Lower East Side graffiti: Where to find epic New York street art (+ photos!)

If you’re anything like me (and I’d bet you are), you love to travel. You also love to discover new things, explore new places and seek experiences that aren’t in every guidebook. That’s why I’m so excited you’re reading this post! If you’re looking for unique things to do in New York City, you should definitely check out Lower East Side graffiti and street art.

Each of New York’s many (and overlapping) neighborhoods has its own personality, its own flair. The Lower East Side (LES) is no different.

You can find some of the best street art in NYC in this part of Manhattan. In fact, the Lower East Side has one of the highest concentrations of murals and graffiti in all of New York City!

(Read all about another one of the mural hotspots, Bushwick in Brooklyn, in my post!)

So the next time you’re looking for things to do in New York City, don’t sleep on the Lower East Side. The murals here are world-class. You’ll find street art on just about every block.

That’s my favorite way to experience graffiti: discovering each example of street art as you wander the neighborhood.

So lace up your shoes, charge your camera and head to the Lower East Side. (Not heading to NYC immediately? Then pin this post for your next trip!!)

Things to do – Lower East Side

There are so many great things to do in the Lower East Side. This New York neighborhood is practically synonymous with immigrants, leading to a rich tapestry of cultures and backgrounds. Different immigrant groups have put down roots here, from the Irish and Eastern European Jews to the Chinese and Puerto Ricans.

Some of these identities are reflected in Lower East Side graffiti and street art you can see across the neighborhood.

Like many New York City neighborhoods, the Lower East Side is incredibly walkable. You can wander all over this area and stumble upon murals on nearly every block.

What’s special about Lower East Side graffiti?

I personally think that any concentration of world-class street art is special, no matter the neighborhood. The Lower East Side is certainly no exception.

Lower East Side graffiti is incredibly diverse in style, content, point of view and even size. Some murals cover enormously tall buildings, rising maybe 10 stories into the New York sky. Others are small, left in a nook in an alleyway or on a night club door.

Like a lot of street art, Lower East Side graffiti can be political. Murals are public art and inherently more accessible than artwork in, for example, one of New York City’s museums. Many artists who paint on walls—with permission or without—are counterculture.

That means that quite a lot of street art takes a strong stance on political or social issues. One of my favorite Lower East Side murals depicts George Floyd in beautiful brushstrokes of color. To me, this street art portrait says that while George Floyd’s murder was a brutal injustice, he as a person was a beautiful human with a vibrant life.

Where to find murals in LES, NYC (including lots of photos!)

First off, if you’re not already familiar, LES stands for the Lower East Side in New York. (Isn’t it easier to write and say?) So let’s talk where to find murals in this neighborhood.

Truth is, if you wander around (one of my fave things to do on the Lower East Side, and all of New York!), you’ll bump into murals. As soon as you begin looking for it, you’ll see graffiti and street art on nearly every block.

That said, there are a few hotspots where you can find a ton of Lower East Side graffiti. Read on to plan your adventure. It’s like a scavenger hunt to see all this gorgeous street art!

LES business gates (100 Gates Project)

When the day ends, the Lower East Side turns into a huge art gallery. That’s because many businesses in the LES participate in the 100 Gates Projects, which pairs street artists with business owners. The artists paint a mural on the metal gate that covers a storefront when the business is closed.

Even though evenings and Sundays are the best time to see these murals, since more businesses are closed at those times, you’ll still spot plenty of gate murals in other times. Keep an eye out and you’ll see pops of color on gates—which would have been boring grey otherwise.

I’m in love with this project, in part because it brings art to everyone.

Freeman Alley Graffiti Wall

Freeman Alley in the Lower East Side is a narrow stretch where all the walls—and even the pavement—are covered in graffiti, stencils, stickers and other artwork. This spot is constantly changing as street artists add their own flair to the evolving alley.

Freeman Alley Graffiti Wall is also a great place to see all different types of street art in one place. You’ll spot stickers, of course, as well as stenciled artwork and words. You’ll also see wheatpaste art, where artists stick posters or other paper-based images to the wall using a glue-like mixture of water and flour.

Keep an eye out for small-scale paintings and murals, too. Well known artists as well as newcomers on the scene add their mark in this special street art destination.

Whether you’re looking at one piece up close or taking in the entire space, Freeman Alley is a terrific spot for street art in NYC!

First Street Green Art Park + Cultural Park

What used to be an abandoned lot in the Lower East Side is now a community hub. The First Street Green Art Park forms an alley between East 1st Street and Houston (pronounced “house-tun” not the Texas city “h-use-tun”). Open-air movies, concerts, performances and other cultural events routinely come to this hidden park. You can see great Lower East Side graffiti hear anytime.

You’ll spot murals on both sides of the lot.

When you walk east along Houston, you’ll find yourself in an unexpected green space. Called the First Street Green Cultural Park, this space has hidden murals you’ll want to check out.

Artists have painted on the walls that border the green space. Walk through this area and you might forget you’re right next to one of NYC’s busiest streets.

Don’t forget to look closely! In some cases, plants have incorporated themselves into the art. It’s like they didn’t want to be left out of the fun!

First Street Garden

If you weren’t looking for it, you’d probably pass the little First Street Garden without a second glance. This green space is one of many community-run gardens in New York. In fact, when my sister and I stumbled upon it, two people were tending to the plants.

You might not expect to find murals in a community garden, but the First Street Garden is full of ’em. Most fit within an activist and women leaders theme. You’ll find portraits of Shirley Chisolm and Ida B Wells, among many other trailblazers, behind garden beds and greenery.

More Lower East Side street art in NYC

While the hotspots I detail above have high concentrations of murals in one place, you’ll find impressive murals throughout the entire Lower East Side.

Here’s how I recommend you search for street art. You can either walk a route between the areas I outlined above, looking for murals on the blocks in between.

You can also simply show up and wander, finding street art like treasure scattered throughout the LES.

Take the subway to the Lower East Side. Take your time walking throughout the neighborhood, keeping a keen eye out for murals.

(Remember, they might be painted on business gates, doors, alleys and even parks. Pretty much all public space is fair game!)

You have plenty of options for subway stops. Which one works best for you depends on where you’re coming from. I recommend these subway stops to see Lower East Side graffiti:

• 2nd Ave – F
• Bowery – J/Z
• Grand St – B/D
• Essex/Delancey – F/M/J/Z

Places to eat – Lower East Side, NY

This self-guided street art tour in New York is sure to make you hungry! While you’re exploring the Lower East Side area, check out my favorite places to eat in the Lower East Side.

Erin McKenna’s Bakery – Do you love gluten-free, vegan doughnuts as much as I do? Of course you do. That’s why you need to snag these sweet treats when you’re hungry in the Lower East Side. Buy doughnuts, mini doughnuts, bagels, breads and other sweet pastries here at Erin McKenna’s Bakery.

Essex Market – Feeling indecisive? Exploring with friends who can’t agree where to eat? Then head to Essex Market, the public market that’s been open more than 100 years in the LES, NYC. Grab a bagel, sandwich, pastry, turnover, empanada or about a million other yummy food choices. You can dine inside (if you show proof of vaccination, as of Nov 17, 2021) or get food to go. You’ll also find multiple cafes where you can order tea or coffee.

Jajaja Plantas Mexicana – I dare you to say, or eat at, Jajaja without smiling to yourself. The name is literally a laugh, and the all-vegan menu will make your tummy just as glad. I particularly recommend the Buffalo Flower street taco. yum. Jajaja is also well known for their tequila and mezcal, both for sipping and in cocktails. (Find Jajaja on the border between the Lower East Side and Chinatown.)

Pardon My French – If you wrap up your street art tour at cocktail o’clock, make your way to Pardon My French. Their inventive cocktails will make you want to taste through their drinks menu… but be careful because they’re powerful! You might want to order a good base of a burger or baked brie so you don’t have to stumble home.

Where else can I find amazing New York street art?

Luckily for all street art lovers, New York is simply full of epic murals. That said, some neighborhoods are hotspots for graffiti.

These New York neighborhoods have murals that will stay for years; some also have spots where graffiti artists repaint the same wall over and over again. I personally love that street art becomes an ever-rotating gallery. That way it allows newcomer artists to share their work, and street artists can respond to current events or social movements.

Check out some of these other street art destinations in New York City.

Chinatown

The neighborhood to the south of the Lower East Side, Chinatown, also has a ton of gorgeous street art. Walk south from the LES and you’ll stumble across murals, many of which reflect Asian influences.

Bushwick, Brooklyn

One of the best street art locations in New York is undoubtedly Bushwick, in Brooklyn. This neighborhood is simply full of world-class murals from local and international street artists alike.

You’ll definitely want to read all the details in my blog post about the Bushwick street art scene.

Harlem

Brief story: When now-Hubs and I first moved in together about a million years ago, we lived in the basement of a brownstone in Harlem. I was dirt broke so just about everything I did had to be free. Luckily, looking at street art in Harlem cost not a penny!

More recently, I explored Harlem’s Audobon murals and more. This project commissioned street artists to paint bird murals all throughout the neighborhood.

Of course, you’ll also find graffiti and murals unrelated to anything avian. Harlem’s street art is definitely worth a subway trip uptown.

By now, I’m sure you agree that looking at New York City street art is one of the best and most unique things to do in NYC, especially in the Lower East Side. I simply can’t wait for you to travel to New York and explore all these murals!

Do you have a favorite example of Lower East Side graffiti from this post? Let me know in the comments!

And don’t forget to pin this post for later! You’ll want to remember where to find murals in New York City!