5 Pointz

5 Pointz: The Institute of Higher Burnin'
Company type	Private
Industry	Street art, Graffiti, Art center
Predecessor	Neptune Meter factory
Founded	1892; 134 years ago
Founder	Jerry Wolkoff (as developer and curator appointing)
Defunct	2014
Fate	Demolished for residential development
Successor	Residential complex named 5 Pointz
Headquarters	Long Island City, Queens, New York City, United States
Area served	Worldwide (graffiti artists)
Key people	Jerry Wolkoff (developer), Jonathan Cohen (Meres One, curator)
Products	Mural art, artist studios
Owner	Wolkoff family
Number of employees	Approximately 200 artists (studio tenants) (2009)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article 5 Pointz, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 30 November 2025

5 Pointz: The Institute of Higher Burnin' or 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center, Inc.—widely recognized simply as 5 Pointz or 5Pointz—was a renowned mural complex located at 45–46 Davis Street in Long Island City, Queens, New York City. Originally constructed in 1892 as the Neptune Meter factory, its initial function was manufacturing water meters.

In the early 1970s, developer Jerry Wolkoff acquired the site. Although he first intended to redevelop the property, he opted instead to lease spaces to various businesses and began renting studios to artists during the 1990s. Over time, the exterior walls became canvases for street art, earning global acclaim. The facility was officially renamed "5 Pointz" in 2002 after Wolkoff appointed graffiti artist Jonathan Cohen as curator; the name represented the union of New York City's five boroughs. While the murals primarily decorated the outside surfaces, roughly 200 artists operated within interior studios.

By 2013, Wolkoff announced plans to demolish 5 Pointz to make way for residential development, triggering widespread protests. Without prior notice, he had the murals whitewashed overnight, which led to legal action from the artists. The building was torn down in 2014, and construction on the new residential complex commenced in 2015 with an anticipated completion date in early 2020. In February 2018, a court mandated Wolkoff to pay $6.7 million in damages to 21 artists for destroying 45 distinct artworks.

Description

The 5 Pointz complex consisted of twelve factory buildings ranging from one to five stories tall, with eight interconnected structures providing approximately 200,000 square feet of floor area on a sizable lot. Its easternmost corner was visible from the New York City Subway's IRT Flushing Line (), which crossed overhead. Referred to officially as "the world's premier graffiti mecca," it drew aerosol artists from around the globe who created vibrant murals on its industrial walls.

Within the premises was Crane Street Studios, offering affordable rents below market rates to about 200 artists; for example, a studio space rented for around $600 per month in 2009. Described as a "living collage" of graffiti art enveloping a repurposed warehouse full of artist studios, it served as a creative hub for both local and international aerosol painters.

The designation "5 Pointz" symbolized not only the interconnection of New York City's five boroughs but also its role as a worldwide center for graffiti culture. Esteemed graffiti writers such as Stay High 149, Tracy 168, Cope2, Part, SPE, Dan Plasma, CORTES, and TATS CRU hailed from countries including Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Japan, and Brazil and contributed works here. The site attracted attention from prominent media outlets like The Christian Science Monitor, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and the International Herald Tribune.

Context and usage

Originally built in 1892 for Neptune Meter (then known as Thomson Meter Company), the building functioned as a water meter factory. In 1971, Jerry Wolkoff purchased the property but did not immediately pursue redevelopment. Throughout the early 1990s, he leased space to a company manufacturing 8-track tapes, CD covers, and phonograph accessories.

During the 1990s, Wolkoff authorized legal graffiti painting on-site. In 1993, Pat DiLillo founded the Phun Phactory under the Graffiti Terminators initiative. DiLillo sought to legitimize graffiti by dissociating it from criminal activity, enforcing strict prohibitions against gang-related symbols and unauthorized tagging. He also encouraged young artists to pursue education and lawful conduct.

In 2002, graffiti artist Jonathan Cohen (known as Meres One) assumed curatorial responsibilities, instituting requirements for submission of samples and designs prior to mural approval. He rebranded the location as "5 Pointz," envisioning it as a central gathering place for graffiti art representing all five boroughs of New York City and planning its transformation into a graffiti museum.

In April 2009, following numerous code violations—including unapproved studio partitions—and an incident where a concrete fire escape collapsed causing injury, the New York City Department of Buildings ordered closure of the largest building on site.

Demolition

After four decades of ownership, the Wolkoff family chose to redevelop the 5 Pointz property, emphasizing that the murals were intended as temporary and that redevelopment plans had existed since the graffiti first appeared. On August 21, 2013, the New York City Planning Commission gave unanimous approval for condominium construction, while the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission declined to grant landmark status because the artwork was under 30 years old. The proposed project encompasses two residential towers featuring retail areas and affordable housing, totaling 1,000 apartments, a parking facility with 250 spaces, and a public park. Wolkoff targeted the demolition of 5 Pointz by the close of 2013. Subsequently, on October 9, the New York City Council unanimously endorsed the $400 million development plan, which included provisions for curated graffiti art panels and facade elements. Over the previous decade, approximately 11,000 murals had been created on the site.

In October 2013, Cohen reached out to street artist Banksy during his New York residency to assist in preserving 5 Pointz. Banksy responded on October 31 with a plea urging people to "Save 5pointz."

On November 12, 2013, a district court refused to grant a preliminary injunction aimed at halting mural destruction. A week later, on November 19, Wolkoff employed workers who began whitewashing the building’s exterior overnight. Despite legal actions and public demonstrations attempting to safeguard the structure, demolition advanced. On November 20, the Southern District of New York ruled that while VARA did not mandate preserving 5 Pointz as a tourist destination, Wolkoff could be liable for damages due to the destruction of artworks deemed of "recognized stature."

Asbestos removal commenced in February 2014 as part of demolition preparations. By August of that year, the building was nearly entirely demolished; by November, most of it had been reduced to rubble with only some structural remnants left.

The redevelopment blueprint was updated to feature 1,115 residential units—including 223 affordable apartments—alongside 20 art studios and commercial space. Foundations for two towers measuring 41 and 48 stories were finished by late 2015. By January 2017, construction had reached heights of five and twelve stories respectively, with both towers topping out at their full heights in 2018. Renderings depict murals reminiscent of the original street art and include a steel installation in the lobby engraved with a graffiti-style logo. The buildings were anticipated to open in early 2020.

Reactions

The announcement of the building's demolition provoked strong opposition from artists, leading to at least two notable protests. On February 3, 2014, artists painted "Art Murder" in prominent blue and red letters on one side of the building. Following an unsuccessful attempt to secure landmark status, artists staged another protest on March 10, 2014, by suspending a large yellow banner stating "Gentrification In Progress" around the site. A November 2014 article in Complex magazine reported that many artists felt disregarded by the removal of murals and lamented losing their creative community. The demolition also resulted in a scarcity of affordable legal mural spaces in New York City, causing some artists to relocate to areas such as Jersey City and the Bronx.

Controversy persisted when Wolkoff named the new condominiums "5 Pointz," asserting his rights to the name through property ownership. However, his trademark application was denied in March 2014 due to its similarity with an existing trademark. Wolkoff maintained that the name referenced the location rather than the artwork itself—a position that angered many artists who accused him of exploiting the brand after eradicating its artistic legacy.

In June 2015, artists who had exhibited at 5 Pointz filed a federal lawsuit against Wolkoff alleging violations of the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) of 1990 and failure to provide proper demolition notice of ninety days. A federal judge permitted a jury trial instead of a bench trial. The October 2017 trial became crucial in determining whether graffiti qualifies as federally protected artwork. In November 2017, jurors recommended a verdict declaring Wolkoff’s destruction unlawful. By February 2018, a judge awarded $6.7 million in damages to twenty-one artists whose works had been destroyed. Wolkoff appealed this decision; however, in February 2020, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling. Following Wolkoff’s passing in July 2020, his final appeal to the Supreme Court was denied in October of that year.

In popular culture

5 Pointz has served as a distinctive setting in various films and television shows, most notably during the finale of the 2011 series Rescue Me and the climactic scenes of the 2013 movie Now You See Me. Additionally, it has been prominently showcased in music videos by influential hip-hop and R&B performers such as Doug E. Fresh, Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Caz, Mobb Deep, and Joss Stone.

The cultural importance of 5 Pointz is also reflected in its satirical representation within the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV, where a fictional version appears in East Island City, Liberty City’s neighborhood.

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