MANHATTAN — A recent overnight tagging spree along Broadway has some business owners worried that it's a sign of things to come for the up-and-coming Inwood strip.
Owners of at least five businesses between Arden and Dyckman streets — including a hair salon and a bar — arrived at their storefronts on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 2, to find their gates, walls and windows tagged with silver paint.
Hector Bodre, owner of Bodre Cut and Color Room, has been operating a hair salon business since 2003, and moved to the storefront at 4714 Broadway about three months ago. This is the first time he’s witnessed this amount of tagging in the neighborhood, he said.
“I’ve seen a tag here and there — but a whole block?" he said. "That’s a lot.”
The vandalism was especially unsettling for new businesses like Compton Eye Associates and Tryon Public House.
Compton’s storefront was tagged along the wall, instead of on the rolling gates like some of the other businesses. When owner Jason E. Compton opened his practice in April of last year, he didn't think it was necessary to install gates considering what he knew of the area.
“I like having everything exposed and have it be more welcoming. I’m hoping I don’t have to second-guess that," he said.
"I painted over [the graffiti] right away, to send a message," Compton continued.
Tryon Public House owner Shean Carbin said the first thing he did upon hearing what had happened Saturday was to check on the blue-and-white mural along Thayer Street, which was fortunately left untouched, he said.
"The first thing I thought [about] was the mural, but they only got next door," said Carbin, adding that he had rented the next-door space, previously a hair salon, to expand his business. That storefront was tagged along the outside walls and windows, he said.
"We opened a year ago, and we've had no issues [before]," Carbin said.
Although the exact timing of the vandalism is unclear, Carbin said he closed shop at 3 a.m. on Saturday, and his security guard didn't noticed anything during the time he was open. His surveillance camera only monitors the portion of the street where the mural starts on Thayer Street.
Bodre, Compton and Carbin said they plan to go together to the 34th Precinct this week to report the incident.
The precinct did not respond to a request for comment.
