In 2016, New York City is simply a much more expensive and claustrophobic version of everywhere else: a mindless expanse of TD Banks, 7/11s, Subway Sandwich shops, CVS pharmacies, Chipotle’s, Taco Bell/Pizza Hut combos, and the occasional Starbucks, just to keep things from becoming a faceless monoculture.
Further evidence that the city is intent on shaking off any sign of personality that could distinguish it from, say, a strip mall in Terre Haute, Indiana: An original Keith Haring mural from the early ’80s, which winds through the stairwells of a rental house in Morningside, is quite likely to be painted over in a bid to entice more monied tenants into the building.
Related: Happy 58th Birthday, Keith Haring
As DNA info reports, the space was once home to a Catholic youth organization known as Grace House, but in more recent years, it’s become a system of single-room occupancy studio apartments with shared bathrooms and kitchens, which is still owed by the church.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Four months ago, the church abruptly asked all the tenants to leave by August 1, claiming they’ve been suffering from financial problems and need to find an alternative use for the building.
Related: “Keith Haring’s Ghost” Spreads Message Of Love With Guerrilla Art
That means the fate of the Keith Haring mural is up in the air — as is that of the tenants, who are each scrambling to find new living situations.
“It’s a unique structure,” 62-year-old tenant Denis McFarling tells DNA info. “It would be a shame to see it turned into soulless condos.”
Not that “shame” is an emotion that occurs in your average New York developer. And plenty of tenants say they’ve seen them come by to examine the property.
“They know the Harings are here but they don’t really care about them,” McFarling said. “They don’t really know how unique they are.”
Related: Brooklyn Museum Gets Tagged For New Keith Haring Exhibit
Because the building consists of 14 SRO units and a solitary one-bedroom, tenants suspect these developers will gut the entire building in order to turn it into yet another generically swank, cream-colored condo monstrosity; an architectural celebration of the death of imagination.
So what will happen to all the original Haring artwork?
“No one seems to know what will happen to it,” says Robert Savina, a film production designer who’s occupied one of the studios since May 2015, paying “only” $900 a month. “There seems to have been no provisions made. I fell in love with the community here. And the mural, it’s part of our identities.”
Maybe before taking a wrecking ball to the building, the church can simply remove huge swaths of the mural and sell them all to the highest bidder.
Heywood Jablowme
They’d be stupid to destroy that, it’s worth a fortune!
Bob LaBlah
Producer Norman Lear produced a documentary scheduled to air in September about the difficulties on raising a kid while trying to survive on $50k annual salary in NYC. He seems to be the only one in a position to expose how difficult it is for people living that who took notice and did something. I wish all of you NY’ers luck with those sky high rents. Imagine working two jobs just to pay rent and basic staples.
everybodywinsyay
As a longtime NYer, if you live here and you haven’t accepted by now that NYC will pave over anything for a profit, you need to move already. Been hearing the same tired song for 20 years. Keep it moving here in NYC
ErikO
I hope they don’t destroy the mural.
mslater
Even developers who have terrible taste will understand the value of the murals. Also, they will want to keep them to appeal to a younger audience with more modern aesthetics. If they want to tear down the building, they can cut and keep the murals and display them in the common areas as a selling point. I don’t think very many new luxury developments are cookie-cutter. Some are, but the hundreds of developers and architects in the city would pay top $ and bid out people who want to destroy it.