Downtown building that houses WHMP and WRSI radio

 

The small brick building that houses radio stations WHMP and WRSI fronts on Hampton Avenue, just across from the Chamber of Commerce building. From there, the building looks neat and tidy. But here are a couple of shots of the side door that faces the Parking Garage and the view of the back of the building from Armory Street. Yech!

This is the back of the building that houses WHMP and WRSI as seen by visitors as they walk to or from the parking garage along Armory Street.

Another side of the same building.

 

This is the door into the building that people see from the main parking lot where the parking garage is located.

Thank you to reader Adam Cohen for the link to Grafitti Hurts.

 

Thank you to Adam Cohen for this link to Grafitti Hurts (http://www.graffitihurts.org/). This website is full of good information that businesses, citizens, and officials can use to fight grafitti which is the biggest blight invading Northampton. 

The following is copied from the Grafitti Hurts “about page”. Hopefully, readers of Northampton Blight will tke the time to explore the website for constructive ideas on fighting grafitti, particularly http://www.graffitihurts.org/learn_more/bustips.pdf which describes what businesses can do and http://www.graffitihurts.org/community_resources/prevention.cfm where some “best practices” for the community are outlined.

 

Graffiti Hurts® – Care for Your Community is a grassroots community education program. It was developed in 1996 by Keep America Beautiful, Inc. through a grant from The Sherwin-Williams Company, maker of Krylon® brand paint.

The Graffiti Hurts® Program is dedicated to raising awareness about the harmful effects of graffiti vandalism on communities. At the heart of the Graffiti Hurts® Program are four goals:

1. Educate citizens about the importance of graffiti prevention and abatement.
2. Provide communities with tools and resources to respond to graffiti vandalism.
3. Help foster partnerships that will encourage involvement from all members of the community in addressing graffiti vandalism.
4. Help communities establish anti-graffiti programs that get results, creating healthier, safer, and more livable comunities.

The Graffiti Hurts® Program helps communities initiate local graffiti prevention activities, and educate youth and adults about the impact of graffiti vandalism. To do this, the Graffiti Hurts® web site contains all the tools communities need to begin graffiti education, prevention, and clean-up. Individuals and communities can also order a Graffiti Hurts® DVD and poster.

Graffiti, grafitti, everywhere…..from Paradise City Bar & Grill to Silent Cal’s

 

What does downtown look like to the visitor to Northampton?

Well it looks to me like it’s covered in graffiti, which is a definite sign of blight! and not just a little blight. lots of it everywhere you look. everywhere you go.

I took a walk starting in front of the new Paradise City Bar & Grill (formerly Del Raye Bar & Brill, an upscale restaurant that needed to downscale to survive!) and walked down Main Street, turned left onto Pleasant Street at Florence Savings Bank, and continued to Silent Cal’s bar.

the overpass above the sidewalk near Paradise City Bar & Grill

 

the truck eating overpass above the street

the wall on the sidewalk under the overpass

     

 

 

grafitti on the wall along the steps leading to Union Station restaurant

and more grafitti on the wall along the steps

and even more

 

side of the building on the corner of Main Street and Strong Avenue

steps across from Fitzwilly's restaurant

The entire stretch of Main Street from Strong Avenue to the lights (on this side of the street) is grafitti free.

Good work to all of those businesses in that stretch including Yellow Sofa, India Palace, Western Village Sports, Don Muller Gallery, Amanouz, and Spoleto!

Maybe some other downtown businesses can be inspired to be like you!

the wall on the back of Florence Savings Bank on Pleasant Street

 

on the side of Steals and Deals

and this blight continues all the way down the alley

grafitti on the offices of Springfield Newspapers. right across from Steals and Deals

also going all the way down

grafitti on the side of the Siam Square restaurant

 

and on the other side of the building on the side of Luna Pizza

and this grafitti goes all the way down the side of Luna Pizza

 

the front of "The Elevens" on pleasant street

 

and more on the front of "The Elevens"

Perhaps the most shocking grafitti encountered on this walk was on this building, not because of the abundance of it, not because it is especially ugly, overgrown and unruly, but because of where it is on the side of the District Attorney’s office!

There is plenty more grafitti in Northampton to report on, but this walk

and post ends here at Silent Cal’s on Pleasant Street, a bar located in

the former Chilson’s Awning building near the Union Station parking lot.