Saying something is “positive” is just as value-laden as saying it is “visual pollution,” Mac.

This “my way is the right way” mentality, is always a problem. It’s kind of like the far right and far left wingers.

Charlie.

#54 aerosol artists are not uncontrollable, we just don’t recognize the same boundaries as you do. #53′s point is that now there is a huge population of artists that had a legal outlet, and now don’t. Couple that with the local explosion of unwanted visual pollution known as Glassy Towers, it seems fair that if they can pollute our world, we can pollute theirs. And LIC is very familiar with pollution in general. So it should be no big deal.

And just so you yuppies know, it’s nothing personal. We are just here too, and we want to see things in our environment that reflect us…if they are not there already, why then we must put them there. Sorry if that is your condo building, but it’s blocking my view of the sun. t-a-g-i-t

First, WE should all be praying for Nicole’s recovery. I wake up and the first thing I think about is her well being and its also the last thing I think about before heading to bed. Our hearts are with her and her family.

5 Pointz is a GREAT organization. They have given opportunities for THOUSANDS of aerosol artists, both local and worldwide. We have all noticed the neighborhood changing throughout the last several years. WOW… WHAT A MISTAKE. Long Island City was alway known as a industrial section and most of the condo’s they’ve built still have MANY available units in them. And to think, the city says, ” there is a graffiti problem”. Well, I got news for you. You haven’t even begun to see a graffiti problem. When there is no legal place to paint, don’t think for one second that people are gonna just up and quit painting. Congratulations! You have a SERIOUS problem now, especially with all those nice buildings around. They will still flock to that block because of the AMAZING HISTORY that it represents. But 5 Pointz is much more then just a legal place for aerosol artists to paint. It has structured a community that spans across the globe. It also can be very helpful to the artists on the inside of the building for networking. You never know just who you will bump into just walking around. There is no place in the WORLD like 5 Pointz. This is truely a 1 of a kind type of place. There is a much bigger picture then “you” and “I” here.

Again, we are all with you Nicole!

Also, one other thing, If Mayor Bloomberg can change the law to his favor, because we all know that in someway, shape or fashion, this 3rd term BS is protecting his investments and making him alot of $……. Thanks for giving the incentive of bending the rules to all the other mega wealthy business people. Lead by Example!

It’s all a cycle. I’m not really crying for the arts in NYC. As long as there’s money in NYC the galleries and museums will be here. No one showing and selling art is moving to Philly, just the folks making it.

Truthfully, it’s probably *better* for the rest of the country that the intelligent, liberal, creative types don’t all up and leave and move to NYC. The red states need art too…

Apparently 33 is clueless as to what it means to pioneer. I guess he/she thinks moving into East Coast before the planters are done is “pioneering”. Artists rented previously empty storefronts and factory spaces and some even bought decaying homes that they proceeded to fix up. The areas became more pleasant and safer. And they generally have been able to fit in with the existing residents and businesses – something that many of the new young guns seem unable or unwilling to do.

http://bushwickbk.com/

Huh??? Do you know anything about anything? Are you old or something?

Most people with “trust funds” are from the East Coast, first of all. Most people moving here from the Midwest are middle-class.

Bushwick/East Williamsburg is already the current cultural arts-music hub/”hotspot”, and tons going on in Bed-Stuy. And yeah a lot of the people living there are from the Midwest. Most artists/Midwesterners cannot afford Williamsburg because rich east coast kids and NYU students and condo people have jacked up the rents.

You also mentioned Jamaica… well, that’s a bit far-away for most.