Well, not exactly disappearing. But transformed in large part. Interesting to see is what will happen now that the years and years of struggle against the city -the Rudiani years were the hardest- are seemingly over. Will NO RIO slide or actually continue to build? Will it become even more just like another city 'alternative' arts venue that exists really just for a small coterie of insiders (too many examples to mention). Take PS122 as an example, loose collective become exclusive institution. Will NO RIO now just support and promote a small stable of 'art stars' or remain totally open to all comers who have contributions to the area's cultural vitality -actually, that stopped quite some time ago. Principally, it is just good the building can't be turned in to another condo like the one next door to it. There is a core of committed NO RIO 'board members' left but is the art 'community' that lives around it now committed to collectivized, cooperative efforts or are they really rank careerists doing grunge rock or poetry until their cable teevee show contract offer? In one sense even subordinating to the hoop-jumping demanded by the city bureaucracy in order to win the building for $1 is a capitulation and belies a seeping indoctrination to a level of being socialized that will automatically exclude goings on in NO RIO like to that which exploded out of the place from the early '80's through, say, 1996 or 7, after which the creeping institutionalization and neighborhood wash-out left the place bereft of its peak energies. But any level of creative life-living that gets an outlet there is way more than welcome. I do have respect for a few of the steerers of the place who are left. But I do not think the founding sense of total ANARCHY and chaos that got focussed by the place really even exist there at this point. Being unacceptable in an acceptable way isn't the same as avoiding acceptability out of indifference to it. Not at all. Farewell Charming Old New York, hello a bit more well mannered No RIO.