Wednesday, October 30, 2013

The Mecca of Graffiti

 Welcome to one of my favorite places in NY.
5 POINTZ in Long Island City, my old stomping grounds.

ICY and SOT
This past summer I got to visit the east coast, and on my list of places to see again was the mecca, the awesome, ever changing 5Ptz. Before moving out to LA in 2009, I lived in Astoria, Queens for 9 years. And I LOVED it there. I thought for sure it was a permanent home. Alas, the west coast was calling and the move was made. Luckily- having family and friends back east makes it an easy place to go back to every so often.
Local Project
When I was a local, I would stop over at 5Ptz on the way home from work every so often just to walk around and see all the ever changing art everywhere. I even set up a local photo walk there one day, it was a big hit!

Needless to say, I love the place. LA has an incredible street art scene so I definitely get my fix in- but call it nostalgia, I still love LIC. It's such a huge structure and a living breathing museum of evolving talent, it's amazing.
Recently there has been a bunch of trouble brewing with talks of shutting it down. This is not going over well with the art community! And it shouldn't! Lawyers & court dates are happening. It's a day to day struggle for the little guy.
These walls have seen talent from all over the world. All ages, sex & backgrounds come here for their chunk of space for a fleeting moment. It's a sight to see!
Check out the inside scoop on 5 Ptz here and stay in the loop with what's going on with it's future!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Hollywood Zombie Walk 2013

 The day started off like any other Saturday in Hollywood...
 But then the zombies came! Rambling out of the Hollywood & Highland subway station lurched the horde of undead freaks! Their moans rattling louder then the trains below, they emerged onto the boulevard and began their shuffle through the walk of fame.
 Led by Jeff, the birthday boy- the zombies made their way east on Hollywood Blvd through gangs of tourists, freaking everyone out on the way. It's always a great time when the big H&H zombie walk comes to town. This year was no different.
 From young to old, brides to clowns- everyone came decked out in their bloody finest. The hard part is trying to get all the shots in that you want! Luckily, these guys keep a good pace.
 When reaching Vine, crossing the street and heading back to the beginning also provided for some extra shooting time. This is definitely not a gig for the faint of heart- or the weary, you get your workout in for sure.

 Passerby's always love the entertainment and take the up close and personal photo ops provided!
 The horde at the end gathers just past Mann's Chinese for a group shot. If you are lucky to weasel your arm in there for a photo- you get this awesomeness! And there you have it, another year of Zombie love on the boulevard.

Echo Lake Park- Revised

For the past 2 years, the gem that is the Echo Park Lake was closed for renovations. The park was pretty much a mess! Well no longer... it's amazing. An incredible oasis for local residents.






Keep up with the goings ons of the park here.