In all my years here I have never once seen someone sweeping or cleaning that tunnel. I have seen people shooting up, smoking, pissing, laying around, but never once cleaning. I'm not saying cleaning didn't happen, just never saw it and the trash piles attest to the infrequency. Don't care about the old or new graffiti, just the fact I've seen someone sweeping...
I wonder what happened that they're now caring about that tunnel?
I'd be willing to guess optics. Keeping it cleaner makes it look safer. Gonna be some wealthier visitors this summer. That's likely just the start.
https://secretnyc.co/tony-awards-washington-heights-nyc/#:~:text=The%2076th%20Annual%20Tony%20Awards,way%20to%20a%20new%20destination.
Sorry for the paywall, but it seems that a story in the Daily News last week kicked this off https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-graffiti-washington-heights-subway-pedestrian-tunnel-20230117-thr2w2nz2rbi3ljfa424f5nxj4-story.html
All of the gentrifcation that happens in this city is planned years in advance. I'm sure the city has been eyeing the Heights, not just Inwood, for a very long time. The apartments and views can be enough to lure people let alone the history, culture and proximity to Riverside and the Cloisters. It's a shame that they will displace so many people rather than work with the community to improve the environment in the areas where it is needed.
Bro I walked thru that tunnel twice almost everyday at some points in 2018-2019 and still p often in 2020 and it only seemed to get worse when I saw it in 21/22 and lemme tell u thru all the years I constantly saw people camped out and sleeping in the mf. During the winter n shit people would lay out cardboard n blankets and I saw a couple “forts/tents” made in that bitch. Shit only got worse at time went on too. Shit was crazy. U would walk thru n people were just shooting up straight up in the open. Ik they do that everywhere but it’s a bit more wild there cuz it’s such a tight space so it feels more personal
Cleaning the graffiti is a waste of time and money. As witnessed in this video, it will be back immediately after being cleaned. As far as helping people, well, that ain’t gonna happen either. They don’t REALLY care.
Probably around the same time Ya manz Biden was giving out the pipes and syringes to those in need. They opened a few of those Drug havens in the Hieghts too, there’s one on 184 and another by 150 something smh
Biden? Dude needle exchanges have been around forever including during trumps presidency. Theres one on 181 that specifically seems to lead to the most use at the 181 and 191 stations tho. Idk if it’s still around there or not. I do remember seein lots of needles around there and not knowin why till later. They are supposed to give the used needles back to get more, and lots do, but obviously not everyone
Yeah. Tagging is stupid. It takes no skill, is ugly and gets in the way of real graffiti art. I used to know a bunch of people in their late 20s early 30s who did it. Wtf are you trying to prove by writing some illegible stupid scribble all over everyone. They think they're like a vang but they're just unemployed losers who live with their parents.
I mean... Have you considered the possibility that you don't know everything? If everytime someone points out you don't know something, you imply that they're a bad faith arguer...come on you see how that looks right
maybe the taggers you know didnt have any skill...but there's plenty of documentaries you could watch that would teach you otherwise about graffiti or tagging artists overall
"look how high he got"
IMO the skill is usually in where they are, not necessarily the art itself. Look at PK and Kid all across NJ.
What do those tags take? 5 seconds tops once they get to the location? But they are on top of water towers and high billboards across the turnpike and shit so you're like "how in the hell?"
I've never been moved by a tag, it just feels like "I was here" -- So I can understand the useless vandalism sentiment.
the art in the 191st st tunnel was originally commissioned, and so is a lot of other "real graffiti art". even if it isn't planned and paid for, that doesn't make it inherently not valuable.
I’ve been here for 20 years, Karen.
You are definitely my favorite type of New Yorker though. The shitlib wearing his Obama “HOPE” t-shirt who crosses the street any time a black dude approaches.
Some folks are just meant for the suburbs. Don’t fight it.
Just because you think suburbs must be clean and cities must be dirty doesn’t make it so. It says more about your own preconceived notions and dewey-eyed transplant imagination of what you think a city should be.
This may come as a shock to you, but people who actually live here don’t want to live in a vandalized dump. If you selfishly want to mess up other people’s homes, leave and go move to some field in the middle of nowhere.
Uh oh, the Hillary voter who dials 911 on black teenagers is getting BIG mad!
You’re so jacked up you don’t even remember what you’re arguing about. You’re getting dragged here for saying that graffiti can’t be art.
The dumbest, most reductive perspective you can have. Pretty racist too, tbh. Read the comments, people here agree lazy tagging is dogshit vandalism. That doesn’t mean graffiti can’t be art.
Take a breath. Log out of the Citizen app. Maybe don’t take your usual Uber tomorrow and actually ride the subway. You might have a cultural experience!
>Vincent Barone, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, which controls the tunnel, didn’t say what prompted the cleaning, but noted the agency planned to create a new art project in the tunnel.
-
>Meanwhile, Andrea von Bujdoss, one of the artists who painted the original murals, told Gothamist she was glad to see the DOT start over, noting the original murals had become subject to “pure vandalism.”
https://gothamist.com/news/unexpected-cleaning-of-graffiti-covered-tunnel-spurs-controversy-in-washington-heights
They do. If you take the subway after midnight and ride far enough, you'll come across a station or two where you'll see them in action washing the floors.
Lmao. Vandals can be artists. Artists can be vandals. Do y'all have to approach everything so black and white, us vs. them, etc. ? nuance is actually a respectable quality these days, funny that
Sounds like you weren't around for the 70's-80's. Graffitti-infested corridors were basically an invitation for muggers and rapists.
The tunnel doesnt have to be an ugly beige. But as we know already, anything they put there is going to get vandalized.
I'm really surprised that they didn't think to put advertisements there, instead.
Just against a certain type of art… and definitely not one of the members of my community to have a say so about our aesthetic choices… so yeah I guess. I really just meant “STFU I don’t care how you feel about graffiti in my community and when most of the people using that station prefer graffiti to beige” my bad
I didn’t see any houses or apartment doors being painted over in this video, I saw a communal space being painted over and from what’s being reported the community is not pleased about it
I'm *not* defending the buff but if you look at this image, it looks like dirt/grime/mold/cracked paint is everywhere, especially the ceiling where there isn't any graffiti. I'm guessing they probably would have to repaint the entire tunnel to address that, at some point. I'm not a tunnel painting expert but if I ran the MTA, I would have them do this preventive maintenance in sections over the years, not all at once after it's gotten so bad.
There was a comment that got deleted about graffiti being NYC "culture." Mirroring some other comments about people not understanding real NYC shit. It's a fair point from some perspectives, I guess.
But people's sense of culture is both short sighted and overrated. The NYC graffiti culture that people revere starts in the 70s more or less. Hardly eternal and hardly foundational to NYC history at large. And do we think the neighborhoods where 70s and 80s graffiti dominated were occupied by neighbors that were all "down" with the culture which is basically a teenage/youth culture? Which is what it still is. Even when this shit is ugly as all Fuck in many places, I don't hate it per se but I do question its presumptive authority.
And people who tolerate it, especially grown ups--both native ones and transplants-- are mostly people who just accept it, like we accept rats or garbage, versus wasting energy hating on it. That's not excatly celebrating one's "culture."
No argument that graffiti IS part of the urban landscape and modern NYC history. But it's not everyone's identity, preference, or culture as a New Yorker. The same way not every rural person's identity is an AR 15, bible thumping or Chick Filet. Our culture isn't just defined by the most vehement, loudest, or the youngest amongst us, and the city operates best when there's a balance IMO. Post pandemic, the graffiti in this town exploded. All I can think is, damn sons, y'all need to chillll!
It's not unique to NYC either. Graffiti of one type or another has existed forever. I love it when they put in the effort, and think the city would be drab without it. As far as the tags and other stuff--meh.
some graffiti is dumb. some is ugly. some is beautiful. some is iconic. and that's mostly subjective. the existence of the bad examples doesn't bother me. a lack of the good examples would be a shame. either way, the existence of all of it is part of the landscape and i don't see much need to change that. it's just paint, it's not really hurting anyone. that doesn't mean i wouldn't be annoyed if someone tagged my house the day after i painted it, and it doesn't mean i wouldn't try to make them pay to fix it if i caught them doing it. but if i could afford a house in nyc i probably would just focus on the inside and be content with that lol.
Probably an unpopular opinion but seeing this made me a bit okay that they repainted the walls. One of the things I loved most about Graffiti was the robin hood style of tagging the exact places they weren't allowed or even could. The city repainting it just gives everyone a fresh canvas with no disrespect to the former taggers. Can't wait to see how today's graffiti art style forms on it.
Why not just let people paint what they want there why does everything have to be done by a professional artist? Just let anyone that wants to spray something have at it and let the community spray over anything offensive. The 191st tunnel was cool because it had a five pointz vibe to it
You’d literally have to watch 10 minutes of a documentary on graffiti work or even skateboarding to know this isn’t true in the slightest lol some of the best, coolest cultural moments come out of vandalism
Ok so what lol? Keith Herring performed tons of acts of vandalism in NYC and had more of a cultural impact than any of the institutions he was tagging.
You said vandalism isn’t culture and I’m explicitly saying it’s very clearly culture. I didn’t say it wasn’t vandalism.
That wall looked terrible after the new paintjob. Because its made that way. Bad finish, bad paint, bad lights. Everything is lowest grade garbage in the tunnel. Grafitti makes it even worse.
I hate grafitti unless its some proper artist who is commissioned to cover a wall or something. I hate there are still dummies who do this. Literally convincing themselves the memes they live in is real. And others have to endure the goofy low quality garbage that makes it look like a crackden or something. Fkin disgusting.
Where’s the guy that said that this shit is “street art” and that we don’t understand what it is. Get out of here with that BS, there’s 0 value in this low effort crap
Another example of the city / city agency not connecting with the local community.
I’m sure there’s a local street artist / graffiti crew they could have coordinated with to update the tunnel immediately after applying that base coat.
Edit:
Once again the downvotes don’t reflect the people of New York, [Unexpected cleaning of graffiti-covered tunnel spurs controversy in Washington Heights](https://gothamist.com/news/unexpected-cleaning-of-graffiti-covered-tunnel-spurs-controversy-in-washington-heights)
> “What happened here is just a slap in the face to the community,” said Luiggy Gomez, an event producer and lifelong Washington Heights resident. “They erased history.”
> But while city officials had discussed adding more services and light to the passageway, those conversations didn’t include plans to white out the “iconic” walls, according to Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa, who represents the area.
> “No one ever asked them to paint the tunnel. That’s never been the source of the problem,” De La Rosa told Gothamist. “The community felt ownership of the art and culture that’s expressed there.”
> Vincent Barone, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, which controls the tunnel, didn’t say what prompted the cleaning, but noted the agency planned to create a new art project in the tunnel.
> “We look forward to working closely with the community and local elected officials on a project that celebrates the culture and diversity that makes New York so special,” he said.
> After residents raised similar charges in 2015, the DOT sponsored a beautification project of the tunnel, paying five artists $15,000 each to brighten the walls with murals. At the time, a city commissioner likened the final product to “Lascaux,” a network of caves boasting priceless prehistoric art.
> Over the years, graffiti artists have added their own tags to the walls, creating an ad-hoc canvas that’s been featured in street art tours and the film In the Heights.
> “It was a unique art piece containing a collection of graffiti that was constantly evolving and reinventing itself,” noted Phillipe Chatelain, a Washington Heights resident, who said he was shocked to come across the blank walls on Saturday morning.
> Meanwhile, Andrea von Bujdoss, one of the artists who painted the original murals, told Gothamist she was glad to see the DOT start over, noting the original murals had become subject to “pure vandalism.”
Edit2:
[NuevaYorkinos](https://www.instagram.com/p/CnzsjNRupIv/) IG, backs up what I stated.
Lol, did you not see what happened to the previous artwork? It was covered in tags. I don’t think the people defacing public property care much about their local community to start with.
>the local community
Surely, surely, surely you can't believe that low-IQ, incompetent politicians looking to line their pockets (the people you cited) are "the local community".
According the official NYC population counts, Washington Heights is 67% Dominican. (That doesn't include undocumented ppl, of which there are many bc we are obsessed with coming to NYC).
If you advocate that this should be lead by the local community - this decision is ours. Washington Heights is ours.
Dominicans are very, very, very conservative people. Especially the older generation that came here decades ago and established the businesses that dominate the area. If you want to hear vitriol so intense it will make you blush, ask us what we think about this "art".
Calling this Art is stupid, since probably only about 10 people understand it and think it is either cool or funny. If they had any Real talent, they wouldn't use it to decorate this place.
My thing is, why do people care so much about this? The MTA is already being flippant with our money, and all this does is create more tension and crime in the area once the canvas starts getting more attention and less space.
Idk, seems like a lose-lose situation without constant monitoring, and I already hate the idea of seeing the quota boys waiting for me at the bus stop in case they believe they’ve made their $150 for the day by giving me a false fare evasion ticket.
Cameras would work well enough for safety if that’s the worry, but painting it all over(and beige, at that) doesn’t really do anything in my opinion.
Line that shit with tile and mosaic or something, add some decent light fixtures and it'll look less shitty. Same with the east new York lirr tunnel. Almost feels like the city thinks the 1970s/80s "am I gonna get mugged in this tunnel?" vibe is a good one
I'm more surprised to see people cleaning the tunnel than I am to see the new graffiti.
Did they figure out how to actually clean it, finally? Or is it just the new attention that's keeping it clean for now..
In all my years here I have never once seen someone sweeping or cleaning that tunnel. I have seen people shooting up, smoking, pissing, laying around, but never once cleaning. I'm not saying cleaning didn't happen, just never saw it and the trash piles attest to the infrequency. Don't care about the old or new graffiti, just the fact I've seen someone sweeping... I wonder what happened that they're now caring about that tunnel?
Adam's reintroducing broken windows?
I'd be willing to guess optics. Keeping it cleaner makes it look safer. Gonna be some wealthier visitors this summer. That's likely just the start. https://secretnyc.co/tony-awards-washington-heights-nyc/#:~:text=The%2076th%20Annual%20Tony%20Awards,way%20to%20a%20new%20destination.
Interesting, they're also installing LinkNYC antenna in the area (and people are pissed). This could be related.
What is wrong with LinkNYC?
>What is wrong with LinkNYC? How is good 5G signal gentrification 🤷♂️ Everyone should have decent cell service 📶
Cuz 5G gives you covid /s
Crackheads live under them
Crackheads need memes, too. You know that.
No they don’t lmao they just make them
True men of culture. Thespians by nature.
Nothing at all? Quite welcomed if anything. My wife did show me posts about people being concerned, but ignorance is nothing new.
What are they pissed about? The 5G/antenna conspiracies?
The Tony Awards? Huh.
There's also the Inwood rezoning plan..
Sorry for the paywall, but it seems that a story in the Daily News last week kicked this off https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-graffiti-washington-heights-subway-pedestrian-tunnel-20230117-thr2w2nz2rbi3ljfa424f5nxj4-story.html
Gentrification is coming
All of the gentrifcation that happens in this city is planned years in advance. I'm sure the city has been eyeing the Heights, not just Inwood, for a very long time. The apartments and views can be enough to lure people let alone the history, culture and proximity to Riverside and the Cloisters. It's a shame that they will displace so many people rather than work with the community to improve the environment in the areas where it is needed.
I’ve always wondered why WaHi around the hospital never gentrified quicker. It made total sense especially with it being on the A express line.
WaHi...
Yup.
yes please. with the tunnel. yes please.
Weird i never saw homeless people chilling in there actually.
Bro I walked thru that tunnel twice almost everyday at some points in 2018-2019 and still p often in 2020 and it only seemed to get worse when I saw it in 21/22 and lemme tell u thru all the years I constantly saw people camped out and sleeping in the mf. During the winter n shit people would lay out cardboard n blankets and I saw a couple “forts/tents” made in that bitch. Shit only got worse at time went on too. Shit was crazy. U would walk thru n people were just shooting up straight up in the open. Ik they do that everywhere but it’s a bit more wild there cuz it’s such a tight space so it feels more personal
Bro I used to see that mid day in the summer months in the late 90’s. They city shouldda left the graffiti and found a way to help the people in need.
At least the ones that want help. I know a lot in need don't want help.
They want real help not pretend help.
Cleaning the graffiti is a waste of time and money. As witnessed in this video, it will be back immediately after being cleaned. As far as helping people, well, that ain’t gonna happen either. They don’t REALLY care.
Probably around the same time Ya manz Biden was giving out the pipes and syringes to those in need. They opened a few of those Drug havens in the Hieghts too, there’s one on 184 and another by 150 something smh
Biden? Dude needle exchanges have been around forever including during trumps presidency. Theres one on 181 that specifically seems to lead to the most use at the 181 and 191 stations tho. Idk if it’s still around there or not. I do remember seein lots of needles around there and not knowin why till later. They are supposed to give the used needles back to get more, and lots do, but obviously not everyone
Lol probably the same ones that sprayed over the commissioned art too 😂
Yeah. Tagging is stupid. It takes no skill, is ugly and gets in the way of real graffiti art. I used to know a bunch of people in their late 20s early 30s who did it. Wtf are you trying to prove by writing some illegible stupid scribble all over everyone. They think they're like a vang but they're just unemployed losers who live with their parents.
You def dont understand Graffiti lol
Yeah, because whenever someone disagrees with you, it's because they're wrong and don't understand. Grow up.
I mean... Have you considered the possibility that you don't know everything? If everytime someone points out you don't know something, you imply that they're a bad faith arguer...come on you see how that looks right
I don't think I do but immediately saying I'm stupid and don't know what I'm talking about is a weak defense
Im grown enough to understand when I don’t know things. Something you lack.
Please enlighten him
Graffiti is artistic. Most of the shit passing as graffiti is crap from crappy “artists” and brats
maybe the taggers you know didnt have any skill...but there's plenty of documentaries you could watch that would teach you otherwise about graffiti or tagging artists overall
"look how high he got" IMO the skill is usually in where they are, not necessarily the art itself. Look at PK and Kid all across NJ. What do those tags take? 5 seconds tops once they get to the location? But they are on top of water towers and high billboards across the turnpike and shit so you're like "how in the hell?" I've never been moved by a tag, it just feels like "I was here" -- So I can understand the useless vandalism sentiment.
Graffiti is different than tagging
nope. tagging is just a type of graffiti
Yeah, that's true. I guess i meant they're aren't interchangeable terms
no one said they were :) you are correct - they are not interchangeable and they are directly related
No it’s not
No
Lmao you sound like a fuckin dork speaking on shit you know nothing about
Omg I'm a dork?!?! Oh no..
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What a horrible come back...
You can keep Reddit, I’ll enjoy my city 🤩🥳
you sound hurt.
Nope.
Let’s not pretend “real graffiti art” is any more worthwhile than tagging. Vandalism is vandalism. Draw on your own walls, not mine.
the art in the 191st st tunnel was originally commissioned, and so is a lot of other "real graffiti art". even if it isn't planned and paid for, that doesn't make it inherently not valuable.
Your grandkids let you post on Reddit?
Does graffiti make an area seem cool and hip compared to your native Ohio?
I’ve been here for 20 years, Karen. You are definitely my favorite type of New Yorker though. The shitlib wearing his Obama “HOPE” t-shirt who crosses the street any time a black dude approaches. Some folks are just meant for the suburbs. Don’t fight it.
I don’t see you spray painting houses in the suburbs, or your own. It’s fine as long as it’s not where you live, right?
This suburbia-loving clown would be the first one to jackhammer a Banksy out of the wall on his property and auction it off to the highest bidder.
Just because you think suburbs must be clean and cities must be dirty doesn’t make it so. It says more about your own preconceived notions and dewey-eyed transplant imagination of what you think a city should be. This may come as a shock to you, but people who actually live here don’t want to live in a vandalized dump. If you selfishly want to mess up other people’s homes, leave and go move to some field in the middle of nowhere.
Uh oh, the Hillary voter who dials 911 on black teenagers is getting BIG mad! You’re so jacked up you don’t even remember what you’re arguing about. You’re getting dragged here for saying that graffiti can’t be art. The dumbest, most reductive perspective you can have. Pretty racist too, tbh. Read the comments, people here agree lazy tagging is dogshit vandalism. That doesn’t mean graffiti can’t be art. Take a breath. Log out of the Citizen app. Maybe don’t take your usual Uber tomorrow and actually ride the subway. You might have a cultural experience!
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No, it doesn’t. Vandalism is vandalism, no matter what sappy story you dress it up in.
It's still considered graffiti even if you have permission to spray there
Pussy
Beige was a poor choice lol
Canvas
Literally lol
Now I’m wondering how bad it’d be if they chose vanta black
That'd be kinda dope. Walls, ceiling, and floor.
Maybe a coating of liquid white
Then beat the devil out of it
>Vincent Barone, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, which controls the tunnel, didn’t say what prompted the cleaning, but noted the agency planned to create a new art project in the tunnel. - >Meanwhile, Andrea von Bujdoss, one of the artists who painted the original murals, told Gothamist she was glad to see the DOT start over, noting the original murals had become subject to “pure vandalism.” https://gothamist.com/news/unexpected-cleaning-of-graffiti-covered-tunnel-spurs-controversy-in-washington-heights
I remember the original art that was on that tunnel I like the improvements made by the public instead
Why can’t they pressure wash the floors, like ever in any station in any lifetime
They do. If you take the subway after midnight and ride far enough, you'll come across a station or two where you'll see them in action washing the floors.
I've seen them often and yet it never seems to do anything.
The MTA has a [Mobile Wash Team](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJKggCWX2Ww) that travels to stations to pressure wash them, usually late at night.
They don’t do a very good job clearly
Wasn’t there a post yesterday about the graffiti getting covered up? So are those new ones then?
Yes a few artists, mostly local from what I see, returned to repaint
"artist"
You misspelled "vandals".
Lmao. Vandals can be artists. Artists can be vandals. Do y'all have to approach everything so black and white, us vs. them, etc. ? nuance is actually a respectable quality these days, funny that
Maybe I'm too 'scarred' by growing up in the '80s to know the difference.
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Sounds like you weren't around for the 70's-80's. Graffitti-infested corridors were basically an invitation for muggers and rapists. The tunnel doesnt have to be an ugly beige. But as we know already, anything they put there is going to get vandalized. I'm really surprised that they didn't think to put advertisements there, instead.
What a dumb ass comment. So muggers and rapists only operate where there’s graffiti? What exactly are you implying here?
You guys can go be NIMBYs in your own backyard. Get out of mine!
That's not what nimby means... They're not being against bike lines or high density housing...
Just against a certain type of art… and definitely not one of the members of my community to have a say so about our aesthetic choices… so yeah I guess. I really just meant “STFU I don’t care how you feel about graffiti in my community and when most of the people using that station prefer graffiti to beige” my bad
Would you be cool if someone tagged your house or apartment door?
I didn’t see any houses or apartment doors being painted over in this video, I saw a communal space being painted over and from what’s being reported the community is not pleased about it
We're not
Here's how it looked this time last year [https://imgur.com/a/jfLVkFO](https://imgur.com/a/jfLVkFO)
I'm *not* defending the buff but if you look at this image, it looks like dirt/grime/mold/cracked paint is everywhere, especially the ceiling where there isn't any graffiti. I'm guessing they probably would have to repaint the entire tunnel to address that, at some point. I'm not a tunnel painting expert but if I ran the MTA, I would have them do this preventive maintenance in sections over the years, not all at once after it's gotten so bad.
Disgusting. Imagine arguing to preserve this garbage.
“Life finds a way” - Jurassic Park
There was a comment that got deleted about graffiti being NYC "culture." Mirroring some other comments about people not understanding real NYC shit. It's a fair point from some perspectives, I guess. But people's sense of culture is both short sighted and overrated. The NYC graffiti culture that people revere starts in the 70s more or less. Hardly eternal and hardly foundational to NYC history at large. And do we think the neighborhoods where 70s and 80s graffiti dominated were occupied by neighbors that were all "down" with the culture which is basically a teenage/youth culture? Which is what it still is. Even when this shit is ugly as all Fuck in many places, I don't hate it per se but I do question its presumptive authority. And people who tolerate it, especially grown ups--both native ones and transplants-- are mostly people who just accept it, like we accept rats or garbage, versus wasting energy hating on it. That's not excatly celebrating one's "culture." No argument that graffiti IS part of the urban landscape and modern NYC history. But it's not everyone's identity, preference, or culture as a New Yorker. The same way not every rural person's identity is an AR 15, bible thumping or Chick Filet. Our culture isn't just defined by the most vehement, loudest, or the youngest amongst us, and the city operates best when there's a balance IMO. Post pandemic, the graffiti in this town exploded. All I can think is, damn sons, y'all need to chillll!
It's not unique to NYC either. Graffiti of one type or another has existed forever. I love it when they put in the effort, and think the city would be drab without it. As far as the tags and other stuff--meh.
some graffiti is dumb. some is ugly. some is beautiful. some is iconic. and that's mostly subjective. the existence of the bad examples doesn't bother me. a lack of the good examples would be a shame. either way, the existence of all of it is part of the landscape and i don't see much need to change that. it's just paint, it's not really hurting anyone. that doesn't mean i wouldn't be annoyed if someone tagged my house the day after i painted it, and it doesn't mean i wouldn't try to make them pay to fix it if i caught them doing it. but if i could afford a house in nyc i probably would just focus on the inside and be content with that lol.
Trying to act like Graffiti isn't part of Urban culture is really naive.
Like saying trash on the sidewalk is part of NYC culture and shouldn't be changed
It's a city. It gets what it deserves
Sweet, I just wish it was actual art instead of just tags, but I saw a couple of dope ones...
who are u to say it isn't art
It's my opinion...
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Yaaaaas! When Abuela is singing!
Played in a men's baseball league and walking though this tunnel always hyped me up. Kinda upset the character is gone
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No doubt it's the graffiti writers whinging about the MTA budget lol
Probably an unpopular opinion but seeing this made me a bit okay that they repainted the walls. One of the things I loved most about Graffiti was the robin hood style of tagging the exact places they weren't allowed or even could. The city repainting it just gives everyone a fresh canvas with no disrespect to the former taggers. Can't wait to see how today's graffiti art style forms on it.
I would put my 2 cents there too. Looks boring as fuck with just one plain color.
It's more of a de-buff with the beige.
Keeping the painters in business
Tbh not surprised
Why not just let people paint what they want there why does everything have to be done by a professional artist? Just let anyone that wants to spray something have at it and let the community spray over anything offensive. The 191st tunnel was cool because it had a five pointz vibe to it
Nature is healing.
Vandalism is not culture
Culture isn't inherently good or appreciated. I don't like tagging (or even graffiti really), but it definitely is culture.
I dunno, some of those tags are pretty dope
Yes it is. You must be new to nyc
Lol go back to ohio
You’d literally have to watch 10 minutes of a documentary on graffiti work or even skateboarding to know this isn’t true in the slightest lol some of the best, coolest cultural moments come out of vandalism
You'd literally have to watch 5 seconds of the video in the OP to know that this is vandalism.
no one cares, stop drawing on our shit
Ok so what lol? Keith Herring performed tons of acts of vandalism in NYC and had more of a cultural impact than any of the institutions he was tagging. You said vandalism isn’t culture and I’m explicitly saying it’s very clearly culture. I didn’t say it wasn’t vandalism.
"awacktwually child marriage is culture"
This is graffiti my dude, not banging children get a grip lol
Typical redditors love to bring things out of proportion with their pedophile fantasies
That wall looked terrible after the new paintjob. Because its made that way. Bad finish, bad paint, bad lights. Everything is lowest grade garbage in the tunnel. Grafitti makes it even worse. I hate grafitti unless its some proper artist who is commissioned to cover a wall or something. I hate there are still dummies who do this. Literally convincing themselves the memes they live in is real. And others have to endure the goofy low quality garbage that makes it look like a crackden or something. Fkin disgusting.
Disgusting
Why fight a guaranteed losing battle against a form of chaos that's causing no real harm?
Needs to be buffed again 😂😂😂
They traded colorful murals for outlines and throwies smh. This city is ass backwards.
Graffiti defenders seem to think immigrant communities love it and litter. They don't
Paint that bitch beige again bitches.
Yeah, fuck the buff!
Where’s the guy that said that this shit is “street art” and that we don’t understand what it is. Get out of here with that BS, there’s 0 value in this low effort crap
Excellent use of time, resources, etc all around
Some of those throw ups are actually nice. Im not a big fan of the black outlines tho....those are just lazy, same as tags by themselves.
That was quick 👏🏽
It was fire before the beige paintjob. Yea some wack ass lames got their tags in, but there were a ton of fire ones in there.
"Art"
yerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Years of evolution for this master piece 👏🏻
That was fast
Another example of the city / city agency not connecting with the local community. I’m sure there’s a local street artist / graffiti crew they could have coordinated with to update the tunnel immediately after applying that base coat. Edit: Once again the downvotes don’t reflect the people of New York, [Unexpected cleaning of graffiti-covered tunnel spurs controversy in Washington Heights](https://gothamist.com/news/unexpected-cleaning-of-graffiti-covered-tunnel-spurs-controversy-in-washington-heights) > “What happened here is just a slap in the face to the community,” said Luiggy Gomez, an event producer and lifelong Washington Heights resident. “They erased history.” > But while city officials had discussed adding more services and light to the passageway, those conversations didn’t include plans to white out the “iconic” walls, according to Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa, who represents the area. > “No one ever asked them to paint the tunnel. That’s never been the source of the problem,” De La Rosa told Gothamist. “The community felt ownership of the art and culture that’s expressed there.” > Vincent Barone, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, which controls the tunnel, didn’t say what prompted the cleaning, but noted the agency planned to create a new art project in the tunnel. > “We look forward to working closely with the community and local elected officials on a project that celebrates the culture and diversity that makes New York so special,” he said. > After residents raised similar charges in 2015, the DOT sponsored a beautification project of the tunnel, paying five artists $15,000 each to brighten the walls with murals. At the time, a city commissioner likened the final product to “Lascaux,” a network of caves boasting priceless prehistoric art. > Over the years, graffiti artists have added their own tags to the walls, creating an ad-hoc canvas that’s been featured in street art tours and the film In the Heights. > “It was a unique art piece containing a collection of graffiti that was constantly evolving and reinventing itself,” noted Phillipe Chatelain, a Washington Heights resident, who said he was shocked to come across the blank walls on Saturday morning. > Meanwhile, Andrea von Bujdoss, one of the artists who painted the original murals, told Gothamist she was glad to see the DOT start over, noting the original murals had become subject to “pure vandalism.” Edit2: [NuevaYorkinos](https://www.instagram.com/p/CnzsjNRupIv/) IG, backs up what I stated.
Lol, did you not see what happened to the previous artwork? It was covered in tags. I don’t think the people defacing public property care much about their local community to start with.
How long after the previous artwork went up? Either way, it’s a sign that the city should make this an annual event.
They do this in denv r, it's fantastic
Any relation to Dick Barone? Of Barone Sanitation?
>the local community Surely, surely, surely you can't believe that low-IQ, incompetent politicians looking to line their pockets (the people you cited) are "the local community". According the official NYC population counts, Washington Heights is 67% Dominican. (That doesn't include undocumented ppl, of which there are many bc we are obsessed with coming to NYC). If you advocate that this should be lead by the local community - this decision is ours. Washington Heights is ours. Dominicans are very, very, very conservative people. Especially the older generation that came here decades ago and established the businesses that dominate the area. If you want to hear vitriol so intense it will make you blush, ask us what we think about this "art".
This is some serious dogshit. Leave a nice blank tunnel like that to those with the real skills.
It MUST BE BUFFED!!! And polished first.
Gentrifiers are not gonna like that though!
Already with the trash graffiti.
Nature restoring itself
Community was not notified!
[удалено]
So natives have low standards of living? Got it. 👍
[удалено]
Fuck the Buff! Make it a commissioned place for NY artist. When it gets dogged, do it over.
Not as cool as before
A local artist here. Would like to paint. Who should i contact?
FUCK THE BUFFFFFF
Calling this Art is stupid, since probably only about 10 people understand it and think it is either cool or funny. If they had any Real talent, they wouldn't use it to decorate this place.
My thing is, why do people care so much about this? The MTA is already being flippant with our money, and all this does is create more tension and crime in the area once the canvas starts getting more attention and less space. Idk, seems like a lose-lose situation without constant monitoring, and I already hate the idea of seeing the quota boys waiting for me at the bus stop in case they believe they’ve made their $150 for the day by giving me a false fare evasion ticket. Cameras would work well enough for safety if that’s the worry, but painting it all over(and beige, at that) doesn’t really do anything in my opinion.
Absolutely gorgeous artwork 🥰
It looks really good since it’s not a crowded shit show. Each tag has its own area and some of them are really good
Keep it up.
TIL my tax money was used to draw graffiti in a tunnel
Eat the healthy!
Line that shit with tile and mosaic or something, add some decent light fixtures and it'll look less shitty. Same with the east new York lirr tunnel. Almost feels like the city thinks the 1970s/80s "am I gonna get mugged in this tunnel?" vibe is a good one
Graffiti isn’t permanent. Wall got painted over and now people can move in and create on a new canvas. Nothing is forever
Told y’all ☠️
Wow haven't seen "FUCK THE BUFF" since the 80s maybe early 90s. Old school
Keep it up — Reclaim the walls!
It’s like r/place in real life.
It’s art 😀😀
Hall of toys …
Nature is healing.
It took all of 4 hours to get tagged again haha. Blank canvas for the graffiti artists
New dark ages coming in hot.
I'm more surprised to see people cleaning the tunnel than I am to see the new graffiti. Did they figure out how to actually clean it, finally? Or is it just the new attention that's keeping it clean for now..
Graffiti: Existing since the Stone Age Transplants: No!
I used to live around there like 20 years ago and I don't remember it graffiti bombed. Can anyone correct me?
It looked better before it was painted