5Pointz Aerosol Art Center
This Long Island City warehouse, treated as a 200,000-square-foot canvas, is one of the world’s best places to see the full spectrum of spray-paint art. Ride a Queens-bound 7 train past the Hunters Point Ave stop for an elevated, panoramic view of the names of NYC’s graffiti forebears—like Iz the Wiz—scrawled on 5Pointz’s walls. New pieces appear regularly during the painting season, with concrete surfaces assigned by founder and curator Meres One. Go while you can: The property owner is securing permission to replace the warehouse with condos. Take advantage of the biweekly behind-the-scenes tours (Sun 2–3:30pm; $35; visit sidetour.com for details), led by Meres One, to watch a painting demonstration. 45-46 Davis St at Jackson Ave, Long Island City, Queens (5ptz.com)
New Yorkers need to know their city, if they want to know themselves and work on self-improvement. Swallow your pride and put these sights on your 2013 to-do list. They’re just a sliver of the 50 best NYC attractions, but they cover lesser-known spots, places found in our favorite New York neighborhoods and buildings immortalized in the top New York photographs.
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