New York Graffiti: 10 Amazing Desktop Wallpaper Backgrounds [2 of 2]

In New York City there is a place known as 5 Pointz. This is the Mecca of graffiti artists. They come from all around to leave their mark on the side, doors, roof, of this building creating a gestalt art piece like none other. The work of these New York Graffiti Artists is amazing, and the photographs can be stunning.











By clicking on these images you can download the full-sized image, perfect for using as your desktop wallpaper. I have presented here some of the best work on 5 Pointz as of March 2009.

Gallery [1. 2]

New York Graffiti: 10 Amazing Desktop Wallpaper Backgrounds [1 of 2]

In New York City there is a place known as 5 Pointz. This is the Mecca of graffiti artists. They come from all around to leave their mark on the side, doors, roof, of this building creating a gestalt art piece like none other. The work of these New York Graffiti Artists is amazing, and the photographs can be stunning.











By clicking on these images you can download the full-sized image, perfect for using as your desktop wallpaper. I have presented here some of the best work on 5 Pointz as of March 2009.

Gallery [1. 2]

Top 10 New York City Resources

Planning a trip to New York City? Here you will find links to various resources that you might find valuable. All of these entries were previously posted on my site - but rather than wading through the depths of my entire trip, I have consolidated them down to the top ten.

You will find a brief summary below the link, listing their key points as well as reasons why you might find them useful.

Full maps and itineraries can be found here, as well as offbeat sights nestled in with those that are obvious, but still not to be missed. Tips, flips [literally], and restaurant tricks can all be found below.

1. A Week in New York City
Looking for things to see? City walks to take? A way to budget all your desires into a limited amount of time? This article has it all - complete with a custom made google map detailing a variety of interesting locations.

2. How to Avoid Being Scammed
There is a lot of hustling in the city, and it's not limited to the people trying to quickly get from one location to the next. Con Artists are all around. Take some advice, and be prepared to deal with it. Unless you want to end up paying a lot for a little, take heed of these fine words.

3. Brooklyn Bridge Crossing
Walking across Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan is a fantastic experience. Even if it is pouring rain, it is an sight and an event not to be missed. Here you will find text, and images that will hopefully convince you of this.

4. New York Subway Tips
If it's your first time in the big city, you might find it daunting to get around. Fear not, because the MTA (New York’s Subway) is a very reliable and efficient service. However, if it is your first time in the big city wrapping your head around that might cause problems enough. Fear not: help is here.

5. 5 Pointz
A graffiti Mecca just outside of Manhattan. If you can't take the trip, at least view the images here and appreciate the art form, imagining the diverse range of artists who came together to make this site what it is.

6. Quickly Move through the Customs Line
No one likes waiting in hour long lines. But when we get off at any major airport, that's what we're always up against. Follow these simple steps and you will be breezing through to your connecting flight in no time. You just might feel a little less good about yourself.

7. New York City's [big] Apple Store
Pun aside, this is a building you will want to see for yourself. Sure you'll be surrounded by hipsters, but then perhaps you are one - then it will be even more perfect for you. Take the great glass elevator down to the iProduct filled depths below and shop to your hearts content. Or just view the cube. Best viewed at night, it's worth the trip at any time of day.

8. Twenty Minutes in Harlem
There is so much more to Harlem than I saw in my limited time. And for that, I regret not finding a chance to return. But in my limited time I saw a very different community. One that exists just north of Central Park. By all means, explore the world north of 114th.

9. Ground Zero
September 11th is something that many of us will remember our entire lives. A day which seemed to pause - stretching into weeks, into years. Ground Zero remains a testament of what happened on that day. But the question is: should ground zero still remain, with MTA lines reading "this stop is temporarily out of service."? At what point should new growth and the construction of Freedom Tower to commence?


10. The Jump
Street theatre is abundant in this city. Here is the literal flip you were promised.

New York City: Ground Zero

Standing in the middle of City Hall Park one notices how closed of to the public some of New York's buildings are. There are gates, security booths, and tire spikes all in place to keep the undesired away. This is a far stretch from Toronto's city hall, where visitors are welcomed and encouraged with festival after festival. Perhaps things in this city are not always what they seem to be.

It is only a few blocks away that the most notorious event in American history transpired. On September 11t 2001, two planes collided with the World Trade Center, reducing them to rubble. The world watched on, helpless to do anything but view as the horror transpired.

Today, nearly eight years later, ground zero still remains. Cranes and construction vehicles stand behind boarded up fences. Worked walk in and out, allowing for brief glimpses beyond the veil. A memorial museum stands just outside the site.

Seven years ago, I was touched by the event – made to feel as it cut through the emotional barricades we all have, in order to keep the world at bay. And yet today, though unsure as to what I expected, I feel nothing. Nothing but a sense of subtle outrage.

To me, as an outsider, ground zero seems to be nothing more than exploitation of the American Spirit. Eight years ago, I shed tears for the people who fell – today there is nothing but an aging construction project hidden away from the public eye, a poster featuring some of the fallen, two lone candles, and a museum whose entry fee is far higher than it need be.

The towers should have already been rebuilt, and yet it seems the work has just begun. London, Tokyo, even Hiroshima rebuilt after their disasters, and yet here – where an iconic symbol fell – no progress has been made.

Though, never fully stated, I am left with the feeling that the city wants to use this wreckage as a rallying point around which wars can be waged. Were the new tower to be completed, people might start to move on with their lives, no longer obsessing over the past. While I do not think these moments should ever be forgotten, the five year old who – in excitement – wanted to watch the construction while playing with his own Tonka Toys alerted me to how many people have started to view this site as something else.

Were the new tower to be built, images and references could no longer be directed at this site. No longer could a war in Iraq (never mind the fact they were not involved in the 2001 attacks) be accepted by a view of the damage.

Perhaps this is not the case. As I said, I am only an outside observer. Still, I find it hard to imagine how a building one kilometer high could be built in Dubai, quicker than the Freedom tower could be put up.

And as for the museum? Why not offer access to the stories, letters, and pictures within free of charge – or with donation? If one really wants stories to live on, there should be no price tag associated with them.

How to Quickly Get through the Customs Line

Profiling
I know this isn't the politically correct thing to do – but let's be honest, you've done it before. And if you haven't, odds are you'll start after reading this.

So you wait for twenty minutes in the customs line, only to be faced with choosing a new short line. That one out of twenty booths with little lights on indicating they have an agent ready to service you. Each booth has about ten people in line for it. How do you decide which one to access?

Step 1:
Look at the color of the passports people are holding. The fact of the matter is – people often love Canadians. In Europe you get rushed through, and especially in America. If you see a lot of people with dark blue-green booklets in your hand, you get behind them. [I failed – I was in a line full of maroon. This meant waiting while people were fingerprinted and photographed. Something not required for myself.]

Step 2:
See who looks like they're a big happy family. Sure your line may be fifteen people long, and others are only ten. But families clear together. Six people may all go through at once. Husbands and wives walk up together. Spot the people who seem so much in love – avoid them. They're just dating. Individual waits for the. It's the ones with the deadened “are we there yet” look in their eyes that are your surefire ticket to success. Those are the married ones. Another tip is to see how many custom cards are being carried. One per group. [I failed here too. I should have known the couple looked too happy, but there was only one card. Or so I thought – the girlfriend was holding hers and her boyfriends. Love – it's a crazy thing.

Step 3:
Look out for freaky looking people. You know – those with long hair, or beards, or who are dressed in raggedy clothing – you want to avoid these lines depending on the country you're accessing. From personal experience, I can tell you that this look will get you a nice long wait, and bag search in places like Cuba. Though in America, Japan, Canada, or England this hasn't seemed to pose a problem. [There's nothing better than an armed Cuban searching for drugs that never existed. They'll find zippers and pockets in your pack that you didn't even know existed!]

Step 4:
This is the unfortunate one. Airlines claim they no longer racially profile – it's part of their mandate. And yet there's that Patriot Act and it's best selling sequel Patriot Act II that gives this sort of freedom in America. Other countries don't even pretend to care. So if you want to get through fast, look for the line with the most well dressed white people. It's unfortunate, I know – but when I was in London (where they have little holding pens for people they've pulled aside) the racial profiling was terribly evident.

Step 5:
Assess your agent. Do some lines have only three people, while others have ten? There could be a reason for this. Perhaps your fellow travellers are more perceptive than you. If they get through their line of ten quicker than you get through the two people in front of you, bail. Bail immediately. You do not want anything to do with that agent, for any reason. Do they look sleepy? Tired? Overworked? Underpaid? If they're having a bad day, they might think about doing everything in their power to ensure that you have a bad day too. [I have found perky women, and smiling men are the best way to go. Smiling women, and perky men on the other hand can just be a setup for disaster – you've been warned.]

Wrap Up:
You know when you learned about the nuclear family back in grade two? That family that no one seems to recall having, or even knowing anyone who had it? Well – if on your travels you find yourself in an airport customs line, and they are there. You do everything in your power to make sure you're right behind them.

No – it doesn't always work. Sometimes disaster is bound to strike. Other times your well chosen agent goes off duty right as you walk up. Still, you must do what you can.

Please enjoy a speedier trip through your next disembarkation, on way to the baggage claim.

Business as Usual

Well, I’m back from New York now. Unlike Kurt Russell, my Escape from New York was neither difficult nor desired, but nevertheless, here I am back in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Back at work, to boot.

This last week has been an experiment in using this blog as my full travel log. I attempted to write in it, as I would in my hard bound dollar store notebooks I’ve taken around the world with me. The experiment was – well, it was both a success and a failure. It was a success in that I wrote a number of interesting posts, as well as managed to add accompanying images. But in the sense of how much time was required, it was definitely a failure. Something that will not be repeated for some time to come.

Each night I found myself writing for no less than two hours. Then, the addition of the pictures took another thirty or so minutes. Needless to say, these three hours at the end of the day could have been spent in – different ways.

And the thing I noticed? I spent the same amount of time writing, but whereas before I would have spread those three hours out on the subway, or in line for an exhibit, or even over dinner, I could not do that. Taking out a laptop at a restaurant seemed to be somewhat of a faux pas.

What does this mean for the blog? Not too much – it means that there will be the regular posts during my non-travelling times (about every other day), and perhaps one a day when I am on the road. One post a day seems to be a far more manageable number than say – oh I don’t know – 6? I’m sure it’s also far more manageable to read. Feel free to comment to that respect: What did you think of the posts? What did you think of the terrible number of them?

Where do we go from here? I’m back – but the memories, and thoughts, and all that decompression that follows a trip has not yet left me. So over the next week or so, I will be writing some reactions to New York City, a City Guide, a top 10 posts (Again, feel free to comment on what of the many posts were your favourite from New York City).

And then? Then we will take a closer look at some parts of Toronto. You’re excited, aren’t you?

NYC09: Departures

Wake up early. Scramble! Scramble! Scramble!

Did I pack my toothbrush? Did my power cords make it to my pack? Is that the alarm ringing, or is that terrible song ingrained in my mind after hearing it far too early far too many days in a row?

Shower? NO TIME!

Out of the hotel, throw the keys down on the counter and make way to the downtown subway. And then... wait. And wait. And wait. Where is that number one train anyway?

Ohh well – there's the Two. It claims to be an express. That should get me to 34th Penn Station in only three stops.

Wait, what? It's making all the local stops. Ai ya.

O.K. Penn station! Rush through the exit, run to the Jersey Train Station and then... wait, and wait and wait. What do you mean the last train just left and the next one won't be here for fifty minutes? I thought these things came every half an hour.

Avoid the drunks sitting next to you, trying to talk about how hard they partied last night. Don't give the your name. Don't give them your name – ohh there's a friendly police officer to kick out everyone without a ticket.

Track three now boarding. I make my way on, and get rushed down the track, down the track, take a seat. And now we wait. We need a more favorable signal.

Off of one train at Newark Airport, and on the monorail – please exit quickly! so you can – wait. Boarding passes handed out, baggage checked, and rush through security where belts, shoes, comptures, wallets, watches, have to be placed in bins.

Feet smelling, and pants falling down, make way through the metal detector, and then it's a rush to get all your gear back on, and head to the terminal. So you can once again wait. And wait. And wait. The plane will get here when it gets here, I'm sure.

No posh lounge this time. No free juice. No internet access (except for a Boingo hot spot - $7.95 a day, or $9.95 a month – no thank you) just benches, a flight information screen, and a clock.

Hurry up and wait definitely seems the theme of the day.

NYC09: Stage Deli

Do you want to eat a Conan O'Brien? A Kevin Bacon? A Howie Mandel? Well if so there's only one place for you to head, and that's Stage's Deli. Located only one block from the MoMA it's the perfect way to finish any night at the museum. Or just any night in the big city. This is deli sandwiches at their best.

So you think that you can eat with the big boys do you? Well strap yourself in for the famous triply decker behemoths, and see if you've really got the chops for it.

Feeling a little on the cocky side? Why not start with a plate of biggest, and most delicious, onion rings you've ever had?

When you order one of the sandwiches, you may have an idea of what you're about to experience. But seeing, as they say, is believing. The Corn beef sandwich will arrive on a plate with a pickle (a real honest to goodness pickle that is more small cucumber than anything else – which might actually disappoint some diners) and two slices of bread.

Now, it's what you find between these two slices that makes Stage Deli, Stage Deli. There between these two tasty slices you will find two inches of meat. Two inches! Just getting your mouth around it can be problematic.

But once you've finished your last bite (if you can finished your last bite) you will be rewarded with a sense of self-satisfaction normally reserved for those who can eat the five pound steaks.

And if stacks of meat aren't your forte, they are also sell a number of different cheesecakes – desert sittings in a different area than dinner diners. It helps prevent culture clash, I'm sure.

Stage Deil: Truly a tasty treat that doubles as a New York City cultural experience.

But don't expect to come home with wallets full. Their sandwiches run $14.00 - $20.00, and a plate of onion rings to start costs just under $8.00.

NYC09: MoMA

Located at 5th Avenue and 53rd The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA to close friends) is free on Friday's between 4:00 and 8:00. The gallery is one hundred percent free. This is not one of those things where they have suggested donations and it can be free, no my friends, this is where they are just standing by the door handing out tickets.

Now, while I say the museum is located at 5th Avenue and 53rd, if you arrive at 4:30, you might just want to do yourself a favour, and head straight for 6th Avenue and 54th steet. That's where you'll be joining the line to get your free ticket.

A literal blockbuster, the MoMA forces people all the way around the building in an attempt to create order to this free ticket madness. But don't worry – the line moves fast, never once stopping. It's no more of a line, than it is a stroll to the front. And then you're in.

This is where the real line begins. If you have a backpack, you will have to check it. A slightly neurotic man will tell you to line up in either line A, B, C, or D. And then he will yell at you for not being “tight to the right!” or not having your “shoulder against the wall!” Failure to do any of these things will cause him to lose count. I try to imagine his home life. I can not.

Now once you're through that – or you were smart enough to leave the backpack at home, you'll be able to stroll right in.

There are five floors of art here to explore. If you rush you can get through every room in two hours. If you take your time? Well – if you take your time, a single piece could take that long. But if you start talking about that piece, for those full two hours you can bet myself – or someone like me – will be listening to every word over your shoulder, silently giggling.

“You see, I understand that there are tables and chairs down there. They're all different, and all different types and different styles – but what does it mean?” / friend tries to explain what the sign had said / “Well, I know there's an explanation down there – but I just feel that I should be able to understand it without having to read something.”

Listening to people in art galleries is one of my biggest pleasures. Yes, I like to analyze too – but I'm fully aware, that you can't do it in public without coming off sounding a little bit ridiculous. I mean, if you want to understand a piece of art without having to read about it then you just look at it and you understand it. But if you really want to understand it as the artist intended then there is no way around reading what the artist has to say about it.

Follow the hipster can be a great game at an art gallery – so long as you understand the rules. Some other time in your life, be it at a bird watching conference, or a comic book conventions, or a fashion show you will be the “expert” and other people will follow you to hear all the ridiculous things you have to say. By playing follow the hipster, you give up all right to be upset with this person. Sometimes a pipe is a pipe. But not here, not at the MoMA.

There is a stunning photography exhibit here that chronicles the history of the form. Not only does it show photography through the ages, but it also gives detailed explanations for the printing process used throughout the years as well. Extreme closeup examples show the dot matrix of each image. You can view the similarities between magazine prints in the nineteen fifties and the modern ink jet printers. The differences between how photos are digitally developed today versus the silver negatives that were once used as as different as they are similar.

This single exhibit itself cries for more attention than a quick run-through can allow. Still, if you are pressed for time, passing through quickly is more important than skipping it all together.

One floor up, the paintings begin.

It is here in New York City's Museum of Modern Art that you will find many of the paintings you have studied throughout high school. Salvidor Dali's melting clock (which has a different, more profound name – something about future I believe), and Van Gogh's Starry Night are often on display here. I say often because from time to time they will be floating around Europe. I can only assume this occurs whenever you are there to see them. Yes, it's only when you want to see them that you can't. Sure they're there for everyone else but – and WHY would the museum send away both showpieces at the same time?! Never mind – I digress.

Even without those two, scheduled to return in time for the summer, there is a lot to see. Numerous works by Pablo Picasso line the walls. To the point that you are looking for a work by another artist – any other artist. And then you have Andy Warhol. His famed soup cans, and Marilyn Monroe call this museum their home.

Monet has a huge print that is beyond photographing, provided you don't want to stitch together numerous images.

The Museum of Modern Art has something to offer everyone – and it's your job to see it all. Best bring a pen, and get a map so you can check off each room as you pass through it.

Hey, it worked for me.

NYC09: New York Library

I'm going to be honest with you. I thought I knew what libraries were. I thought they were buildings with books in them. Places where you could read books, borrow them, you know – do things that most people tend to associate with libraries.

Now, I've recently discovered some of Toronto's libraries. They were slightly unlike what I'd expected. They had rare books on show, and all sorts of special displays and reading rooms. Still, for the most part the Toronto libraries were as I'd expected them to be.

Now, the New York Library? The one with all those lions out front? That is sch a different thing. Step inside. Do it. I dare you to. One step inside the library and you will be – well, you'll be subjected to a bag search – but after that, you'll see a large open hall that leads to a number of staircases.

Pick one, it's your call. Up you go, and you'll be in another hall. That hall will lead to other halls, or more stairs. Go up some more. This continues for some time. While you're wandering around lost – do be sure to take notice of the lovely photographs on display. Or the large collection of paintings in some of the empty offshoot rooms.

These offshoot rooms are what you're looking for as a tourist. Through here, you will find fully painted ceilings with ornate chandeliers illuminating from above. Through these doors you will find row after row of desk with people reading, researching, studying, and browsing the interwebs on their laptops.

Some of them might look a bit perplexed when you start taking photographs, but provided yo have your flash turned off, there's no problem at all.

This is no mere library – it is a labyrinth of education, and masterful artistry. Are there collections of books here to be checked out? I'm not sure. I couldn't quite say – but that's not the reason you're there anyway, is it? And as for the people studying... Well I'm sure they know what they're doing, even if you don't.

So – how big is this library? Well, I'll tell you this: Two girls were cell phoning each other trying to meet up, failing time after time after time. Any library big enough to require cellular communications just to find someone – well that's worth seeing, isn't it?

NYC09: FAO Schwartz

FAO Schwartz
5th Avenue and 59th
New York City

“FAO Schwartz, the greatest toy store in the world. FAO Schwartz, the best toys for all the boys and girls!”

These lyrics, sung by the Toy Soldier-dressed doorman out front ring true the moment you walk through the door. If Santa were to have a warehouse down south, it would be FAO Schwartz. The store has a number of stuffed and wooden toys, that you can imagine were made by a horde of work-lusting elves.

The first few sections, one after the next, after the next, are full of these types of toys. All the way to the candy section, guarded by another wave of toy soldiers made out of gum drops and candy corn.

The toys here are a delight to people of all ages, bringing back nostalgic joy for a simpler time, while interesting an entirely new generation of children.

This store also features a Build a Muppet workshop, where customers can choose Muppet bodies, eyes and other facial features, clothing, and accessories. For those desiring an officially licensed Muppet this is the place to be.

Taking the escalator upstairs, you'll find yourself passing stuffed animals that would be at home on the African Savannah. Don't be set on taking any of them home though, the giraffe alone will set you back $2700. And the dragon guarding the top floor? That was without a listed price.

upstairs you will find yourself in Diagon-Alley, where all sorts of Harry Potter merchandise can be purchased. Scarfs and ties from the for Hogwartz houses are yours for the purchasing, as are replica wands. If you so desired, you could find yourself fully decked out in all the official clothing, with a sorting hat to boot.

Chewbacca and Darth Vader stand not that far away, with Batman in the background. They are constructed completely out of lego. If you'd like a lego Batman of your very own, it will only cost $2700.00 What a bargain!

One more section back and you'll find yourself at the big piano. Still in working order, the piano has been set up behind a roped off area. If you'd like your chance to give it a play, you'll have to fight through a line of feisty six year olds. Still – if it's something you really want to do, don't let any tiny ankle biters hold you back.

No matter what you're after, this store is for you. It offers the perfect break for couples tired of walking all day, families wanting to explore something other than city streets, and single travellers just looking to rekindle that something missing.

NYC09: Disney Store

Disney Store
5th Avenue and 55th
New York City

Let your childhood dreams overtake you as you step inside the New York City Disney Store located on the shoppers paradise known as fifth avenue.

Plush Mickey Mouse's dressed as the state of liberty, and I [mickey head] NY t-shirts, shot glasses, and bags are abundantly offered for your consumer needs. Once you've tired of the first floor, head up the escalator and find yourself in a world of stuffed Pooh characters, and princesses, along with their fairy tale friends.

As you shop, be sure to look up and catch Goofy and his friends engaged in a number of different sports. But beware, as you look to the end of the store, as Snow White's Wicked Witch looms above, poisoned apple in hand. To the other end is a flat screen television playing whatever Disney DVD is popular at the moment.

A Disney Mr. Potato Head shop is set up, where shopped can pick their plastic potato, and fill it with pieces to recreate their favourite Disney character – including a very disturbing version of Ariel. For $19.99 you get a head, a box, and all the pieces you can stuff inside.

The third floor is for fine art collectors, and not to be missed. If canvas prints, and original art is something you'd like to add to your collection, they can all be found on the highest floor of New York City's Disney Store.