On Monday, January 29th, Austin’s historic landmark commission unanimously voted 8-0 to tear down the HOPE Outdoor gallery– commonly known as the graffiti park at Castle Hills. The demolition of the beloved park will take place sometime in June.

When a friend of mine told me that the Graffiti Park was being torn down soon I was angry. That place is incredibly beautiful and if you climb to the top, you can see the entire city from there and it’s one of the few places that you can see the Capitol through all of the tall skyscrapers that line the city. I, among the many who have visited, have some amazing memories there and when the news spread that it was being torn down it hit me hard. How could the city do something like this? The graffiti park is an iconic part of Austin and tearing it down will hurt many of the Austinites who have grown up with the park. Yes, they are keeping a small piece of it and moving it but it won’t be the same. The feeling that rushes through you when you discover new art and climbs to the top and see the breathtaking view that reminds you just how beautiful this city can be. Or the feeling of dropping down into a corner between the walls and finding a space that you can leave the art of your own, or finding a piece that is so amazing you can’t believe that someone did this with spray paint. Some people believe that a graffiti park is just a place for people to commit vandalism without being punished and spread their tag, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a place to lose yourself and explore the many different art styles of people, seeing stories being told through one dollar can of spray paint, a way to relieve stress by exploring the vast area and finding a different corner every time you go.

For me, it helped me to know I was not alone. On the night of homecoming, my best friends Karli and Clay decided we would have way more fun doing our own thing. We went to the movies, I introduced them to Big Top Candy shops in downtown (which is an amazing place to go) and we decided to see the graffiti park at night. I hadn’t been in years and I had never been to the top so the first thing we did when we got there was climb to the top of walls. It was night time when we got to the park so all of the city lights were shining brightly and it was amazing.

Normally when you look into the city you can’t see the Capitol because of all the skyscrapers, but it had the perfect view. It was an absolutely breathtaking site. My friends and I sat on the edge and we talked for a while and eventually fell into a comfortable silence all of us were happy with where we were. I had been going through a lot of personal issues recently, and for the first time in what felt like years, I was happy and okay. I told my friends what they had done for me and how much it meant to me that they stuck with me through everything, and we had a deep conversation that left us all feeling relieved and happy that we knew each other and they hugged me.

With them by my side and looking out into the city everything felt a lot less lonely. That place will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s where everything started to turn around for me and it’s where my friends suddenly felt way closer to me and even though I had already considered them family. That moment made feel like I had grown up with them next to me and always having my back. If we hadn’t gone there and felt the peace and serenity the graffiti park offers I may have never experienced that amazing moment.

The graffiti park means so much to so many people and everyone has a story to share. Part of me is truly hoping that there will be a protest against the demolition and if one comes up you can bet I’ll be supporting it wholeheartedly with everything I’ve got.