"The Spot"

That's how it was known locally, "the spot." It was an abandoned and mostly demolished industrial site off of Newark Avenue on the northern border of downtown Jersey City. During the summers of 2006 and 2007 a number of locals hauled cement and other stuff back there and created an obstacle course that was used by BMXers and SK8-boarders. Graffiti artists used the surfaces as a laboratory.

July 25, 2007

October 5, 2007

I once met the guy who'd painted the character on that wall. He'd just gotten out of jail after having served a couple of weeks on a vandalism charge.

The concrete slabs were broken up late in 2007 in order to prevent further bike riding and skate boarding. The company that owns the land has yet to build the condos they'd planned when they took possession of the property.

You can find more photos of this site at my Flickr page. If you live in Jersey City, or visit, you can see a set of prints in the main branch of the public library.