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5 Pointz
Category: Local Flavor Local Flavor [Edit]
Jackson Ave at Crane StLong Island City, NY 11101
Neighborhoods: Hunters Point, Long Island City
- Nearest Transit:
-
45 Rd - Court House Sq (7, 7X)
Long Island City - Court Sq (G)
23 St - Ely Av (E, M)
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
90 reviews for 5 Pointz
90 reviews in English
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Review from Anne H.
4/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Why wouldn't anyone love this edifice of public art and culture?!
I keep hearing that they're going to tear this place down and replace it with condos. AHHHH! I really hope not!
Why can't one of NYC's famous hip hop artists or someone established who appreciates hip hop culture come and save this building? -
Review from Margie B.
Manhattan, NY
5/24/2012
I used to pass this place on the 7 train on my way to the city from a friends house and I always wanted to take a closer look at some of the graffiti artwork. One boring Sunday a friend and I decided to check it out up close and it was really impressive but I think I hyped it all too much.
There's nothing really much to do there but appreciate the artwork so the whole trip took just 15 minutes maybe less just to see the artwork. Cool place though! I read in the other reviews that they want to tear it down! I really hope they dont since graffiti is one of the things that defines New York. Check it out before its gone! -
Review from Anthony A.
Long Island City, NY
5/4/2012
I used to come by this place when it was ran by a guy name Pat and called the Phun Factory, now it's a artsy haven. Yea it's cool if you like artistic pieces but this is a far call from real graffiti. You want real graff? head to any rooftop, tunnel, street corner etc.
How ever artists are not bad people and you meet some real down to earth artists but this is more of an art gallery than anything. This doesn't represent what graff is.
With that said, come here to meet highly talented people with artistic skills that rival anything you know. -
Review from Euripides K.
ASTORIA, NY
5/20/2012
Fun for a visit if in the area. Seems like the best artwork is not visible from the 7 train.
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Review from Greg M.
Manhattan, NY
3/11/2012
So I kept reading about 5 Pointz being the Mecca of NYC tagging, so my expectations were unreasonably high. I am no street art expert, but I know something creative when I see it. Having seen the graffiti in cities like Berlin, Barcelona, and London, 5 Pointz just doesn't hold a candle against some of the graffiti i saw in those places - in terms of creativity, scale, and execution. There was also a feeling of isolation and a lack of context. 5 Pointz is not surrounded by artsy, bohemian establishments - cafes, bookstores, record stores, bars, and galleries as I had envisioned. While this might not have been the case before LIC Gentrified, I feel like 5 Poitz has lost the magic that it might have had at some point. Street art usually has a short lifespan. Seems like 5 Pointz has outlived its necessity.
I recently went to the street art show at the MOCA in LA, and there were many images of Graffiti around the world. Seems like NY artists have much work to do if they want to be on top again.
All that being said, I think 5 Pointz is still a cool thing to check out if you're in the area. -
Review from Jonathan S.
Asharoken, NY
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Very impressionistic, it's amazing how such beautiful and creative art can be made from the sprayings of a can.
Some of these are so lifelike it's stunning. If you're into graffiti, art, or just plain curious it's worth driving or walking by. Corner of Jackson Ave and Crane Street in LIC.
It's ever changing, and I work nearby so I check it out every few months. You also get a very good but all too short of a view from the 7 train. -
Review from Sharon H.
New York, NY
3/31/2012
I came to 5 Pointz while on a tour of NYC with a large group of photographers.
Certainly there was a lot of colorful eye candy to take pictures of and certainly something different. It isn't that often one can find such a large collection of graffiti in one place. I don't know how to judge whether the graffiti is any good but I certainly enjoyed looking at the range of talent I could see and I like the idea of 5 Pointz providing an outlet for such artistry in the city. -
Review from Jillian K.
New York, NY
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm a currently going through a major Long Island City phase, so I've been in the neighborhood a lot lately. There's no question that this the graffiti here is some of the most phenomenal urban artwork in New York City, and there's always something vaguely forlorn and isolated about the area that just adds to the overall ambiance. It's perfect.
Every time I hear someone call New York City "grey" I want to take them to 5 Pointz. There is absolutely nothing grey about this gorgeous, diverse, exiting, sexy, colorful city. -
Review from Simone R.
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY
3/25/2012 15 Check-ins Here
The art is just extraordinary.
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Review from Michelle V.
San Jose, CA
We love LIC in Queens. The area is much more laid back than Manhattan. We decided to hit up 5 Pointz on our last day in NYC before we had to head over to the airport. It was Columbus Day, so unfortunately the office here wasn't open. But we still got to see a lot!
I love how creative the graffiti is here. The colors are amazing! These artists should have some of their work put up in museums. Well, I guess you can say 5 Pointz is somewhat of an outdoorsy, funky, edgy and GANGSTA museum. ;)
I've been hearing that they're going to shut this place down to build high-rise apartments. If that's true, then it's a damn shame. Cuz this is real art just plastered everywhere and it's free to the public to swing by and view!
If you're vacaying in NY anytime soon, be sure to check this sexy graffiti out before it's too late! -
Review from olivia s.
8/28/2011
Right diagonally across MoMA P.S. 1 stands the graffiti mecca. It's so worth the visit to see the artwork. Several graffiti artists tagged their work on the walls of this building. If you look closely at some of their artwork, you can even see miniature drawings inside their murals.
It's amazing what you can do with a spray can... & the graffiti artists who left their work at 5 Pointz certainly prove it!
This is a MUST SEE in NYC! If you don't come here, you're missing out on what NYC is really about. -
Review from A C.
Manhattan, NY
1/17/2012
I've been enjoying 5 Pointz for years. I love going during the painting season to talk with the graffiti artists and appreciate their range of talents. Meres (the owner, aka Jonathan Cohen, who always seems to be wearing the same blue shirt every day of his life) is awesome. He allows artists of all talent levels (whether novice or expert) to showcase their work on the walls. He keeps their "pieces" up for a certain amount of based on a complex formula, with some pieces only staying up a week, and others staying up for many years.
They better not tear this place down ever for some worthless, overpriced condos. Wonderful, free, as good as it gets. Take the 7 train to 45 Road Court House Square and visit today. -
Review from Ali L.
Astoria, NY
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
To be honest, I was a little disappointed after all the hype. Yes, it's cool that we have a place like this for local artists to go. But, maybe they could make it nicer? The buildings are so ghetto looking. Some the murals I saw were amazing!! They should try to improve the whole surrounding area of LIC.
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Review from Philippe C.
Las Vegas, NV
7/28/2011
I would love it if I lived in an area of Queens which required me to take the 7 Subway line to get into Manhattan, just so I can regularly gawk at this thing. NYC is a true heaven for Graffiti (like, REAL Graffiti. Actual art, not that tagging for gang territory bullshit), and this has got to be the best display of it.
There are such a wide variety of pieces, from subliminal political statements to portraits (including one of Biggie which was so detailed and realistic that my mind is still boggled as to how it could have been done with spray paint).
After doing some research, I have found rumors which claim this place could be shut down for a high-rise condo development or something. Um, DO NOT WANT. It seems like NYC has more than enough of those, this is a one of a kind piece of artwork and landmark, build your hoity-toity condos somewhere else. -
Review from Lili K.
7/10/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I always marveled at this place every day when I took the 7 train home-and there's more wonders when you step inside of it.
A place where artists can tag this place in freedom and express themselves, and it's updated based on current events? I dig it.
But are they really going to shut this place down to turn it into apts? I hope not, we need more spots for creativity to roam free.Listed in: free spots
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Review from Angel H.
Queens, NY
11/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
If this place gets torn down just to appease yuppie scum, well then you just killed a part of NYC street culture.
Listed in: L For Long Island City
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Review from Claire F.
This place is a perfect example of what makes New York great ... in our own grimy, dingy and completely unique way.
I'm not sure how they find a place for more grafitti but when I've been there I've seen artists up on ladders arting away. I'd recommend trying to sneak up to the upper levels on one of the ladders (usually) lying around. I've been able to poke around inside at some of the studios, too, with Marie R. It's interesting to see how many forms one genre can take and they certainly run the gamut here -- from tags to almost impressionistic murals.
And it's a perfect example of how New York is changing (and she has always been changing, but has it been for the better lately?) that the place is now planned to be razed and replaced with high rise housing and a mall.
Not exactly paradise, but it's sad they're putting up a parking lot.Listed in: G-funk, Art! For feck's sake ...
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Review from Brendan C.
New York, NY
6/15/2011
Wow, how often do you see a place on Yelp with five stars after 65 ratings? Truly, 5 Pointz deserves to be one of the few, in this respect. It's unlike any other place I've ever found in my travels, and definitely my favorite place in my home borough (though the Queens Museum's Panorama does give it a run for it's money on the "Holy crap, this is real!?" scale).
There isn't too much left to be said after reading some of the other reviews, but I will say this: of the dozens of friends who have come to visit me in New York, I have taken every single one of them to see 5 Pointz. And the look on most of their faces when they turned into the courtyard for the first time? That was the best moment of almost all of those tours. -
Review from Stacy J.
Manhattan, NY
1/12/2012
This came up when I was doing a search for "unusual" places to take my little brother when he came for a visit. He didn't want to do the old and tired tourist gags, but he wanted something uniquely New York .. and what can I say? This was it. It was raining a little the day we went, but we stayed out in it long enough to see everything I could find. Utterly fascinating.
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Review from Roberto A.
Brooklyn, NY
3/9/2011
Cool, it's graffiti!
+1 star for it having been done in a designated area and not on some unsuspecting person's property.
LOL:
http://www.huffingtonp... -
Review from Jeff B.
Long Island City, Queens, NY
1/6/2012
I live in LIC and love passing this every day on the 7 train. You can come once every month or two and see different art on the walls. If you come on a Saturday, you're pretty likely to see paintings in the works. I love that it's right by MoMA PS1, too ... Two of my favorite art spots in the whole city right next to each other!
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Review from Kassy M.
The concept is definitely cool and different. Artists pay money to do whatever they want on a portion of a wall (inside & out). The fact that it attracts artists from all over the world definitely shows how unique and special it is. Just like any graffitti, it could be painted over by someone else the next day. I like the idea that this huge building looks different every single day. I hope it doesn't get closed down!
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Review from Diana R.
Brooklyn, NY
5/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is what NYC is all about. Go while you still can.
Perfect side dish to a trip to PS1 or M. Wells, for those of you who don't live in the area. -
Review from Brian Jin M.
Manhattan, NY
If Brooklyn's got Williamsburg for arts, then Queens got's L.I.C and the 5 pointz Graffiti heaven. I've always seen this place from the subway whenever I headed over to Flushing to meet some of my buddies and always wanted to check it out. Today, I hopped onto the train and made it here. It isn't super crowded but there were some people taking pictures and checking out the cool artwork by the artists. I also like the fact that the place has this incredibly mysterious and secluded feeling to it which adds to its awesomeness. If I had to choose a place to live other than Manhattan, it would be L.I.C in Queens, very cool neighborhood indeed!! It's worth it if you like arts and industrial grime/street scene of NYC! Only negative part is that you are NOT allowed to climb the stairs to the roof which sucks (there is a sign near the stairs)
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Review from Dorie L.
Los Angeles, CA
3/31/2011
Every time I stop through NYC I try to stop through 5 Pointz in Queens to snap a quick roll of film of the dope graff that is painted on the warehouse.
You see famous graff artists from around the world (like Shiro from Japan) with different/ new stuff on there every once in a while.
I've never been inside the warehouse, but if folks have an eye for appreciation for good graff, where people respect each other and not have tags all over good graffs. This is the place to go, not too far from Manhattan. -
Review from Andrew A.
3/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
One of a kind... +1 for being in Queens.
Hopefully this doesn't get converted into a condo - and the place is renovated to become a graffiti museum inside and out. Also, they open the inside up to the public starting in May, 4PM-8PM on Saturyda.s -
Review from Roseann B.
Farmingdale, NY
12/11/2011
My boyfriend took me here 3 weekends ago to show me some art. I was never interested in graffiti before coming here and now we've been going to each of the boroughs to check out more amazing murals. It's a free museum in our backyard. We've even talked about getting some wedding photos taken here (we aren't even engaged =P) We got to talk to an artist from France who was in the middle of a piece which was pretty cool. The Fire Marshal mural is absolutely amazing. Hope this place stays around for many many more years.
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Review from Ashley L.
4/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Finally checked this place out...after 9 months of knowing about it and living right near it. Sweet art, even saw some in progress.
-1 not being able to see the artwork on the rooftop (like the biggie smalls piece). -
Review from D B.
Nutley, NJ
10/13/2011
Wow a lot of 5 star reviews. I work down the street and have seen this wall change over the years from basically tags and names to "art". Right after 9/11 a lot of graffiti art/murals went up in LIC. On 42 rd and 24st they had murals up before there was anything here. 5 ptz is nice and colorful, but if I traveled to see this I would be disappointed.
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Review from d'N'L m.
Brooklyn, NY
10/13/2010
What's not to love.. Someone takes a big ugly building and finds a way to make it into art and a business.. It's a win, win for the area.. After going to PS.1, it's a great place to continue your walking. Or vice versa The guy who runs the place, Meers, is very talented. The guy with the angry lightbulbs..
An awesome place for kids birthday parties too! -
Review from Ligaya T.
San Francisco, CA
5/5/2008 13 photos
Prepare for brilliance. SERIOUSLY FRESH ART.
All of my attempts to describe this space have failed miserably in capturing the sheer awesomeness, so I strongly implore you to browse the photos.
You'll find a cluster of old warehouses cum studios that take up practically an entire block whose exterior is covered roof to base with graffiti that spans from Spiderman, to pin-ups, Rembrant, Japanime, Bugs Bunny smoking a doobie and my favorite black and white Biggie Smalls, as well as incredible classic "urban" works.
Walking the perimeter, around the back there's a four floor staircase that snakes up the building which entirely lacks any vertical supports. It's a surefire way to experience killer vertigo, but the incredible view is worth it.
People email the building head for a spot, so it doesn't have that element of constant change as if the graff popped up organically. But I'd bet there's not a hint of paint on any of the nearby buildings.
If you haven't been and live in city, drop everything, STAT. Or make it marker on the map of your next visit.
Guaranteed free amazement.Listed in: Eye Candy: Galleries, Museums…
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Review from Irene F.
4/27/2010
Everyone always wants a milestone review to be something special, and 5 Pointz is nothing if not special! This intriguing and unique spot has been a part of my life for a long time, so here goes.
In high school, my cooler classmates would come here to do graffiti. I just walked by in awe of the art, and yes, it really is art. Even back in the day, there was a distinction between "Kilroy wuz here" type of graffiti and what you will find at 5 Pointz. Expect murals, amazing color, and a fresh perspective.
Nowhere in my travels around the world have I found anything quite like 5 Pointz. And that makes me happy, because it just adds one more reason why Queens is awesome!
Years later, I have come here to take photos with Glenn (amazing stuff), and I see the views twice a day as I take the 7 train. 5 Pointz has become a part of my life, through the many years, and in a good way. And for that, 5 stars! -
Review from sarah w.
Brooklyn, NY
4/10/2009 5 photos
I never knew the name of the place just calling Graffiti Yard. the street that I like is on Davis street, next block of the crane street says on the address of main page. You can also see from 7 Train since it passes right over those streets.
I know that It started when several graffiti artist get paid for custom spray painting trucks and they use the street as work area. Discovered it by accident ages ago driving by and stopped for seriously spray painted truck. Since then it has been really covered with graffiti arts.
It is really cool place to visit and right across from PS1 so - two birds with one stone deal here. Various ones that are from graphical to cartoonish and oil painting like arts are really facinating. Not to mention some serious messages from them.
My photos are in B+W since I took with a film camera but as other photos they are in color - bright!!. See for yourself.
Highly Recommended!!Listed in: I like you, I really like you…
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Review from Matthew W.
Astoria, Queens, NY
3/20/2011
On your way to PS1, stop by 5pointz and check out one of a kind art from local and international artists. It's really amazing, and on a Saturday afternoon, there will surely be a fair number of people hanging around.
One of a kind. -
Review from Clint H.
7/11/2010
This place is just flat out awesomeness. As a Brooklynite, you're pretty much raised to like NOTHING about Queens, but this place is one of the coolest places I've been to ever, Queens or not.
I had the privilege of shooting a music video here (it's on Youtube, Smooth Breakdancin' Guy by Trey Green) and it was the first time I'd ever been here (I really don't venture to Queens much!). Amazing. I was in awe. Honestly I can't imagine anyone not giving this historic place 5 stars. I can't see someone not loving this place even if they DON'T like graffiti. But don't take my word for it, or these amazing pictures for that matter, go here, and experience it.... -
Review from Jim K.
New York, NY
1/18/2010
Rather straight forward, isn't it? It is a building with lots of cool graffiti on every corner of its walls (the main artworks should be found inside the courtyard)
5 pointz refers to this industrial building in Long Island City which had previously been abandoned and left to be vandalized (graffiti) by whomever that wanted to show off their l33t graffiti skillz.
It now serves as a collection of outdoor art gallery to skilled graffiti artists who come here either to practice and hone their skills or just to create some stuff for everyone's enjoyment. Meaning, it's open to the public so there are no admission fees.
A nice dose of local flavor right here in queens that does not cost you a dime. Go there, walk around, sneak in some shots from the camera (though the sign in front ask you not to use cameras for some reason)
Got a friend visiting you from out of town? Bring'em here, show'em around, and act as if you're letting them in a huge inner-city secret, and only the coolest of the cool, hippest of the hip knows about this place.
They'll go back home thinking their friend in NY is such hot shit but in reality you're just a cool turd. -
Review from Rocky F.
8/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Whether seeing it from the 7 train or in person, 5 pointz is a great spot to see some fresh graffiti that is constantly changing from local and renowned artists . Really hope this staple of LIC sticks around and doesn't get converted into an apt building.
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Review from James H.
Brooklyn, NY
3/31/2007
5 Pointz is a warehouse in Long Island City that allows anybody who wants to tag their building (with prior permission) with their artwork. There are many pictures of it on Flicker and videos on Youtube, but none of them carry the same visual pleasure as actually going there yourself and seeing it for yourself.
One wall, a story high, there's a mural with a line of Brownstones on a quiet street, but with trees growing out the windows breaking through the doors and window. On the roof a long line of comical light bulb faces. On another side a sword wielding warrior babe straight from a D&D wet dream. Spiderman, Monet, the 7 train, dragons, shy girls, DJs, babies, spray nozzles, guns; all make an appearance all the walls. People are always adding new work too, so the walls always shift and change in appearance over time.
Might not sound like a reason to go to Queens but it really is. It's some of the purest fun you can have in NY. You can also check out PS 1 across the street if you like.
Extra: If you go at the right time and ask nicely you can probably get on the roof. There's more graffiti up there and a fairly nice view. -
Review from Vi Y.
6/30/2009
One of our better stops in NYC was 5 Pointz. The area is a little scary, since it is not as busy as the other, more touristy spots in NYC, but everyone we met was still really nice, even if they WERE toothless.
The 7 train drops you right off at the 5 Pointz building. You basically just have to walk across the street, passing a dinner and a bar. You can't walk all the way around the building, and you can no longer enter the building, due to a staircase collapsing a few weeks ago, but the artwork on the outside is truly amazing.
Pictures really cannot even begin to show what it feels like to actually be there. If you have time, I would definitely recommend making a stop here. From Times Square, it's only a 15 min subway ride. It's FREE, and it would take about 30-45 minutes to walk around and really look at everything there is to see.
When we went, on a Friday at 12:00pm, there weren't any artists working, but it may have been due to the collapsed stairwell. We did see the FDNY interviewing tenants. I hope this place doesn't get closed down soon. :( -
Review from Robert L.
Brooklyn, NY
7/5/2007
While there's no doubt in my mind that 5 Pointz is probably the most fantastic looking building in New York, I often wonder if it's almost a hypocritical part of the graffiti culture.
5 Pointz is warehouse that was converted into artists studios, and as James said in his review, the owner allows anyone to tag the building as long as they have permission... that's the issue that I have with it.
From my understanding, (and I'm not a graf artist or even really in the know sans having seen a few documentaries and liking to look at the stuff) but the graffiti culture is all about tagging what you want, where you want. As discussed in the PHENOMENAL documentary "Bomb It!", a large part of the graffiti scene stems from the battle over public space.
For example, every day I walk past a massive wall that supports the elevated LIRR tracks at my station. The wall is stained off white, the paint is peeling, and it looks like absolute shit. The MTA owns it, but I'm the one that has to look at it's ugly face every day of my life. It makes the entire street (which is already pretty shitty looking) look rundown. Why can't I, or some actually talented artists, turn that dilapidated wall into art?
I digress... Anyway, thats the only thing that bothers me about 5 Pointz. Graffiti is about not asking permission to do what you do. I understand why they require you to ask permission, but I think that it contradicts what graffiti is at its core.
Aside from that, the place is simply fantastic. When my friends and I stopped by, we were invited into the yard by one of the artists, and when we walked in, we were able to see a whole bunch of different works being made. The artists ranged from old and experienced, to teenager from the neighborhood.
We didn't actually walk around inside, but even just seeing the outside was an experience in and of itself.
I would highly recommend making the (relatively short, 2 stops out of manhattan on the 7 train) trip out to LIC to check this place out.
5 stars for 5 Pointz
