Undiscovered New York: Bombing the Bronx and the Graffiti of 5 Pointz

by Jeremy Kressmann on

As a resident of New York for just over five years, I frequently take for granted the “relative” cleanliness of my city. Sure, I could do without the many, pungent trash bag piles during summertime, but you quickly get accustomed to a certain level of grit and grime when you live in one of the world’s largest metropolises.

In fact, my version of New York circa-2008 is a utopia of clean compared to New York in the 1970’s and 80’s, when the town was literally coming apart at the seams. As the city suffered a massive financial crisis, crime ran rampant and public services like the subway system fell into decline. As tragic as this period was for residents, it also provided the background for some of the era’s most important cultural movements, including the rise of punk at clubs like CBGB, emerging artists like Basquiat and in particular, the first stirrings of the nascent culture of Hip-Hop and graffiti in the Bronx.

Graffiti is perhaps one of the most controversial artistic movements of the end of the 20th Century. As much as its detractors view the form as symptomatic of urban blight, its supporters just as forcefully embrace it as the stirrings of a wholely legitimate new art form. Though vandals have been defacing public buildings with their “art” since the ancient Greeks and Romans, the modern incarnation of graffiti took shape in New York City in the borough of the Bronx in the 1970’s. In that regard the current prominence of famous graffiti artists like Banksy owe their rise to the pioneers of the form here in New York several decades ago.

So if you’re visiting New York City in 2008, where do you go to see and learn more about graffiti firsthand? Click on through to find out more and learn where to go to find the art form still alive and kicking in the 5 boroughs.The rise of NYC graffiti was as much a result of civic neglect as it was a nascent cultural movement. With city police preoccupied with a huge crime wave, the city’s walls and subway cars became prime canvases for vandals, who began leaving their mark wherever they saw fit.

At first it was all about gaining notoriety. Early practitioners of the form like TAKI 183 would roam the city, leaving their ‘tag’ as a way to earn bragging rights throughout the huge city. Soon the movement gained steam, with other ‘taggers’ competing to see who could create the most ambitious pieces, evolving into elaborate, colorful works painted directly on the city’s subway cars. Due to the covert nature of their projects, many graffiti taggers began to describe their hit and run visits to the city’s subway rail depots as “bombing.” The style is perhaps best encapsulated by the 1983 documentary Style Wars, which documents New York’s thriving Hip-Hop, breakdancing and graffiti cultural scenes.

While graffiti on the New York City subway is a thing of the past, the spirit of the movement carries on today. A walk around downtown neighborhoods like the Lower East Side, East Village, Soho and parts of Brooklyn will reveal the art form is still alive and well. While there’s no one specific spot to check out, an afternoon stroll down the area’s many side streets will reveal a wealth of projects if you’re curious. Check out Wooster Collective and Streetsy, two of the best online street art websites, to get an idea of what’s out there. In the East Village, also make sure to check out the cheeky works of De La Vega at his shop on St. Mark’s Place.

But for the best place to go to learn more about this uniquely New York art form, your first stop should be Five Pointz, a large-scale artist project in Queens. This huge industrial building, located in Long Island City, is completely covered from floor to ceiling in a living, breathing mural of graffiti artwork. Artists both local and from around the world drop by on a regular basis to put up new pieces, resulting a building that has become a dynamic illustration of the art form’s continuing legacy and influence. While some works are more abstract, there’s plenty of great pieces that feature New York themes like Hip-Hop and many of the city’s famous landmarks. The building also has plenty of examples of wildstyle, an intricate form of lettering made famous by the original New York ‘taggers.’

If you want to check out Five Pointz, it’s easy enough to make a full day out of your trip to Queens. Just a short walk across the street is the art museum PS1, a contemporary art gallery which is an offshoot of the famous Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Just take the E or V trains to the 23rd Street/Ely Avenue stop or the 7 train 45th Road/Courthouse Square. The Five Pointz building is hard to miss – you’ll be able to the see the brightly-colored murals from up close as your train rumbles right past the building’s many murals.

A Cheap Place to Stay in NYC

by Josh Lew on

Unless you know someone in New York City well enough to crash on their sofa, chances are a huge portion of your Big Apple travel budget will go towards a hotel room. That is unless you don’t mind sleeping with three strangers.

Manhattan’s Broadway Hostel offers a bed in a dorm-style room for under $40 per night. Booking before October 1st will earn you a $38 per night bill and a free cocktail. With gas prices still so high these days, that’s actually cheaper than coming to New York and sleeping in your car.

“Hostel” is akin to a swear word amongst non-budget travelers and anyone over 23. Sure, sharing a room with strangers is not what many people would consider comfortable. (Sharing a bathroom is not what many people would consider sanitary.) But the Broadway is ever bit the hip haunt its upper west side location suggests. The rooms are tastefully decorated with furniture that was designed after the Ford presidency (after the Clinton presidency even) and there are regular hotel room extras like shampoo and soap in the bathroom. Anyway you cut it, that’s a pretty swell deal.

See Rolf Potts in person: Another Gadling connection at book culture

by Jamie Rhein on

As you’ve probably gathered we’ve geared up for a Rolf Potts extravaganza here at Gadling. Here’s just another plug for Potts, but more so a shout out to one of Gadling’s former bloggers who is bringing travel to your armchair through books.

Kelly Amabile, fellow world traveler and voracious reader –she created Gadling’s feature One for the Road–is combining those passions as the events manager at Book Culture, an independent book store in Manhattan. Considering that Kelly is a whiz at travel and books, who is more better for the job than Kelly? I’m thinking, no one. She’s gathered quite the line-up for October which is rapidly approaching.

For example, Rolf Potts is scheduled for October 21 at 7 p.m. He’ll be reading from his book, Marco Polo Didn’t Go There.

Also on the schedule are Stephanie Elizondo Griest who wrote the travel memoir, Mexican Enough (Oct. 8) and an encore with Rolf Potts on October 23. He’ll be appearing along with Pauline Frommer and Matt Gross to talk about how to make travel happen.

Whenever I read about events like this happening in Manhattan, oh, how I want to go there. If you do go, tell Kelly I said “Hi.”

Book Culture is on 112th Street and is a hot spot for browsing even if you can’t make one of the events. It’s an independent book store after all, and those are few and far between.

Airplane alternative: Amtrak train travel is a hit with this Gadling blogger

by Jamie Rhein on

When searching out the means to go to New York City with my six year-old son from Columbus, Ohio, the $340 sticker price of an airline ticket seemed hefty. Plus, there’s the cost of getting from the airport into Manhattan.

Toss in flight delay possibilities, airport security issues, and other unforeseeable problems like lost luggage, and, frankly, airline travel seemed like too much trouble.

Driving, though, wasn’t appealing either. While my son would be chattering away in the back looking for entertainment for 11 hours (and no, a DVD player doesn’t work that long) I’d be trying to pay attention to the road. My son DOES NOT fall asleep in a car easily no matter how hard you beg–and I’ve begged.

Then there’s the price of gas. Yikes!

I turned to Amtrak for a possible solution. Bingo!

With our AAA discount and buying the tickets in advance, the cost for two one-way tickets was $135.00 because my son’s was half-price.

(We traveled back on Greyhound. Post coming on that one.)

The hitch was Columbus’s passenger train service doesn’t exist.. Train travel means a trip to Cleveland.

Luckily, my in-laws’ house is minutes from the Cleveland Amtrak station. We’d get an evening visit before the 6:30 a.m. departure. My husband drove us up and rallied for the 5 a.m. wake-up call.

Here is the difference between air travel and train travel and why I’m sold on the later

Getting a ticket

Train travel:

  • I called Amtrak directly after looking on-line at the ticket schedules. The helpful real person told me how early we needed to get to the train station and booked our tickets at no extra cost. She also gave me a tip on how to avoid a cancellation fee. Don’t pick up the tickets before you travel, and then call to cancel up to a day in advance.
  • I picked up a print version of the tickets at the Amtrak ticket counter about 20 minutes before departure. Easy as pie. (Eddie’s pics are the ticket counter in the Cleveland train station and the view outside the station when the train arrives.)

Air travel:

  • I buy directly from an airline’s web site after locating the cheapest prices using Expedia or Travelocity. Of course, there’s cancellation fees if you change your mind, but on many airlines, like Northwest, you can cancel within 24 hours without a penalty.
  • I print out boarding passes after picking out my seat assignment whenever possible.
  • Booking through a real person costs extra money.
  • Booking is easy, but nerve-wracking. Because it costs to change plans, and booking is usually done so far in advance, I have a burst of anxiety each time I make reservations.

Waiting for departure

Train travel:

  • The train station was quiet–sleepy even. Since only one train was coming, there wasn’t a lot of hoopla and noise. Not loads of announcements or interruptions.
  • Plus, from the door to the seats in the waiting area was only a few steps. There wasn’t the security gauntlet either.
  • The one downside was I hadn’t had coffee yet and wanted some–VERY MUCH. There were only vending machines, and unfortunately, the hot drink vending machine was not working properly. I have no idea what ended up in my cup, but it wasn’t coffee. I dumped it in the bathroom sink.

Airport travel:

  • Airports, in my experience, are not particularly relaxing. By the time you are waiting for the gate you’ve had to pass through TSA and other rigmarole steps, all seemingly designed to interrupt the flow of going from here to there.
  • There is usually decent coffee, however, if one is willing to pay the price. I am.

Boarding and Departure:

Train Travel:

  • When the train arrived, there was a quiet movement to the door. My husband helped carry our luggage ALL THE WAY TO THE TRAIN.
  • At the train, a friendly conductor asked, “Is anyone traveling together?” Those traveling with someone else were given priority boarding. My son and I, along with two couples, moved to the front of the pack.
  • “Do you need any help with your luggage?” asked the friendly, smiling conductor. “No, thanks,” I said, but appreciated the hand on my elbow and as I climbed on after he HELPED my son get on board.
  • Another man gave me a paper with our seat numbers written on it. Before new passengers get on, the train personnel find out which seats are free to help passengers find seats easily. Handy, clever and HELPFUL
  • The train aisles are wide and easy to manuver. The luggage rack is easy to reach and able to accommodate carry on size luggage. For large suitcases, there is a place at the back of each train car.
  • Because it was still early in the morning, the lights were dim and boarding was a quiet process as to not disturb the passengers who were still sleeping.
  • My husband was allowed on board and gave us a kiss good-bye before we departed.
  • Departing was quiet. No announcements about safety or what to do in an emergency. We glided out of Cleveland in the dawn with people still snoozing away.

Air travel:

  • You leave your loved ones behind at the security check. No chatting while you wait for boarding which could take hours if there’s a delay.
  • If you’re on a carrier without seat assignments, you have to scout out seats and hope that you can find seats together or ask someone to move.
  • If you have seat assignments you bump down the aisle, trying not to whack people with your carry on luggage, hoping that there’s a spot to store luggage somewhere near your seat.
  • If you’re traveling with a child, you’re directing him or her where to go without any assistance.
  • Departure involves announcements and noise. Slamming of bins, safety talks and engines whirring. If you’re trying to sleep, lots of luck.
  • That said, there is something thrilling about a take-off on an airplane.

Seats and storage

Train travel:

  • Enough room between rows for my son to sit on the floor and play.
  • Seats have a leg and foot rest that created the effect of sitting in a recliner.
  • Each seat has a pillow and a clean head rest cover if you board in the morning.
  • Luggage fit easily under the seats in front of us and in the storage over the seat
  • Tray tables, when down, were a comfortable distance away
  • There are power outlets at each seat, so if you have a lap top or a portable DVD player, you can get plugged in.

Air travel:

  • Even a slim person can feel uncomfortable in coach
  • Feet rests kind of work
  • Getting all but the smallest carry-on won’t fit under the seats. Bin space is usually okay, but there’s a procedure for settling in comfortably. Airplanes are not roomy
  • Tray tables can’t be down if you want to do anything else– like breathe
  • Pillows?

Food and dining

Train Travel:

  • Because there isn’t a problem bringing food and drinks on a train, you could bring a fully loaded picnic basket
  • There’s a snack car where good coffee is available (Eureka!) and several food options. You can buy a sandwich and carry it back to your seat in a handy carry box, or sit at one of the booths. I only bought coffee here. We opted to eat in the dining car.
  • The dining car is a treat and not expensive. We ate both breakfast and lunch here. The dining car has table cloths and a more formal atmosphere where you get waited on.
  • For breakfast I had scrambled eggs, a croissant, homemade hash brown potatoes, and a side order of sausage which I shared with my son. He had a child’s order of French toast and orange juice. The total bill which included tax was $12.
  • For lunch we split an order of Buffalo-style chicken wings and spring rolls which came with celery sticks. My son had cranberry juice to drink and I had coffee. The total was $12. We didn’t eat all the chicken wings so we were given a carry out plate with a cover.

Air travel:

  • We know how this has been going lately. Nuff said. Just think of your last airplane dining experience, even if you paid for it, and think about how that went as you balanced food and your reading material on the tray table in front of you.

Other passengers and personnel

Train travel:

  • People on the train talk with each other. The pace allows for conversations and finding out a bit about people’s lives.
  • Our first interesting conversation was with an Australian fellow who shared our breakfast table. He was on a 30-day train trip around the U.S. and had just come from an air show in Wisconsin. We shared travel stories and he enjoyed my six-year old. He was perhaps 60 or so.
  • There was a family sitting in back of us who were with three kids. They had traveled to and from California on the train for part of their summer vacation. My son played with their kids for a few hours, both at our seats and in the snack bar car.
  • Another young couple was on their way to New York City from Cleveland and was interested in things to do in Manhattan
  • The wait staff in the dining car were wonderful. Very solicitous and great towards my son.
  • The conductors were friendly and often asked people if they needed any help.

Air Travel:

  • I’ve had interesting conversations with a passenger once in awhile, but air travel does not entice conversations since much of the plane is filled with people who are on their way to or from a meeting. People have an aura of, “I’m trying to catch up with my life,” on a plane.
  • I rarely chat it up with airline personnel. Nothing personal, Heather and Kent, but they’re busy people, particularly on short flights.

Toilets

Train travel

  • Clean and roomy. Also, nice smelling soap. Since trains sway, it creates some going to the bathroom excitement.

Airplane travel

  • Airplane bathrooms are cuter.

Scenery

Train travel

  • Perfect for scenery watching. We went past farms, small towns and through cities like Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Hudson and Poughkeepsie. Through a good part of New York, there were gorgeous views of the Hudson River that went on for miles. I love watching landscapes change.

Airplane travel:

  • Except for take off and landings, and passing over landmarks like the Grand Canyon, scenery is not normally top on my list of air travel highlights.

Arrival

Train travel:

  • As soon as the train pulls into the station you can get off. You have your bags whether you have big or small ones. Penn Station is easy to navigate. It was easy to find which subway we would take to get to Union Square, the station near where my brother lives.
  • We took a taxi, also easy to find.
  • We were at my brother’s apartment about 20 minutes after we arrived at Penn Station

Airplane travel:

  • If we had flown we would have arrived at Newark Airport and either taken the bus which would have been about $22 total and then involved a taxi ride (another $12 to $15) or taken a door to door service which would have been more. Either way, it would have been over an hour to get to my brother’s.
  • Newark is fairly easy to navigate.

Traveling with a child

Train travel:

  • This was an adventure for my son. He loved playing with the other kids, eating in the dining car, watching the scenery, and spending time with me. He DID FALL ASLEEP at lunch so I had to carry him back to our seat.
  • We read, he drew, played games and took little walks.
  • Kids are not seen as hassles on the train. From what I can tell, people like to travel on trains with their kids so that’s why there are kids.
  • Maybe because there is enough room on a train, if someone is bothered by kids, he or she can move.
  • Airplane travel:
  • Air travel is something my son enjoys. His first airplane trip was when he was three months old and take off and landings are swell. He is more squirrely on a plane though because there is not much room to move.
  • I’ve never found an air travel to be that unfriendly towards my kids, but I am cognizant that when someone hears my son’s jubilant voice, he or she may wish they could move, but they can’t move, so I am on edge.

Summary and other points

My trip on the train sold me on train travel. I know there are problems with train travel, particularly the on time factor–even our train was a half hour late, but on time statistics with airplanes aren’t great either.

I can honestly say when we arrived in New York, I felt rested. All that gentle swaying probably relaxed me.

The last photo is at Penn Station after we arrived.

Ten top cities in the U.S. for making a living. Tourist spot in each

by Jamie Rhein on

There is a newly published Forbes.com article on the top 10 cities for making a living in the United States. Each has something to offer travelers as well. Here are the top cities and one place to go to in each. These are the first places that immediately came to mind. It’s an odd assortment.

1. Houston, Texas. I’ve been to the Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles and found it incredibly worthwhile and moving. From the description of the Holocaust Museum in Houston, it sounds similar, although there is a section that includes first person accounts of the Holocaust survivors who live in the city.

2. Minneapolis, Minnesota. As I’ve posted before, the outdoor art in Minneapolis is fantastic, particularly, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

3. Boston, Massachusetts. The Freedom Trail that winds through the old part of Boston highlights the important places during the American Revolution. Here’s a tour that looks like a fun way to take it in. When I walked the Freedom Trail in Girl Scouts, we were on our own. I wish we had been on this tour.

4. Washington, D.C. For my next trip to D.C., I’d take Jeremy’s suggestion and head to the Brickskeller, a beer lover’s paradise. Sure, I’d take in the sites, many I’ve seen before, but Jeremy’s post offers something new.

5. New York City When I was sweltering in line in Central Park at the Delacorte Theater, not getting tickets to “Hair,” an experience that I recounted in a recent post, a Danish man and his daughter visiting NYC wanted recommendations on what to see. I suggested Ellis Island. The ferry trip there also swings by Liberty Island for a close look at the Statue of Liberty, and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum is superb.

6. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I’ve only driven through this city, but have plans to visit the Andy Warhol Museum one fine day.

7. San Francisco, California. I must have a thing for taking boats to landmarks. I just love the tour of Alcatraz Island, that includes the famous prison that has been the backdrop for escape stories and intrigue.

8. Dallas, Texas. I went here to attend a cousin’s wedding and picked historic Dealey Plaza, the location of the grassy knoll and the Texas Book Depository, the scene of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, as my must-head-to-before-I-leave-town destination.

9. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It’s not that I am overly fond of beer drinking, but the Miller Brewing Factory tour of is a lot of fun, particularly if there is a polka band involved.

10. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Liberty Bell may be just a bell, but there’s something about that crack in it that makes for an icon to see if you can swing it.

To find out why these cities are top notch for making a living, read the article. One hint: It involves money.