Scrapped

I was shocked and saddened, over the weekend, to note the sudden departure of longtime graffiti stronghold Scrapyard on West Broadway.

Originally called Bomb The System (they changed names in the wake of 9/11), Scrapyard was a resolute chapel of the street art subculture (I've written about it here). It stood across the street from its sibling venture, SoHoZat ... a sort of underground comic/zine emporium. Around the corner on Canal Street, meanwhile, was The Trader, a grim Army/Navy store where you could also procure ridiculous items like throwing stars and nunchucks. Now, all three of these spots from my teenage years are gone.

Evidently, the space Scrapyard occupied for so many years is stated to be some sort of bespoke eyewear boutique. Pour one out.