Street Art Tour in New York

A street art tour in New York is the perfect way to see artworks of graffiti artists on the walls of New York. See works of, for example, Banksy and Eduardo Kobra. Especially Bushwick in Brooklyn and the Lower East Side in Manhattan are known for their many art murals. When you take a graffiti tour in New York with a guide, you’ll see and learn more about the New York street art than you would on your own.

Book the Brooklyn Street Art Tour here

Book the Manhattan Street Art Tour here

Street Art Tour in Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the beating heart of street art in New York. In the 1970s, graffiti was sprayed on the underground subways that stood in the Brooklyn shunting yard. The rolling artworks evolved from random paint scribbles to paintings with unique styles. Despite this, the New York City Transit Authority did not want its trolleys to be used and started fending off the artists. As a result, the industrial walls of Brooklyn became their new canvases.

Bushwick street art walking tour

The Bushwick district in particular is known for its many murals. The Bushwick Collective is a project in which both well-known and lesser-known artists participate every year. They get a piece of wall on which the most extraordinary works of art are made. Williamsburg and Greenpoint are also neighbourhoods full of creativity, and this is reflected in the streets. A fun way to learn more about street art in Brooklyn is by booking the Brooklyn street art tour.

Book the Brooklyn Street Art Walking Tour here

Street Art Tour in Manhattan

You can also admire street art on the walls of the buildings in Manhattan. Often large murals are created, which contain an underlying message. For example, Eduardo Kobra has created several wall paintings in Manhattan, most notably colourful murals of pop culture and historical figures, like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa and Albert Einstein.

At the corner of West 79th Street and Broadway in the Upper West Side, you can find a work of art by Banksy. The “Hammer Boy” is a simple silhouette of a child holding a hammer, and it looks like he is playing a carnival game. It is fun to walk by when exploring the area.

A well-known spot in the city is the Houston Bowery Wall. This piece of wall in the Lower East Side was painted by Keith Haring in 1982. Over the years, many other artists followed him, including Banksy and Shepard Fairey. Every few months, the wall is painted by a different artist, so the mural you wanted to see may be gone.

You can also find many works of Space Invader in New York, especially on the Lower East Side. To discover more street art in Manhattan, you can book the Manhattan street art tour.

Book the Street Art tour through the Lower East Side here

Different Types of Street Art

There are three different types of street art: graffiti, murals and street art.

• Graffiti is often done at night and consists of words and scribbles.
• A work based on an image or photo is called street art. In street art, only a small part of the wall is covered.
• A mural is a wall painting that takes up an entire wall. Street art and murals are created during the day.

Not only have artists discovered street art, but also companies, and this can be seen throughout the city. More and more brands are advertising through large murals or street art throughout the city. These are often very creative and perfect for a fun photo.

About Eric »

Hey there, I'm Eric!

I'm a true New York fan with over 20 years of experience visiting and living in NYC. Here on my website, I share all my tips and valuable information to help you make the most of your trip. I personally test and regularly re-test everything on my site to ensure that what I write is useful, honest, and always up-to-date.

If you have questions, are unsure about something, or want me to check your itinerary, please email me at eric@newyork.co.uk. You can also follow me on Facebook or Instagram to get daily updates from New York.

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Eric’s Tip: “Are you a big fan of street art? Then you should definitely stay at the citizenM Bowery, near the Lower East Side. The hotel houses the Museum of Street Art, a homage to the legendary 5 Pointz, a former landmark of street art. The museum is located in the staircase of the hotel and spans over 20 floors, where the work of many graffiti artists is being displayed. I recommend taking the lift to the top floor and then walking the stairs down to the bottom.”

Tips for Seeing Street Art in New York

• New York street art changes constantly, so most likely the pieces you see now won’t be there next month.
• Street art can be found in the most unexpected places, at all levels of the street. Keep your eyes open everywhere, from the ground to the tops of buildings.
• Make sure your phone/camera has plenty of battery and storage; you’ll be quickly taking hundreds of photos, especially in Bushwick, where the streets are covered in art.
• You can wander through the streets of New York to discover street art on your own. One useful way to do this is to follow one of my walking routes, which will take you through a certain neighbourhood and past some great murals. The Williamsburg – Greenpoint walk is ideal for this.
• If you are interested in learning about the New York street art scene and the work of local artists, it’s best to join a knowledgeable guide on a street art tour in New York.