcomers to LIC, or real estate junkies. It's aimed at everyone about all things LIC - a strong topic is the new development because that's where the neighborhood is at right now.

And thanks btw for all the support of LIC art. That's great to see! There is so much good stuff here.

See? We yuppies buying condos are being discriminated against! That's a major stereotype that is thoroughly incorrect. Money does not necessarily make you an asshole.

You guys have it so rough!

GRAFFITI IS A NEW YORK ART FORM AND IT WILL BE HERE FOREVER THE MORE PEOPLE LIKE IT OR HATE IT IT WILL STILL BE HERE AND ACTUALLY THE MORE PEOPLE HATE IT THE MORE IT WILL SHOW UP. AND LIQCITY, YOU STATED THAT 5 POINTZ IS THE ONLY PLACE IN NEW YORK WHERE IT IS LEGAL AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE BECAUSE THE WALL OF FAME IN HARLEM IS MUCH MORE KNOWN AND A HELL OF ALOT MORE CREDIBLE THEN 5 POINTZ WILL EVER BE YOU REALLY HAVE TO EARN A SPOT ON THE WALL OF FAME AT 5 POINTZ ANY TOY CAN GET A SPACE. AND I WISH IT WAS STILL THE PHUN FACTORY THAT WAS WHEN IT WAS THE BEST AND REALLY RAW ORIGINAL NY HIP HOP ELEMENT GRAFF SPOT BUTT LIKE LIC DID IT CHANGED BUT CONDOS, YUPPIES WHATEVER GRAFF IS GRAFF AND WE AINT GOING NO WHERE NY IS WHERE WE LIVE AND DIE.

#1 - stop being so dense and prejudiced. I think most "newcomers" think the 5 Pointz building is cool, and also don't want graffiti spread around the neighborhood either. The 5 Pointz building is artistic and is in a perfect place for it. That doesn't mean I would want the buildings all over the neighborhood to have crap graffiti all over them. Are you actually favoring graffiti all over the neighborhood?

#1/#7, I guess I don't get the hostility. I am a yuppie, I just bought a condo in the Powerhouse. From what I have been told by my developer, everything in the Powerhouse that could be kept original was kept. Unfortunately, much of the building was not safe for the public to live around. Also, if I am moving into a neighborhood, why wouldn't I want an apartment with as much to offer for my money as possible? At the end of the day, however, the reason we bought in LIC was that it is LIC. If we wanted Manhattan, we would have bought there. The local flavor of a neighborhood is what makes people want to live there.

Also, #14, you need to settle down.

yes #15, I totally agree. There is a huge distinction between this work on 5pointz and most of the stupid unartistic graffiti that dominates all over the place. some of that is good too, but most of it is just garbage. I like that 5pointz is organized, and I also like that anyone can get a spot. though #14 was a bit out there, i'm interested in the wall of harlem. that sounds cool too. it sounds CONTAINED. and ORGANIZED. and produces sanctioned works of art. THAT I'm into. This work on 5pointz is fantastic... I will get on my bike this weekend and be sure to go take a look. Thanks for posting this.

What is happeing at 1033 Jackson - (not to be confused with 10-55 Jackson) Also there seems to be something going on the corner of Jackson and 47th I think. There are steel beams coming up from behind a construction fence.

hmmm 1033? I assume LiQcity will be investigating this.

5 Pointz is not organized a lot of the tags up there were done illegally they are bombed that sloppy stuff is from kids that just go in at night and do what graffiti writers do they bomb like the trains in the 80th and rooftops in the 90th. And i love the condos the renovation of all this neighborhoods because i love New York regardless so if you moved in for what ever reason good for you i am glad and welcome to New York or to LIC but i am sorry you moved into a city where one night you go to sleep and when you wake up the next morning you will find a fresh (fill in) Graffiti piece on your building wall or on your park wall anywhere really and thats a fact so welcome to New York, but you have to live with it.

A "graff" artist loves high-priced condos? Only in New York.

I'm a long time resident of LIC, (a very long time) and I am often amazed at the talent in much of the graffiti art that I've seen, however, I don't like seeing drawings all over buildings.

Unfortunately, the talented as well as the not so talented have taken to painting buildings in LIC where it was not approved by the owners.