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
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram