STICKER BANDIT MANIFESTO
I live in a nice neighborhood that is going to hell. At least it looks that way from the stretches of retail space that have been closed for more than a year. Entire blocks have become papered-over eyesores that are constant reminders of the shitty economy.
THIS IS NEIGHBORHOOD DECAY.
One by one the local businesses have disappeared, leaving notes taped to their windows saying they can no longer afford the exorbitant rents. Sometimes a new venture pops up briefly in a vacant space, but I'm curious about the ones that just sit and sit. I can't say I understand the cost-effectiveness of leaving a space abandoned, but it probably involves tax games played by slumlords.
THIS IS NEIGHBORHOOD ROT.
There seem to be easy solutions: quit extorting rent and allow the people who want to work to succeed. In the meantime, why not invigorate the artistic community by having storefronts painted or decorated even while in disuse - anything but the dusty old brown paper that makes things Depression-era depressing.
THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD EYESORE.
I'm starting with New York's Upper West Side, stickering the long-vacant spaces with reminders of the blight, because even worse than their being ugly is their being invisible, If the same thing is happening around you, order a set of stickers [sticker.bandit.nyc@gmail.com] and start putting the message up where people can see it. If you are tired of seeing declining quality of life with no neighborhood street foot traffic, empty dirty abandoned storefronts gathering nothing but garbage and becoming home to rats?
THIS IS NEIGHBORHOOD BLIGHT.
THIS IS NEIGHBORHOOD DECAY.
One by one the local businesses have disappeared, leaving notes taped to their windows saying they can no longer afford the exorbitant rents. Sometimes a new venture pops up briefly in a vacant space, but I'm curious about the ones that just sit and sit. I can't say I understand the cost-effectiveness of leaving a space abandoned, but it probably involves tax games played by slumlords.
THIS IS NEIGHBORHOOD ROT.
There seem to be easy solutions: quit extorting rent and allow the people who want to work to succeed. In the meantime, why not invigorate the artistic community by having storefronts painted or decorated even while in disuse - anything but the dusty old brown paper that makes things Depression-era depressing.
THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD EYESORE.
I'm starting with New York's Upper West Side, stickering the long-vacant spaces with reminders of the blight, because even worse than their being ugly is their being invisible, If the same thing is happening around you, order a set of stickers [sticker.bandit.nyc@gmail.com] and start putting the message up where people can see it. If you are tired of seeing declining quality of life with no neighborhood street foot traffic, empty dirty abandoned storefronts gathering nothing but garbage and becoming home to rats?
THIS IS NEIGHBORHOOD BLIGHT.
