This post lists 6 locations in Brooklyn street art, accessible to visitors, including murals and graffiti created by both local and international artists.
Brooklyn is known worldwide for its street art.
The murals, wheat pastes, graffiti, and stencils you can see here are every bit as good as the street art you will find anywhere in NYC.
In fact, today's street art originated in Brooklyn and the Bronx. The 1970s saw the rise of graffiti on the side of subway cars.
Since the train yards were located in Brooklyn, many Brooklyn graffiti artists became known for their work.
Of course, society viewed subway graffiti as vandalism.
But as subway graffiti developed from random spray paint scrawlings into thought-out large-scale murals with unique styles, it came to be recognized as a new form of art.
From 1972 to 1989, the New York City Transit Authority spent hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up subway cars.
The city cracked down on the artists and littery stopped subway art in its tracks. Artists moved to the streets, using walls as canvasses.
Thus, street art was born. Today, street art is displayed in museums and art galleries around the world.
But the best way to see street art is on the streets of the city. A trip to Brooklyn is well worth the time.
TOP 6 PLACES FOR STREET ART Y GRAFFITI IN BROOKLYN
Click here to enlarge the map.
1) Bushwick Collective
Known worldwide, the Bushwick Collective is the first place to head to if you want to see a lot of top quality work in a relatively small area.
The surrounding neighborhood of Bushwick, just southeast of Williamsburg, is easy to reach by subway. (See directions here).
Bushwick is a pretty cool area to visit in general. You might want to set aside time to both see the murals and explore the neighborhood.
Take a look at our self-guided tour for some suggestions of what to see and where to shop and eat.
TIP: If you prefer a guided tour, which offers a brief history of the neighborhood, and a detailed description of the murals then, be sure to go on our pay-what-you-like Bushwick Graffiti and Street Art Tour.
2) DUMBO Walls
The DUMBO Walls started in 2012.
Eight walls near the York Street subway station were chosen as sites for several large murals by renowned artists like Shepard Fairey, MOMO, Yuko Shimizu, and others.
Some of these sites still have the original murals, others have new ones.
For example, as of 2019, one can still see the original, though somewhat faded, Shepard Fairey mural at the corner of York and Jay Street.
Also, some of CAM's huge colorful owls are still visible along York Street between Adams and Pearl Street.
Other walls have had several new murals since the DUMBO Walls were installed, like the corrugated metal wall on Front Street between Adams Street and Pearl Street.
Street art is temporary in nature. There may be a specific artist's mural on a wall one year and then the following year a new mural may be painted.
On the positive side, all sorts of art pop up in DUMBO constantly, so be on the lookout for random art in unexpected places!
Use this map to find the DUMBO Walls. Be sure to look at our post on things to do in DUMBO to find out what else to do there.
And if you are wondering how the neighborhood got its name (no, it's not named after Disney's loveable elephant), read our post on What does the acronym DUMBO stand for?"
TIP: The walls are the first stop on our GPS-led DUMBO audio tour and are a stop on most of our daily guided tours of the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights, and DUMBO.
3) Williamsburg
Decades ago Williamsburg, in particular the area along the East River, was primarily industrial and warehouses lined the streets.
Now, the former industrial part of the neighborhood is a residential magnet for young urban professionals and the old warehouses have been converted into condominiums.
However, there are still some of the old warehouses that have not been converted. They remain as large ‘canvasses’ inviting street artists.
At the corner of Bedford Ave. and North 9th Street you can see the well-known mural of Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat painted by Brazilian artist Kobra.
North 6th Street between Bedford and Kent Avenues is a location to check out.
Some artists whose work has appeared on walls in this area include Banksy and ROA. Also, you may find some excellent works on Moore Street and Wythe Avenue.
Stroll the area and discover for yourself. You never know whose work will show up next!
For more ideas on how to spend your time in the neighborhood, see our post on things to do in Williamsburg.
4) JMZ Walls
Named for the subway lines that run through this part of Bushwick, the project started in 2014 by a local artist, Alberto Mejia.
With the goal of beautifying the neighborhood, Mejia asked building owners if they would allow artists to use the building walls as canvasses.
He was successful and what started as a grass-roots group of locals has grown into an organized collective.
The JMZ Walls continues to connect artists with businesses and property owners who ‘donate’ their walls, storefront gates, or other spaces for the creation of large murals.
To see these walls, we suggest that you take the above-ground subway lines, the J/M/Z. Get off at Marcy Avenue Station.
From there, walk along Broadway which is parallel to the elevated tracks.
5) Coney Island Art Walls
Located near the famous Coney Island Boardwalk, there are over 30 walls dedicated to murals, curated by Joseph J. Sitt & Jeffrey Deitch.
This ‘outdoor museum’ of street art has included murals by famous artists like Lee Quinones, Aiko, Alexis Diaz, Buff Monster, Ron English, and many more.
The below video about the Coney Walls was made by artist Ron English.
The little green fella is "Temper Tot" a creation of English you can see in Little Italy as part of the L.I.S.A. Project.
The Coney Art Walls are located at 3050 Stillwell Avenue (map).
Be sure to check the website for dates/hours when you can see them as they are only accessible seasonally.
See our post on things to do in Coney Island and find out what other activities you can enjoy when you go see the walls.
6) Underhill Walls
Located on the corner of Underhill Avenue and St. John's Place in Prospect Heights is the Underhill Walls, a series of panels along 314 St. Johns Place.
The curator, Jeff Beler, lived locally and had been eyeing for years these walls on what was an abandoned building.
In 2015, he finally contacted the building owner who liked the idea of the property being beautified. The rest is history.
While the Underhill Walls project is smaller and lesser-known than the other locations in this post, it is worth a visit if you are heading to the excellent Brooklyn Museum, just a six-minute walk from the murals.
