Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Relax, Nothing Happening To 5 Pointz Yet
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Mar 30, 2011
Modified Mar 30, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Mar 30, 2011
Modified Mar 30, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A few weeks ago developer Jerry Wolkoff floated the idea to demolish graffiti mecca 5 Pointz and replace it with high-rise residential towers. That was an idea the artists of 5 Pointz didn't appreciate very much. But according to City Council member Jimmy Van Bramer, there's not much to worry about...yet. He tells the Queens Courier, “There are so many steps that need to be taken still to even approach this. I’ve gotten many emails from people wanting to save 5 Pointz, but from what I understand it is still very early in the process."
Still, the fans of 5 Pointz started a petition to keep the building intact, and other Queens residents think the building should stay. Real estate broker David Dynack said, “5Pointz always represented everything anti-condo and anti-establishment, so knocking it down for a residential building is just a horrible idea. Maybe instead of condos, they could build artist lofts, commercial art condos or an art institution or a school. How cool would it be to have an art themed school across from P.S. 1?” Even Van Bramer said, “While I don’t pretend to be a fan of graffiti, I can respect that, for many, it is unique when a building becomes a form of public art."
Wolkoff will reportedly meet with the Department of City Planning in the coming weeks, and has said that many in the community have complained that the building is an eyesore. If it does get turned down, he will reportedly "let graffiti artists decorate a large concrete wall that would be built to separate the new buildings from the Long Island Railroad station." Oh, now nice of him! 5 Pointz should really send him a stenciled thank-you note.
Tagged
5 pointz
james van bramer
Jerry Wolkoff
long island city
queens
Jaya Saxena
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 12:55 p.m. ET
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .