Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Other Side Of NYC

Image Copyright: Victoryachasegoestotherapy.blogspot.com


I kept getting an error on blogger, or else this would have been put up sooner. This picture was taken the same day as the bee photo. Unfortunately, this type of useless vandalous graffiti is a problem around the city. This is also how I first thought of the city.

I remember (a looong time ago) going to NYC with the Salvation Army. It was a field trip to see the Yankees. I was happy because they were playing against the Tigers - and I was a cat fan. Now, this was before a lot of the clean-up in the city so it was a harrowing experience. The cars we saw were coated with graffiti, as was all the bridges/walls along the highway. People were loud and yelling and cursing and bumping into each other. We were each given a few dollars to by a souvenir and I purchased a Tiger's pendant. Others in my group told me we'd get beaten up because I was cheering for the wrong team, so I had to put it under my jacket.

Unfortunately, the graffiti is in every neighborhood. NYC is an entire globe forced into twelve miles of island. We have the beautiful relaxing parks right next to the projects and gangs. There is no escaping anything the world has to offer in this city - the beautiful and the ugly co-exist. And, for the most part, it's pretty darn peaceful.

7 comments:

Shrink Wrapped Scream said...

I think it's the same in any major city. I made a point of photographing in black and white some of the seedier parts of London. This was way before I married and had kids. I'd forgotton all about those pic's until the other week my youngest tripped over them as she was looking for something else. I think they're kinda' cool now. Not so much for their artistic appeal (they stink) but for reminding (reassuring?) me the world went to hell long before I ever had any hand in it!!!

Rachelle said...

It's getting bad here in the nearest big town from us- Bakersfield.
Having moved up to the mountains from LA, and having no gangs in Bako then, it is discouraging to see all the graffiti that has sprung up, and how many gangs have reared their stupid heads over the years we've been here.

We even get it up here on the mountain! They drive up here, tag, then leave.
Losers....
Slainte~
Rachelle

Amel said...

Ahhhh...interesting post!!!

I also had the same problem with blogger last night. I thought I did something wrong. Now I wonder if it was just blogger he he he...

It's GOOD that for the most part it's peaceful. I LOVE peaceful places. ;-D

Lss said...

that stuff is in Lawrence kansas for crying out loud. We had one Sunday morning where NINE churches all on the west side of Lawrence were hit with vandalism, including my church. I've also seen it on dumpsters at my chiropractors and elsewhere in town.

Victorya said...

Shrink - yeah, I think even in NON-major cities there's graffiti - then we have the littered sidewalks, the scratchiti, the piles of dog (and sometimes human) poo all over the place. . .But it's nice to know we didn't break the world, isn't it?

Rachelle - no! Not even in the mountains? ugh, why can't people live well-enough alone?

Liss - Was this recent? I remember you talking about the other ones. That's the worst, desecrating sacred places. Every place should be sacred, really (put's on Nature Girl cape and tights) and should be respected as sanctuary for every living being. But then those places we as humans try to make extra holy to give us the peace we've stripped from each other in our daily lives? That's the ultimate violation.

Lss said...

VC - same incident. happened late July/Early August - right after vacation bible school. And it was the west side of town - the allegedly more affluent part of town - meaning it has nada to do with wealth/poverty etc and more to do with people acting worse than animals. animals of course wouldn't buy spray paint to desecrate their habitat. Makes you wonder about man, don't it?

Anonymous said...

Peaceful? Huh?

A friend of mine in NYC had a little two door car should would park on the street in the East Village. Her car got graffitied. I asked her why she didn't clean it off. Dumb question. She said it would happen again plus it was less likely to get stolen if it looked like it was abandoned.

Then, after 3 days of not using her car, she found a homeless guy had moved into it. Gotta laugh!