The huge number of murals and other street art in Bushwick is concentrated in just a few blocks, making it easy to see gobs of street art all at once. The Bushwick street art project is constantly adding new murals to the mix, too, so you never know what masterpiece you’ll stumble upon.

Getting to Bushwick, Brooklyn is an easy subway ride from Manhattan. So what are you waiting for? Head on over to see incredible Bushwick street art the next time you’re in town.

And you know how much I like to pack my posts full of helpful information, so I also cover the many cool things to do in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Read on to learn not only about the Bushwick murals in Brooklyn but also where to eat and shop in Bushwick as well as other things to do in this cool Brooklyn neighborhood.

All about Bushwick Street Art, Brooklyn

Bushwick, the neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, is one of New York City’s most colorful and street-art filled areas.

Walking around, you’ll probably notice that Bushwick is changing. The wholesalers and auto body shops in this working-class Brooklyn neighborhood watch as signs of gentrification move in. Zero-waste stores, craft beer, and tapas restaurants signal that wealthier residents are showing up.

Originally, Lenape Native Americans called this part of New York home. Then in the 1600s, a group of settlers got permission from the Lenape to form a community they called Boswijck, Dutch for “neighborhood in the woods.” (This peaceful agreement was later violated by European settlers and their descendants. They attacked Native Americans who lived in the hills around the original European settlement, annexing the area and expanding their territory.)

From its outset, Bushwick, Brooklyn was a community of immigrants. Its first settlers were Dutch, French and one of the first enslaved Africans brought to what is now New York, who had worked his way to freedom.

Nowadays, Bushwick is predominantly Hispanic: Almost 70% of people self-identify as Hispanic, with most residents’ heritage from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

History of street art in Bushwick and the Bushwick Collective

Since 2011, the Bushwick Collective—an organization of graffiti artists in Brooklyn who have turned this neighborhood into a street art mecca—have transformed an economically depressed area into one of the best places to see street art in New York City.

The Bushwick Collective was founded by Joe Ficalora, who was born in Bushwick. He wanted to transform a history of trauma—his father was murdered outside a subway station, and his mother died of brain cancer—as well as his home. So he began organizing other artists to make over Bushwick, turning the entire Brooklyn neighborhood into a street art gallery.

The Bushwick Street Art Collective works with artists, business owners, and the community at large to find locations for street art on a large scale. The organization also throws a party every summer, the Bushwick Collective Block Party.

Where to find street art in Bushwick

You might be asking, Where is this Bushwick graffiti? A better question: Where is it not?

You’ll see murals and graffiti as soon as you step out of the subway! Street art in Bushwick is everywhere: On walls above businesses, metal grates, even the sidewalk.

Most of the Brooklyn murals are centered around the main street in Bushwick, Wycoff Avenue. (This is where you’ll get off the L train subway at the Jefferson Street station.) Side streets, such as Troutman and Starr Streets, showcase murals and graffiti on almost every surface.

Although you’ll see a ton of Bushwick street art in just a few blocks, visitors who walk a bit farther afield will be rewarded. Off the beaten path murals were some of my favorites. So don’t stop exploring once you’ve seen the street art most visited by other tourists; keep going for fewer people—and terrific art. Walk a few blocks farther in each direction and you won’t be disappointed.

The many kinds of Bushwick street art

Murals are pretty clearly the most common kind of street art in Bushwick. Pretty much every spare wall, fence, and grate is covered in stunning, statement-making murals.

There are also small-scale Bushwick murals. Not all street art has to be giant and grand: You’ll find mini-sized murals on concrete traffic dividers and pretty much every other available surface. Keep your eyes out for other small-scale murals, for example near grates, on the sidewalks, or hiding in plain sight.

Bushwick murals and graffiti 

You’ll also find graffiti in Bushwick. What’s the difference between graffiti and murals?

Graffiti is stylized writing, often painstakingly painted with impressive effects. Graffiti isn’t necessarily tagging, though. What’s the difference between graffiti and tagging? Tagging is vandalism, often painted on by people marking their territory—literally leaving their mark. Whereas graffiti is often painted with the permission of the property owner and intended to be a more artful, lasting statement.

Sometimes murals and graffiti collide. I’m always super bummed when a mural that clearly took hours and even days to create is tagged. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, though.

Other types of street art in Bushwick

You’ll also find stencil street art in Bushwick. This form of street art is made by cutting a piece of hard cardboard, plastic, or other material to leave gaps that create a picture. Then the artist spray paints over the stencil, leaving an image behind.

Stencil street art is usually smaller in scale than the other Bushwick murals and graffiti, and you’ll notice it’s replicated multiple times. Since you can lay down a stencil and spray paint over it as many times as you want, you’ll find the same image or words over and over again, sometimes with slight variations.

Wheatpasting is another form of iterative street art. Instead of making a stencil and repeatedly painting a simple design, wheatpasting is a bit different.

This street art technique allows an artist to create a more intricate design, print multiple copies, then affix to a wall using wheatpaste—a mixture of water and flour. Wheatpaste street art is less permanent than street art using paint, since rain and the elements can make it deteriorate or fall off.

Finally, keep an eye out for other, even less traditional forms of street art in Brooklyn. I’ve heard there are sculptures of cats throughout this Brooklyn neighborhood, though I didn’t see any. And watch for telephone poles and other neighborhood structures cozied up in knitted “sweaters” and other fabric decorations.

The bottom line: Bushwick is literally an outdoor gallery full of all kinds of street art in Brooklyn.

Other things to do in Bushwick, Brooklyn

If you’re like me, street art in Bushwick is the biggest draw to this Brooklyn neighborhood. It doesn’t mean you have to stop there, though!

Here are other great things to do in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Where to eat in Bushwick

Bushwick is now full of delicious, well-regarded restaurants: In my recent visit, new cafes, tapas spots, and restaurants were being installed as I walked around. While I didn’t have a chance to try all the Bushwick restaurants, general consensus says Sea Wolf is amazing for seafood; Archie’s, Roberta’s and Union Pizza Works for pizza; and Kave Espresso Bar for fancy coffee.

Some of the restaurants in Bushwick have also embraced the neighborhood’s identity as a street art mecca. Dock Asian Eatery, for example, puts stunning murals front and center. I have a feeling that Dock’s Japanese-Thai fusion food is even more delicious under its impressive murals.

My favorite restaurant near the best Brooklyn murals

When I was looking for restaurants in Bushwick, I opted for old school and no-frills. I ate a big ol’ plate of tacos from Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos, a counter service restaurant/tortilla factory.

The corn tortillas are obviously fresh since they only have to be moved about 100 feet from the factory to the kitchen, where staff make your tacos right in front of you. And for 3 tacos for less than $10, it’s hard to get a more delicious, more filling meal in Bushwick for better than that.

When I went on a weekday, I got my tacos in about 5 minutes. If you go on a weekend, though, expect a crowd: Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos has become quite the popular taco spot in Brooklyn!

The ordering process is a bit unusual at Tortilleria Mexicana: Look at the menu and write down what you want on an index card you’ll find on the counter. Make a note if your order is to go or to stay and write down your name. Then place the card back on the counter. You’ll pay for your food and drinks when it’s ready and they call up your order.

Where to shop in Bushwick

Bushwick is becoming more hipster, so it makes sense you can now shop for artisan-made clothing, accessories and other goods made right in this Brooklyn neighborhood. Check out Shops at the Loom, a series of stores, and studios in a converted mill.

Better than Jam is an artist and craftsman collective, where makers sell their goods and offer workshops. You can buy clothes, scarves, soaps and other goodies. Or bring a well-loved piece of clothing that needs an update and they’ll indigo dye it, giving it a whole new life. You can even have it shipped home to you if you’re just visiting Bushwick.

And if you’re visiting the Bushwick Street Art Collective on a weekend, you can check out the Bushwick Market. This flea market on the corner of Wyckoff and Willoughby sells used knickknacks. I can’t vouch for whether you’re more likely to find treasure or, well, not-treasure, but it can be fun to hunt!

See more art in Bushwick

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to visit Microscope Gallery in Bushwick, a space that showcases work from contemporary artists that combine digital, moving image, sound, and performance pieces.

But y’all know how much I love unusual museums in New York so I’m putting the Microscope Gallery on my list for the next time I’m in NYC.

How to see Bushwick street art in Brooklyn

To get to the murals in Bushwick, take the L train to the Jefferson Street station in Brooklyn. You’ll find yourself on Wyckoff Avenue, named for a Dutch family who settled here in the 1650s.

As soon as you pop up out of the subway entrance, you’ll see the Bushwick street art all around you.

Is it safe to walk around in Bushwick? I went alone to this Brooklyn neighborhood and was walking around side streets with my DSLR camera. I never ever felt the slightest bit uncomfortable. That said, you should always remain aware of your surroundings and stay safe.

In general, there were plenty of other people looking at the Bushwick Collective street art. People are pretty friendly—I asked a local to take my photo in front of one mural. Other people had brought along friends or mini tripods to take photos.

Bushwick street art: The best murals in Brooklyn

No matter how you see the Bushwick street art collective in Brooklyn, you won’t regret your visit. This neighborhood is the best place in New York to see street art I’ve found so far!

Do you know of other street art neighborhoods in New York? Let me know! I can’t wait to check it out when I’m hunting for more things to do in New York!

PS – Don’t forget to check out my guide to non-touristy museums in New York and my other street art posts!

The post Bushwick Street Art: Where to Find the BEST Murals in Brooklyn (with pictures) appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

Eugene, Oregon recently commissioned a ton of new street art in anticipation of hosting the Olympics Trials in 2020. Throughout the city, improvements, parks projects and beautiful art installations are going up. That’s good news for everyone visiting Eugene, whether you’re there for the Olympic Trials or not.

The many murals in Downtown Eugene are one of the most visible and vibrant examples of these updates. Good news: You can see them all with my Eugene murals map, which takes you past all the street art in the center of this university town. Throughout the post, I’ll talk about murals and number them, so you can see what they correspond to on the murals map.

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Download the mural map here:

Also in this post, you’ll read about and see photos of other examples of public art in Downtown Eugene.

Finally, I have some other recommendations, including a Downtown Eugene restaurant that’ll fill you up and satisfy your love of street art at the same time! As always, this post is family friendly for the folks visiting Eugene with kids.

Whether you’re bringing along a crew or wandering Eugene solo, you definitely don’t want to miss these Downtown Eugene murals!

Start your Eugene mural walk: Hidden alley street art

If you’re visiting Eugene, Oregon on the weekend, good news: The main parking garage in Downtown Eugene is free! The parking garage on the northwest corner of 8th and Willamette is also your spot to start your Eugene mural walk.

If you park on the roof, like we did, you’ll see street art before you even hit the street! This parking garage has a handful of murals—look next to the elevators.

From the parking garage, walk half a block north on Willamette to find your first mural. In the alley between 7th and 8th, Matt Small’s geometric portrait peeks out [#1 on my Eugene mural map]. This mural in Eugene is unlike most others: Instead of painting directly on a wall, this British artist used a combination of paint, wood and metal rivets to create his vision.

Next, cross the street back to the parking garage. On the southwest corner of 7th and Willamette, you’ll find a tall mural celebrating artist AIKO’s Japanese culture [#2 on my Eugene mural map].

If you’re thirsty already, this Eugene mural is directly next to the newly opened Manifest Beer Company. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m so excited Downtown Eugene now has a craft beer-focused brew pub. (Eugene is serious about its beer.)

Next, walk south on Willamette. Just past Off the Waffle (a delicious and family friendly restaurant in Downtown Eugene), turn right into the alley. In the parking lot behind several bars, you’ll find two murals. One is a bird in flight [#3 on my Eugene mural map]. It reminds me of using pieces of masking tape to create the silhouette of an eagle. Unfortunately, a truck was parked right in front of it on the day we visited, but at least it color coordinated with the street art!

Directly across from the bird mural is one of my favorite street art spots in Eugene. What’s more, if you weren’t intentionally looking for this Eugene mural, you’d miss it, since it’s tucked away in an alley [#4 on my Eugene mural map]. Whenever we come to downtown Eugene we stop for a photo in front of this colorful, abstract mural. It reminds me of the futurism art movement, like a painting by Umberto Boccioni.

Your next leg of your Downtown Eugene street art tour

From here, continue south in the alley. Cross Broadway to find the next Eugene murals. This alley is like gold in terms of hidden street art treasure: It is home to four murals (though one is so small you might not spot it!).

First is the impressive, large scale mural by the duo behind Brazil’s Acidum Project [#5 on my Eugene mural map]. In fact, the mural is so big—and the alley so narrow—that it’s tough to step back and see it all at once (or photograph it all at once!). Instead, I found myself slowly walking along the alley, taking in the mural one bit at a time.

My kids, though, just wanted to see it at high speed: The alley is perfect for sprinting! Maybe they’re practicing for the 2020 Olympic Trials.

Continue along the alley to see several more murals, which aren’t noted on the most popular Eugene mural map. (They’re on mine, though!)

Opposite the Brazilian mural, you’ll find a large-scale portrait that 100% reminds me of a young Liza Minelli [#6 on my Eugene mural map]. I’m not sure if the artist was inspired by Liza’s early career, but I like to imagine so!

Directly next to Liza/Not-Liza, I fell in love with this stenciled mural by French artist Blek le Rat [#7 on my Eugene mural map]. I’m a sucker for the black and white contrast of stenciled murals—they remind me of paintings my dad made long before I was born but that still hang in my parents’ house.

Maxine and I had a blast pretending to be dancers with this street art in Eugene. Don’t worry, we won’t quit our day jobs.

Finally, keep an eye near ankle-level for a small but odd mini-mural. I’m not going to tell you what or where it is—I want it to be a surprise!

At this point, Maxine needed to use a bathroom, so we stopped by the beautiful Eugene Public Library. This building also has restrooms accessible after the library closes, so it’s a good stop.

Level 10 travel tip: If you’re doing this Eugene mural crawl with kids, the Eugene Public Library has a gigantic checkers board in its children’s section. We had a ton of fun goofing off in here!

Just outside the library, you’ll find more public art. The statues sitting in front of the library’s entrance just begs for a photo.

(You’ll see plenty of other bronze statues of people in Downtown Eugene, Oregon. One of the most famous Eugenians, Ken Kesey, has his own statue—and plaza—nearby, next to the Eugene outpost of Voodoo Doughnuts.)

From the library, cross Olive Street to the Downtown Eugene bus station. First, you can’t miss the enormous, ambitious mural by artist Beau Stanton. It covers the entire back wall of historic McDonald Theater [#8 on my Eugene mural map]. Unfortunately, construction on the bus station mostly obscured the mural when we visited, so I didn’t get a great photo. I hope you’re better able to see this large-scale painting when you head to Eugene!

Right around the corner, you’ll find a mural that looks like a surreal barnyard scene or cock fight [#9 on my Eugene mural map]. Maxine and Edie were fascinated/bewildered by this piece, which reminds me of the art and literature of magical realism.

Your final stops on the Downtown Eugene, Oregon street art tour

Walk through the Downtown Eugene bus station and turn right on 11th. If you’re hungry, grab a bite at Kiva, the alternative grocery store that’s been a Eugene favorite since bell bottoms were in style the first time.

In Kiva’s parking lot, it’s impossible to miss this three-part mural. It’s a bit ambiguous, but Max and Edie thought it depicted someone growing/sculpting a potted plant. I like murals that make you think. After all, the best street art is viewable as people go about their days shopping, commuting or running errands—and it makes people stop in their tracks. The best street art makes you notice beauty, or a challenging image, when you’d otherwise be distracted by the to-do list running through your brain.

Next, walk down Charnelton. Between 10th and Broadway, a Western-inspired scene takes up almost a block-long stretch of wall. This cowboy napping on his sleepy dog makes me think of a wide-open prairie, horses and the lowing of cows.

Finally, continue down Charnelton. Just past the intersection with 8th Avenue, you’ll walk past a stunning portrait of an old woman. This up-close mural lovingly shows her deep wrinkles. I can’t help but wonder about the life she might have lived.

From here, you’re only a block away from the parking garage where we started. Either head out—or, if you’re hungry, check out some of my favorite restaurants in Eugene for those who love street art!

Eugene restaurants for street art fans

By now, you’ve worked up an appetite on your self-guided tour of Eugene murals. You could grab a bite to eat downtown, as there are plenty of great restaurants in the area. But if you want to continue the Eugene murals theme, you’ll want to eat at one of these restaurants:

1. Whirled Pies

You’re in luck: If you made it to the end of the Eugene murals walk, you’re right in front of Whirled Pies, a local pizza joint with a Eugene twist. This pizza restaurant is on the same block as the old woman mural.

This Eugene pizza restaurant serves the usual pizzas by the slice or whole pie, plus a few Eugene-themed specials (like the West Jefferson, which is topped by chicken and peanut sauce). I appreciated that Whirled Pies also sells gluten-free pizza, and it was delicious. No cardboard-tasting crust here!

Heads up that Whirled Pies has pizza happy hour every day from 3-5pm. Medium cheese slices are only $1 (!!), and they have beverage specials too.

Inside, you’ll see that most of this Eugene restaurant’s walls are covered in a lifelike mural. The mural imagines an outdoor dinner party with diverse guests, from a flute-playing hippie to a Native woman in fancy dress, plus musicians, dancers, kids and even a cougar!

2. Cornbread Cafe

This vegan homestyle cooking restaurant is one of my favorite restaurants in Eugene, Oregon. I take my kids to Cornbread Cafe in part because of their terrific (and healthy) kids’ menu. I love all the vegetarian takes on diner food. (My fave: the Eugenewich on a gluten-free bun.)

And now there’s even more to appreciate at this vegan restaurant in Eugene, Oregon: A new mural of a little boy wading in the river has gone up in Cornbread Cafe’s parking lot! The mural looks a lot like a black and white photograph enlarged to take up an entire wall.

Go for the mural, stay for the vegan comfort food.

3. Falling Sky Brewing

If you’re looking for a brew pub that pays as much attention to its food as its beer, you’ve found it in Falling Sky Brewing. This Eugene brewery hand-crafts just about everything on its menu, from the dressings and fries to, of course, its beer.

Falling Sky has 42 taps of its own beer, and it’s constantly mixing up the rotation with new recipes. Plus, when it’s raining, you’ll get a 25 cent discount on your pint!

If it’s clear, though, sit outside on their back patio. And don’t leave without checking out the two murals next to Falling Sky, pictured below.

Are you excited for this super-fun thing to do in Eugene? Explore hotels near these amazing murals:

Discover street art in Eugene, Oregon

Whether you live in Eugene, Oregon, you’re just passing through, or Track Town USA is a vacation destination, I hope this post on the city’s street art has inspired you!

Eugene is constantly changing, and the pace of reinvention has only increased in anticipation of the Olympic Trials. I’m excited to see what’s next in my hometown!

Enjoy this suggestion for things to do in Downtown Eugene. Look for me hanging around these Eugene murals—I’ll be there every chance I can get.

PS – If you’re in the area, you’ll want to take a peek at some of Oregon’s best day trips!

The post Downtown Eugene murals walk: Oregon self guided street art tour (+ map!) appeared first on To & Fro Fam.