Cities with the Most Beautiful Graffiti: Art Without Boundaries – New York City, USA

New York City, USA

New York is undoubtedly the historical center of graffiti culture. Although the first graffiti appeared in Philadelphia in the late 1960s, it was in New York that it evolved into an art form. The 1970s and ’80s saw the Big Apple transform into a vibrant graffiti canvas, a stark contrast to the city as we know it today. Graffiti spread across New York City during this period, with walls, subways, and nearly any other surface being tagged by artists including Futura, Lady Pink, Blade, Dondi White, and Revolt.

At that time, New York, a city then grappling with high crime rates, was home to graffiti artists who did not enjoy a good reputation. Throughout the mid and late 1980s, the city declared war on graffiti, implementing tough measures such as stricter penalties, restrictions on the sale of paint, and an increased police presence. In 1985, a movement known as the “Clean Train” initiative began. This entailed graffiti-laden metro cars being promptly cleaned or completely replaced. May 1989 marked the end of an era for graffiti in the New York subway. The last graffiti-covered subway cars were taken out of service and replaced with trains that had clean, graffiti-free surfaces.

Since then, a new era of graffiti has begun in New York. Most artists transitioned to commissioned work, and some younger artists have never made murals illegally. The streets became sterile, adorned with cool and beautiful murals created with permission. However, the coronavirus lockdown, the rise in unemployment, and the death of George Floyd triggered a resurgence of graffiti in the city. It was as if the city was returning to its roots, as if the 1970s were echoing again. During the pandemic, some artists became audacious, painting buildings and walls even in broad daylight. But, as in the past, illegal graffiti carries its own dangers. A tragic incident occurred in 2022 when two French graffiti artists were killed by a train.

Despite this turbulent history, street art and graffiti in New York continue to attract visitors from all over the world to this day. There are plenty of spots in NYC to appreciate street art. Some of the most popular places include The Bushwick Collective, the Graffiti Hall of Fame, and the Welling Court Mural Project.