Graffiti in the Gates

This wall is both the site's center of attraction and the most photographed part.

The three largest pieces of the site from view of the opposite building.

Yonkers graffiti artists who have either stopped writing (1/2) or have passed away(2/2).

Here, graffiti writers do not have enough space to to display a piece but climb the stairs and sign their name or check in.

          The Glenwood Power Plant was abandoned in the early 1960s after the site was bought, sold, and repurposed many times. After many years of degradation from neglect, the site began to be called "The Gates of Hell" by locals. Because the Gates of Hell is located at the lonely Glenwood Train Station, Yonkers police as well as regular citizens do not pass through the area. Many Yonkers locals also avoided the site since its ghost town nature attracted criminal activity including gang initiations and sexaul assaults. This created a safe haven for graffiti writers.

          Many graffiti writers have frequented the Gates of Hell over the years as a place to practice or write undisturbed by law enforcement. The four items (to the left) are proof of the site's significance as a graffiti landmark. The largest of these pieces are made to be seen by all visitors of the Gates. Vet (TMC), Kuma (KF), and a mural by an unknown artist greet you as you enter the Gates and follow you from almost every point of the site. The main wall of the Gates of Hell, which is many stories tall, is crowded with graffiti as many writers look for space and vie for attention. Many of these writers including Neo, Put, Nose (US), 47ER (TNP), and Mista (KGKASS) are Yonkers natives or come from the neighboring Bronx. These writers have been visiting the Gates of Hell since their teenage years and their original work is beneath many layers of paint. For these writers, the Gates of Hell has been a place of refuge for their work as well as a reminder of the beginnings of their graffiti careers.

          Some of these Yonkers writers, also known as hometown heroes due to their notoriety, have ended their graffiti careers. Vade(US) who was known for starring in MTV's Beyond Scared Straight (1999) and for being one of the original members of the US crew has given up writing in his later years. Others like Junior (914) have passed away from tragic accidents and are remembered by their existing and fading work as well as the memorial pieces made in honor of them. Lastly, the staircase of the turbine building is the most telling of the Gates of Hell's part as a social memory to graffiti writers. The walls of the staircase are too small for a large piece so many passing writers sign their names in order to show that they were there and experienced the Gates. All these signatures were made in an attempt to be a part of the social memory of the Gates of Hell for as long as it still stands.