Graffiti

[Garris]

I've been saddened to see an ever increasing amount of graffiti around the city recently. The Wickenden area (especially the building with the "Tokyo" Japanese restaurant) appears to be a particularly unfortunate target.

The question is what can we as city residents do about this? It's very frustrating...

Garris

[Cotuit]

Maybe it's my years living in Boston and New York that have made me immune, but I don't notice it that much. There have been some tags in the area imediately around my house on Federal Hill, but the merchants have been really quick to cover them up.

What I do notice is the number of tags on the interpretive signs along the rivers. The 'merchant' in this case would be the city, and they have not done a very good job at removal. Of course with the city being dirt poor, there's really not much we can expect them to do. I would like to see the waterfront parks develop some sort of management agency along the lines of what Bryant Park and Central Park in New York have.

Bryant Park has the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation which is a non-profit private agency which manages the park. Bryant Park is one of the best public parks I have ever been to. The Restoration Corporation maintains the park and has the rights to rent out space for events to raise money for itself. I think the less things the city needs to take direct responsibility for the better.

The Downcity Business Improvement District will be responsible for graffiti removal there. I would like to see more BIDs developed around the city, Federal Hill could use one (I think Thayer Street has something like one), Wickenden Street could use one.

[Garris]

The Downcity Business Improvement District will be responsible for graffiti removal there. I would like to see more BIDs developed around the city, Federal Hill could use one (I think Thayer Street has something like one), Wickenden Street could use one.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm surprised Federal Hill doesn't have something like that. I guess those merchant associations aren't the same thing. Perhaps Federal Hill could then come up with a uniform solution to the parking situation. It's really bad there. After work or on a weekend, my girlfriend and I will think, "Let's do Constantinos or Scialo's or sit in the plaza," but then we'll think of how hard it is to get parking and we drop the idea. The few time I've gone to Federal Hill in the last few months, I've walked it or bused it, but since I drive to work, that's unusual for me.

Do you have any parking tips for the area? Any relatively safe side streets or nearby areas that are fairly reliably open?

- Garris

BTW: Cotuit, for parking issues, try to find online what downtown Edina, MN has done. They're an upscale suburb of Minneapolis that redid their entire downtown. They beautifully (and completely unobtrusively) integrated large municipal parking garages into the area that are always open with spots available. Downtown Edina is now always packed with people, who drive there from all over.

[Cotuit]

Do you have any parking tips for the area?  Any relatively safe side streets or nearby areas that are fairly reliably open?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No

Actually I think you're fine on Federal Street from Depasquale East. If there's ever a spot on Spruce Street, I'd park there, but I don't think there ever is a space. I don't drive, so I don't really know. The valets don't really want people to be able to park themselves.

I'll look into Edina soon. Have you seen what Buff Chase is doing downtown. This building is in the works now between Westminster and Weybosset. At the Weybosset and Westminster ends it'll have ground floor retail and offices and apartements above (6 floors I think). Between it'll have 8 levels of parking, mostly for his other apartments in the area, but some available to the public and for PPAC and such.

There are places On Federal Hill where a building like this could work.

[M. Brown]

Manchester actually has a place called "permission wall" were it is legal to do graffiti

[Cotuit]

There's actually a graffiti museum in Queens, New York. You can see it from the 7 train before going under the river. The entire building is covered, it's pretty neat.

Providence could certainly do something like that. Maybe something for New Urban Arts to think about.

[TheAnk]

" I think the less things the city needs to take direct responsibility for the better."

Cotuit, your signature says LIBERAL!! Are you having a change of feelings? This is something a republican would say..

I read somewhere that the AMTRAK line between Warwick and Attleboro is the most graffiti ridden place in the United States...

[Cotuit]

Here's what I was talking about in Queens: 5 Pointz.

" I think the less things the city needs to take direct responsibility for the better."

Cotuit, your signature says LIBERAL!! Are you having a change of feelings? This is something a republican would say.. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think if the city can hire private firms to better take care of things like parks and the skating centre and create business districts to takle quality of life issues like trash and graffiti, then it frees up time and resources for the city to takle more social issues like economic development, home ownership programs, work programs, healthcare programs, all those bleeding heart things...

[provid]

I have also seen more graffiti. Maybe not having a mob mayor has something to do with it.

I hate to see providence get covred in the stuff. The worst in the large marker like things on store windows , signs etc.

[foxpointer]

A game my wife and I play is to see who can spot the first road sign (stop sign, directional sign, etc.) that has not been defaced in some way, either with grafitti, bumper stickers, "obey" stickers, etc. It's harder than you think!

[Cotuit]

You must have to drive for hours!

[Garris]

Anyone go down Wickenden today? It seems someone has a problem with the building housing the Tokyo restaurant. Not only has it been just covered with grafitti over the last several months, but driving by this AM, it looked like the Tokyo sign itself was vandalized and knocked down.

Anyone else see that?

- Garris

[Cotuit]

That is certainly not good news.

[provid]

Ive noticed this "Lifers" or Lifers '86 EVERYWHERE. I dont understand it its not even close to art its just scribble. How much these people take away from out city.

[Garris]

Hi everyone,

In preparation for a coming condo board meeting, I'm putting together a list of graffiti removal resources and thought I'd share it with the UP-Providence community and see what else others could find.

A quick Google search turned up the following nice resources:

Locally:

Providence Mayor's Anti-Graffiti Hotline

City Hall, First Floor

Phone: 1-800-824-4377 or 1-800-TAGGERS

Separately, I found this number as well...

Graffiti Anti-Graffiti Patrol 421-7740 x 300

I'm not sure what the difference is...

Since its inception in September 1993, the Mayor's Anti-Graffiti Network has removed more than 15,000 graffiti "tags" across the city. The Anti-Graffiti Patrol is dispatched by radio and removes paint with an airless paint sprayer, or with high pressure water and sand called hydrosanding, or with soluable chemicals.

Removal advice and resources:

http://www.graffitihurts.org/community_resources/removal.cfm

Suggestions from Burlington, VT (one of my favorite cities):

http://www.ci.burlington.vt.us/city/graffiti_removal.html

Tips from Minneapolis, MN:

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/graffiti/removal-tips.asp

Tips from Columbus, OH:

http://refuse.ci.columbus.oh.us/graffiti/tips.htm

A pdf of a report of safe removal products:

http://www.newdream.org/procure/Graffiti.pdf

Some local companies with services:

http://www.instabrite.com/graffiti.htm

http://www.newenglandsodablast.com/about.nxg

Any suggestions to add to the list would be appreciated! Thanks.

- Garris

[basachs]

Garris,

This is a great list. Thanks!

One area that I cant find any info on is how to remove grafitti from a tree trunk without hurting the tree. If anyone has any info on that, i would appreciate it.

[Garris]

Garris,

This is a great list. Thanks!

One area that I cant find any info on is how to remove grafitti from a tree trunk without hurting the tree. If anyone has any info on that, i would appreciate it.

I found this online from the UK tree care resource site: http://www.oak-wood.co.uk/uktc/

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Ian May [sMTP:[email protected]]

> Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2000 11:12 AM

> To: '[email protected]'

> Subject: Arboreal Graffiti

>

> UK Tree Care - http://www.oak-wood.co.uk/uktc/

>

> Morning all ...

> Does anyone have any experience of removing offensive graffiti from tree

> trunks , I suspect that cellulose spray paint was used.

> As these are mostly Oak trees , their bark is probably thick enough to

> take a good wire brushing without lasting detriment , but what would you

> do if this was a Beech or any other thin barked tree ?

> Your early response is desired as there are old ladies fainting out

> there !

>

> Regards to all

> Ian May

No experience of removing graffiti, but on trees that have been incorrectly

marked with paint dots I have used very sharp paint scrapers - yes it does

remove very thin outer layers of corky bark, but all carries on growing

perfectly well. In a similar vain I have seen beech that look as though

they had been totally ring barked by rabbits recover - as in only outer bark

actually removed (why I don't know) and some phloem & the cambium left -they

have recovered and base of trees looking "odd" (weird vta symptom for one of

us to misdiagnose in the future) but quite alive.

Do let the group know how you get round the problem in the end, good luck

Dermot

Jen, any ideas?

- Garris

[basachs]

Garris thanks, I read that too. However, this tag is huge. I could stand there for days with a scraper.

I was hoping some sort of cleaner would be safe, or powerwashing...I'll call over to forestry, but was curious if anyone had any other ideas.

thanks!

[sjwillis]

Hi everyone,

In preparation for a coming condo board meeting, I'm putting together a list of graffiti removal resources and thought I'd share it with the UP-Providence community and see what else others could find.

<snip>

Would you mind if I lifted this list for the Summit Neighborhood website (http://sna.providence.ri.us) ? It could be helpful for the group that is dealing with graffiti on North Main Street.

Also, I'm not absolutely certain but am pretty sure that the Mayor's office no longer handles graffiti removal from non-public spaces and instead states that (esp. in the case of business owners) it is the responsibility of the owner to take care of removal.

[Cotuit]

I was hoping some sort of cleaner would be safe, or powerwashing...I'll call over to forestry, but was curious if anyone had any other ideas.

Inelegant, but better than a tag would be painting over it with a paint that is similar in color to the tree's bark.

I'm not absolutely certain but am pretty sure that the Mayor's office no longer handles graffiti removal from non-public spaces and instead states that (esp. in the case of business owners) it is the responsibility of the owner to take care of removal.

I'm pretty sure that is the case too, and have to say, I think that's the way it should be. It's unfortunate that people's property is being damaged, but I don't feel it's my responsibility as a taxpayer to pay for grafitti removal off of private structures. If someone drove a car into someone's house, or set it on fire, the city doesn't pay to fix it. You fix it yourself, or make an insurance claim, if you're lucky (which is often not the case with grafitti) the assailant is caught and you can get restitution.

[jencoleslaw]

i am not sure that Mayor's anti-graffiti task force thingy is still in effect. I'd call the Office of Neighborhood Services to make sure. That may be some old thing left over from the Buddy years.

Jen

[Sin5Cents]

Does anybody have any purple paint so I can repaint the wheelhouse on the Point Street Bridge myself...

It's quite an eyesore that is sure to catch the attention of anyone passing through the city on I-195...

[KRC]

Does anybody have any purple paint so I can repaint the wheelhouse on the Point Street Bridge myself...

It's quite an eyesore that is sure to catch the attention of anyone passing through the city on I-195...

I'm right there with you on this one. I even sent a letter to the mayor stating that I would paint the damn thing myself and I got no response. I don't know if they took me seriously, but I am serious about it. I'll be more than happy to paint it now and every single time some animal decides to put their mark on it. I hate graffiti more than anything. My question is where was the police during this operation? It took time to to that. No one noticed? No one happened to drive over the bridge while it was being done?

[Jerry2]

I'm right there with you on this one. I even sent a letter to the mayor stating that I would paint the damn thing myself and I got no response. I don't know if they took me seriously, but I am serious about it. I'll be more than happy to paint it now and every single time some animal decides to put their mark on it. I hate graffiti more than anything. My question is where was the police during this operation? It took time to to that. No one noticed? No one happened to drive over the bridge while it was being done?

Isn't that a mystery? No one seems to see anybody, but graffiti continues to appear in very public places......Rt. 10 murals, behind highway signs right on 95...etc...It's getting to the point where Cicilline needs to pull a Bloomberg and ban this $hit! He's trying to ban the sale of the paints and markers to anyone under a certain age and require ID to anyone else....( ex. cigarettes) I don't think it would completely stop it...but maybe it could slow down a bit.

[Cotuit]

A little good news is that the swastikas and most of the other graffiti are finally out of Waterplace Park.