how to like it.

We stayed in Getsemani, a neighborhood described by blogs and travel sites as “up and coming,” “once dangerous,” and “working class.” I was really glad we stayed there, as we saw a lot of things we probably would have missed if we hadn’t been in the neighborhood. We were happy simply walking around from street to street, photographing graffiti and colorful buildings and the people who live and work there. 

Sunday walk to Astoria Park turned into graffiti spotting around Astoria Boulevard close to the Two Coves community garden. I had complained that morning (no lie) about how there was no graffiti nearby like in Barcelona (large scale, more ART vs. tagging). Obviously 5Pointz is an incredibly rich spot in Queens for graffiti, but this felt a bit more fortuitous since I had just been whining about it and it basically showed up right in front of me. Furthermore, some of these pieces are across from peoples’ homes, on the backs of road signs, and even on the side of a residential building. Finding them felt like I won a personal scavenger hunt.