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While some of New York’s best graffiti spots may be hidden or inaccessible, aficionados can still find a variety of artwork, including throw-ups, murals, stencils and wheatpastes, just a short subway ride from Union Square.

East Williamsburg and the outskirts of Bushwick have long attracted graffiti artists who compete to display their work on the side of abandoned factories, vacant lots, and decrepit buildings. The availability of many legal walls have made it possible for some artists in Bushwick to pursue the transition from vandalism to legal painting. Legal walls are a focal point of debate between graffiti enthusiasts and detractors. But whether they discourage vandalism or not, different types of artists, including wheatpasters, jump at the opportunity to paint large murals or stencil pieces on legal sites.

Legal walls are often provided by commercial and industrial owners that want to fill up empty space on the side of their properties. Artists sometimes solicit walls individually after developing a portfolio, and can also be contracted by proprietors through graffiti crews and galleries.

The selection of a good legal wall is important. Graffiti artists, like advertisers, focus on the visibility of the wall and the quality of its surface. Flat concrete walls for instance are much easier to paint and are longer lasting than corrugated metal. Every detail is important because artists use these walls as a large canvas for their most complex pieces.

While on a recent walk through Brooklyn, we found many legal walls and some illegal types of graffiti. Below you will find an improvised tour of some of the most innovating styles in this outer borough. And if you like this tour, check out part I of A Self-Guided Brooklyn Graffiti Tour.

How to get there: Take the L Train from Union Square to the Morgan Avenue Station. Then proceed on foot at your discretion with the self-guided tour of the featured graffiti sites.

Before starting your tour we recommend stopping for coffee or tea at The Archive Café (49 Bogart St., bet. Grattan St. and Moore St.) Aside from their occasional movie screenings and arthouse film collection, they also serve bagels and sandwiches. For lunch we recommend that you have a torta or taco at the Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos (271 Starr St.,) or stop for a salad and soup at the Brooklyn Fire Proof Bar & Café (119 Ingraham St.)

1) Artist: Skewville Location: Corner of Bogart and Harrison, on Bogart

2) Artist: Lord Location: Corner of Seigel and White, on Seigel

3) Artist: Bisc Location: Corner of Siegel and White, on Seigel

4) Artist: Hoacs Location: Corner of Seigel and White, on Seigel

5) Artist: Leas Location: Corner of Seigel and White, on Seigel

6) Artist: Owns Location: Corner of Seigel and White, on White

7) Artist: ARS Location: Corner of Seigel and White, on White

8 ) Artist: Sers Location: Corner of Seigel and White, on White

9) Artist: Logek Location: Corner of Seigel and White, on White

10) Artist: Hers Location: Corner of White and Moore, on Moore

11) Artist: Stres Location: Corner of White and Moore, on Moore

12) Artist: Skewville Location: Bogart and Grattan, on Grattan

13) Artist: Cern/Cekis Location: Corner of Harrison Pl. and Morgan Ave., on Harrison

14) Artist: Jaes Location: Corner of Morgan Ave. and Harrison Pl., on Morgan

15) Artist: Wane Location: Corner of Morgan Ave. and Harrison Pl., on Morgan

16) Artist: Ewok Location: Corner of Morgan Ave. and Harrison Pl., on Morgan

17) Artist: Knows Location: Ingraham and Kinckerbocker Ave., on Knickerbocker

18) Artist: APlus Location: Ingraham and Kinckerbocker Ave., on Knickerbocker

19) Artist: Keo Location: Ingraham and Kinckerbocker Ave., on Knickerbocker

20) Artist: Pez Location: Ingraham and Kinckerbocker Ave., on Knickerbocker

21) Artist: Cern Location: Ingraham and Kinckerbocker Ave., on Knickerbocker

22) Artist: Zekis Location: Ingraham and Kinckerbocker Ave., on Knickerbocker

23) Artist: Spot Location: Ingraham and Kinckerbocker Ave., on Knickerbocker

24) Artist: Imminent Disaster Location: Wycoff, bet. Troutman and Jefferson

25) Artist: SP One Location: Wycoff, bet. Troutman and Jefferson

26) Artist: Broken Crow Location: Jefferson and Wycoff, on Jefferson

27) Artist: Read Location: Jefferson and Wycoff, on Jefferson

28) Artist: The Dude Company Location: Jefferson and Wycoff, on Jefferson

29) Artist: Bast Location:  Corner of Porter Ave. and Johnson Ave., on Johnson

30) Artist: Broken Crow Location: Johnson Ave. and Gardner Ave., on Gardner

31) Artist: Chris (Robots Will Kill) Location: Gardner Ave., bet. Johnson Ave. and Ingraham

32) Artist: ECB Location: Ingraham and Gardner Ave., on Ingraham

33) Artist: Chris Stain/Billy Mode Location: Flushing, bet. Knickerbocker Ave. and Noll

34) Artist: Cekis, Skope Location: Wilson Ave. and Noll, on Noll

Map of Featured Artwork

View Brooklyn Graffiti Tour Part 2 in a larger map

1 Skewville

2 Lord

3 Bisc

4 Hoacs

5 Leas

6 Owns

7 ARS

8 Sers

9 Logek

10 Hers

11 Stres

12 Skewville

13 Cern,Cekis(a)

13 Cern,Cekis(b)

14 Jaes

15 Wane

16 Ewok(a)

16 Ewok(b)

17 Knows

18 APlus

19 Keo

20 Pez

21 Cern

22 Zekis

23 Spot

24 Imminent Disaster

25 SP One

26 Broken Crow, Over Under(a)

26 Broken Crow, Over Under(b)

27 Read

28 The Dude Company

29 Bast

30 Broken Crow(a)

30 Broken Crow(b)

31 Chris (Robots Will Kill)

32 ECB

33 Chris Stain, Billy Mode(a)

33 Chris Stain, Billy Mode(b)

34 Cekis,Skope

Map It |

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