RIP 5Pointz

It's the end of an era. For more than a decade, Long Island City warehouse 5Pointz has acted as a larger-than-life canvas for groundbreaking street artists. Early this morning, the work of more than 1,500 of those painters was quietly painted over. We've known for a couple of months that a $400-million-dollar development plan was in motion for the space, and that the graffiti mecca was fated to become a luxury apartment complex, but the sudden transformation still stings. Twitter is overflowing with artists, 7 train commuters and graffiti enthusiasts mourning the landmark. According to the New York Times, even Jerry Wolkoff —the 77-year-old building owner who directed a crew of painters to whitewash the warehouse—shed a tear this morning. 5Pointz, or what's left of it, is scheduled to be demolished by the end of the year.