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To Ink or Not to Ink (in Downtown Peekskill): That is the Question!

Tattoo parlors in general and in downtown Peekskill, and the physical, medical, and psychological issues of tattoos.

Allow me to begin by saying everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. You have yours; this one is mine. I am against tattoo parlors in downtown Peekskill, but I won’t use the argument that tattoos are not art, since the definition of art is subjective, and beauty - as it has been said - is in the eyes of the beholder.

I also won’t use the argument that they bring a seedy element to a town, since tattooing is a current fad for some everyday people, and not just coveted by drunken sailors and prisoners - the typical image of a tattoo wearer in decades gone by (yet still an image that remains in the eyes of many - and perception is everything.) 

Although, I do believe that tattoos are a form of body mutilation and are a way of creating an artificial self by coloring between the lines to create a surface personality rather than finding oneself from within, still, I will not use that argument since it is merely my opinion. 

What I will use as my agreement are facts about other arts centers that do not have such establishments in their downtown area; the physical, medical and psychological issues of tattoos; loitering problems these establishments bring; and the current, documented trend to have tattoos removed by many. 

I have lived in various downtown arts districts in the U.S. and in every successful and nationally known destination, from downtown Santa Fe, to Scottsdale, Arizona, to the Brady Street Arts District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, among others, and as far as I know, there are NO tattoo parlors located these successful downtown arts districts.  

Walk up the famous Canyon Road in Santa Fe, and you will see art galleries, music venues, coffee houses, performance spaces, but no tattoo parlors.  Stroll the streets of Scottsdale’s Gallery Row and, again, no tattoo parlors.  Enter the funky, Tulsa historic Brady Street Arts district with its galleries, performance spaces, etc., and you will NOT find a single tattoo parlor.

If we want Peekskill, Peekskill’s downtown arts district, to be widely recognized as a premiere arts area, a destination for great food, music, art, a place to bring revenue to our artists and our city, a place where people gather for festivals, and shows in various art forms, we will follow the example of well established arts districts in our country and keep body art, as in tattoo and piercing parlors, out of our arts district.  These body inkings, etc., come and go historically as a fad for the everyday person in the US.  When the fad fades, will the city be petitioned for the tattoo removal of such tattoo parlors?  

In fact, as you may have noticed in the media, there is now a trend to remove tattoos.  Many celebrities and others are having these inkings removed using very painful procedures, regretting ever having them in the first place.  For example, actor and producer Mark Walberg recently, as a visual deterrent, had his multiple tattoos removed in front of his three children in a series of excruciating removal treatments to show his kids the pain and devastation on the body from these markings.

It is a known fact that inks, especially the current glow-in-the-dark and new colors contain heavy metals and are causing allergic reactions that present themselves over the years to those with tattoos.  When one has a tattoo and needs an MRI or other medical tests, that person has to alert their doctor since the heavy metals in the ink can react with the magnets.  I know of a heavily tattooed person who thought she had breast cancer since the mammogram showed lumps in her breasts.  It turned out that the inks from her tattoos crept around her body and created scar tissue lumps that were taken, at first examination, as breast tumors.  And from a psychological point of view, getting tattoos have been proven to be, in many cases, addictive.  The more one gets, the more one wants.  Do we want Peekskill’s downtown image to carry the image of all of the above?

Tattoo parlors bring loitering to a town – appointment only or not.  Just check out the tattoo parlor in Pleasantville on Bedford Road. They set up plastic chairs in front of the place, where patrons and workers sit and stand all day, waiting for their turn. This is unsightly, and gets in the way of people walking by, intimidates some pedestrians, kids, etc. I have observed this there from the other side of the street while I sat in a coffee house. 

Peekskill is just now beginning to lose it seedy reputation, although I still encounter people, even residents, who say, "Downtown Peekskill? I'm not going there. There's crime, drugs."  Of course I ask them, when was the last time you've been in downtown? They can't even recall.  I then ask them to go to the downtown area one day or night and see how our city has changed.  Let's not reinforce that false image with a tattoo parlor. Let's compromise and allow these establishments in our industrial district.

It is not like we don’t have tattoo parlors nearby.  If a person wants a tattoo, they can go to Rt. 6 in the Mohegan Lake area where there are two tattoo parlors across the street from one another. 

If you want to brand our city as a true center for art and commerce, a destination for culture and a fun place for all to visit, do not allow tattoo parlors in the arts district.  We don’t need these establishments to create a stigma, deserved or otherwise, as part of the face of Peekskill.   Let the face of Peekskill be one of the river and arts, smiling at all who visit.  Not one that is marred by dark, indelible stain across our features, like a mask hiding our vibrant visage that we are blossoming into day.

___
*Editor's Note: After years of discussion, the Peekskill City Council has directed city staff to draft language that would allow tattoo parlors in the city's downtown district. At tonight's work session, staff will look for clarification from the Council on several issues including: Should tattoo studios only be allowed in the downtown, or in other districts as well? How far should tattoo studios need to be from each other? from schools?  

What do you think about a tattoo parlor moving in to downtown Peekskill? Do you support this or are you against it? 

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Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
W Kelly May 20, 2013 at 09:51 am
Don't believe a word of HVHC mission statement they tossed out the Meth Clinic since it carriesRead More negativity to the new and improved hospital.
Danny May 18, 2013 at 12:20 pm
It is dangerous and a menace to our already horrible traffic on 6. Thank God none of those kids gotRead More hit running in between cars looking for change. Traffic was backed up all through Mohegan...Poor choice of a way to raise monies for a good cause.
Teleman May 23, 2013 at 12:08 pm
The evidence was more than likely destroyed by the intense fire-not the mayor. I think you areRead More incorrect saying that the building was raised before investigators arrived. Move on!
shakemdown May 22, 2013 at 11:55 pm
yeah, but let the mayor tell it, that never happened, ( the excavator tearing down the buildingRead More before the investigators even got to the scene) just like all the other lies that they have told.
Teleman May 22, 2013 at 12:03 pm
Yes- probably the most important part of the investigation is what caused the fire- that will beRead More hard to determine of course because of the destruction of the evidence
Paul Purpora spoke about renewable resources with PKMS students who visited the Green Machine
joshua tanner May 20, 2013 at 07:00 pm
I never heard so much baloney. Don't let them brainwash you kids. Solar and wind are frauds. ARead More windmill just threw off a blade that weighs tons. They break all the time and wind energy is the most dangerous and not efficient. Oh and global weather patterns are natural and not man-made "OCOTILLO WIND TURBINE THROWS OFF MULTI-TON BLADE, PROMPTING WORLD-WIDE SHUT DOWN OF SIMILAR TURBINES AMID GROWING SAFETY CONCERNS" http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/13251
Ilir Zherka, a lifelong advocate of human rights and the executive director for the National Conference on Citizenship, was the morning keynote speaker at the 11th annual Not-For-Profit Summit.
sayitsnotsojack May 20, 2013 at 04:36 pm
With all these non profits not paying taxes they have certainly made a lot of us who pay the billsRead More for them non profit also.
Look Who's Talking May 23, 2013 at 03:00 pm
Can someone call the Planning Department and find out if Frank's sign outside of his office followsRead More The City's sign ordinance?
Concerned Parent May 21, 2013 at 09:08 am
@w Kelly.....Ahhhhhhhhh maybe the cops are not educated about addiction?? Why not ask the neighborsRead More of the soon-to-be closed HVHC Methadone Clinic -- the veterinarian, residents in hear-by homes, the stores and restaurants in the shopping center, etc. -- have they experienced any "problems" with the clients going to the clinic ?? Personally, I believe the "cops" should be focusing on the known areas to buy drugs -- it does not take a rocket scientist to see the dealers. What happened to the bike patrols used by the police dept ??? As said by another, thank goodness we live in the U.S. for freedom of speech. I
W Kelly May 21, 2013 at 06:06 am
Residential is right, Dogwood, Sprout Brook, Highland Park all the neighbors off of Highland Ave ,Read More Dunbar Heights yes those are all in very close proximity to Meth Clinic. Tell me why all the cops /troopers say a very bad thing for the community?
sayitsnotsojack May 19, 2013 at 11:37 am
The long suffering tax payer should look at it as them paying for their extravagant health care andRead More pension plans. As for lending a hand they have had our hand outs for way too long.
Teleman May 19, 2013 at 05:09 pm
We've got the Constitution on our side. Although it is being eroded, we still have quite a largeRead More number of the population who still believes in it- 46,455 gun background checks per day since bama got in office- ( yes, we already do background checks for the majority of gun purchases)
Teleman May 19, 2013 at 04:57 pm
Let's face it- we can find niche studies to suit any position we take- but the justice departmentRead More study I am citing is a large piece that goes from 1993-2010- before, during and after the 1994 assault weapons ban -and it spans a pretty large time frame in which to draw these conslusions. This is a very comprehensive look at gun crime in the US- and it shows massive decline despite rising ownership. Deny all you want, because to continue your agenda, it's your only choice.
Abby Normal May 19, 2013 at 11:27 am
Tele, I keep hearing the mantra from the right saying more guns equal less crime. The truth howeverRead More flies in the face of this propaganda. A recent study actually shows that the highest homicide rates are in the states with the fewest gun controls. States like Louisiana, South Carolina, Mississippi and Alaska just to name a few. Sure, there are fewer homicides in Alaska than in New York, but adjusted for population, the per-ca-pita homicide rate is significantly lower in New York.
Victoria Hochman May 10, 2013 at 06:59 pm
thanks
Victoria Hochman May 10, 2013 at 06:51 pm
Thanks Liz, We appreciate your support and I will pass your kind comments on to our staff. I'm sureRead More it will mean a lot to them.
joshua tanner May 10, 2013 at 06:07 pm
Nice photo