On a recent trip to New York we were lucky enough to check out 5 Pointz, a world famous graffiti mecca used by thousands of street artists. The exterior of the warehouse complex in Queens hosted over 1500 pieces of art from 300 artists around the world and was hugely popular with both tourists and art fans.
With plans to redevelop the building, the owners of 5 Pointz were granted permission to demolish the property in August 2013 and have faced huge opposition to the decision. Even Banksy got in on the action, signing off his month long New York residency with a call to save the iconic graffiti platform. In a surprise move, the owners of 5 Pointz brought in a crew of painters overnight and whitewashed decades of street art history.
Click on the photoblog gallery for a look at 5 Pointz before it was whitewashed:
Where to stay in New York, the hotels we love:
We’ve stayed all over the city during our trips to NYC. Here’s some of our faves:
- the Courtyard Soho for its downtown location and price
- SIXTY Lower East Side when we want explore downtown with a bonus rooftop pool!
- Pod 51 is an awesome and funky option close to the Rockefeller Center
- Hi NYC on the Upper West Side is a great hostel option.
- the Knickerbocker and the Greenwich for unrivalled luxury
- the Renaissance Times Square for its Times Square location
- We use booking.com as it usually has awesome prices and flash sales on NYC hotels!