A local’s guide to London’s street art from Shoreditch to Camden Town and Spitalfields – all the best neighborhoods to visit in London for graffiti and art!
Depending on the kind of visit you’re doing in London, there are oh, so many beautiful neighborhoods to visit, and some of my favorites are those in which murals and graffiti cover the walls.
I’ve always considered street art spots must-visits when traveling to any city.
For instance, street art in Rome is very different from that in London, and both showcase the different mindset of the inhabitants…
Making it, beyond a controversial matter, a necessary part of the culture.
London’s Street Art: The Best Neighborhoods To Visit
A local’s guide to the best neighborhoods for street art in London, from famous Shoreditch to lesser-known Bethnal Green!
I have lived in many different areas in London; from posh neighborhoods like West Hampstead, to poorer areas like Bethnal Green and Tottenham, and have found that in most of these, you will come across street art pieces at some point.
This guide includes some of the most famous areas of London when it comes to art; Brick Lane, Shoreditch, and Camden Town included.
However, I have also thought it would be interesting to include neighborhoods in which you wouldn’t think of finding street art…
Allowing you to, possibly, discover hidden gems in each of these areas, way beyond murals, stickers and graffiti!
Where to Find Street Art in London: Voss Street and Bethnal Green Area
One of the liveliest neighborhoods in East London, Bethnal Green was one I called home for about a year.
The street art pieces there are scattered all the way down from Bethnal Green station to Brick Lane.
Voss Street, a secret mews street hidden behind Bethnal Green Road, has an open-air gallery designed by the artists at the Matchbox Collective.
This right here is of the most secret photo spots in London, really!
On Barnet Grove, which makes the angle with Bethnal Green Road (closer to Brick Lane, again), you will also find huge murals that change pretty regularly.
Read: The Curious Traveler’s Guide to Bethnal Green, East London
Best Street Art Neighborhoods in London: Brick Lane
Now, if you’re already on your way to visit Brick Lane (it is, after all, one of the best shopping streets in London!), do take some time to enjoy the street art pieces there.
Often controversial, sometimes cute, Brick Lane’s street art is undeniably one of the best in London, and ranges from sculptures to stickers and huge murals.
Other streets to check out, right off Brick Lane, include:
- Buxton Street
- Fashion Street
- Hanbury Street
In these three streets, you will find other kinds of stencil art, and if you’re looking for even more hidden gems, I cannot recommend a visit to the Car Park on Sclater Street enough.
Read: The Curious Traveler’s Guide to London’s Instagrammable Places
Where to Find Street Art in London: Shoreditch
If you’re visiting Brick Lane for street art, one thing’s for sure: you can’t miss out on Shoreditch!
There are many streets in Shoreditch covered in murals, stencil art and graffiti, including:
- Sclater Street
- Fenchurch Street
- Chance Street (a must-visit!)
- New Inn Broadway, which also doubles as a literary location with the Romeo & Juliet mural and the William Shakespeare statue
- New Inn Yard, with its multicolored stencil art
Commercial Road, between Shoreditch and Liverpool Street, also offers its fair share of street art, although there are fewer pieces there.
However, since Commercial Road is also very close to Dulce Coffee and Grounded, two amazing halal cafes for a Full English breakfast, this is still a place to visit, and loaded with history as well!
When you’re done visiting the street art, walk about 5 minutes from Shoreditch High Street station and you’ll reach the secret Mark Street Gardens; perfect to rest and have lunch on the go.
Best Street Art Neighborhoods in London: Ackroyd Drive Greenlink, Tower Hamlets
Close to the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, the Ackroyd Drive Greenlink is established in such a local neighborhood that you would never think you’d come across such a great street art spot in the surroundings.
Below the railway, in this natural reserve, you will find many murals which revolve around endangered species and nature protection.
While the Ackroyd Drive Greenlink was created in the 1990s, the murals are much more recent, colorful, striking, with such a noble cause that, if you’re walking around the Tower Hamlets area, I would definitely recommend you stop by.
Read: The Curious Traveler’s Guide to Fleet Street, City of London
Where to Find Street Art in London: Soho, Central London
Carnaby Street, along with Old Compton Road, Dean Street and Brewer Street in Soho, are other places you can check out for satisfying bits of street art.
My favorite in Carnaby Street is actually interactive; Shaida, a virtual walking woman who has been walking since 2015.
Another place to visit in Soho for street art, which I love using as a photo spot, is Orange Yard, close to Charing Cross Road, and beautiful with its paintings of orange trees.
Read: The Curious Traveler’s Guide to London’s Best Restaurants
Best Street Art Neighborhoods in London: West Hampstead and Kilburn Areas
While West Hampstead is a sophisticated area, its proximity to the lively, more popular Kilburn High Road means you will find a few street art pieces between these two locations.
In Quex Mews, namely, you will find one of the most artistic hidden gems in London, with a mural representing a Madonna-esque girl carrying a Pikachu.
This is one I loved to walk past when I lived in West Hampstead!
Closer to Kilburn Station, you will also find murals and a few stencil art pieces, including in the back streets around Espalier Gardens.
Read: The Best Things to Do on London’s Piccadilly Line
Where to Find Street Art in London: Puma Court, Spitalfields
The Spitalfields neighborhood is better known for its vintage and street food market than for its street art, but stop by Puma Court, and you will find the same kind of street art you would on Brick Lane.
This historic street, which used to house almshouses, has the front buildings covered in stickers and graffiti, while the back part is lined with old shopfronts.
A beautiful contrast which reflects very well the London culture!
We’re close to the Liverpool Street area here, with places like Eataly for street food, and the Kindertransport sculptures being two spots you should check out too.
Or, if you are starting your itinerary from Liverpool Street, walk down Hanbury Street, and you will soon reach Brick Lane!
Read: The Best Things to Do in London When It Rains
Best Street Art Neighborhoods in London: Aberfeldy Street, Poplar
In the Poplar area, located close to Canary Wharf, Aberfeldy Street is one of the most colorful places you could find in London… and you would definitely not expect it in such a local area.
Echoing East London’s past in tapestry, Aberfeldy Street has seen its buildings covered in multiple colors a few years ago, with murals etched on both sides of the street.
For more street art, you will also find on both ends of Aberfeldy Street, huge murals:
- One on Dee Street
- And one at the crossroads between Darnaway Place and Aberfeldy Street
Read my guide to Aberfeldy Street in Poplar to discover its patterns, street art, and learn about this secret spot.
Where to Find Street Art in London: Hoxton, East London
Close to the Hoxton Arches, in East London, a few street art pieces will catch your attention as you walk around the area.
Granted, there are many more places to see street art in Shoreditch, but as you’re walking from Columbia Road Flower Market to, say, the Museum of the Home, you will most likely pass by the ones I’ve pictured above.
PS. The Museum of the Home is an enticing, completely free museum – one I definitely recommend you visit at least once, if only to get lost in time while you’re admiring parlors, living rooms and artifacts from the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries…
Read: The Best Romantic Date Ideas in London
Best Street Art Neighborhoods in London: Camden Town
In many of the tiny streets off Camden High Street, you will come across lots of street art – some of my favorite pieces are the ones depicting late singer Amy Winehouse.
Walk out of the Stables Market, and you will already find stencil art, stickers and murals in the area: under the Camden Lock bridge, for instance, is where I love to see what new street art has been painted.
Read: The Best Things to Do During Summer in London
Where to Find Street Art in London: Uxbridge Street and Portobello Road
All along Portobello Road, you will catch a glimpse of street art and stencils, but one place you wouldn’t think of finding murals is Uxbridge Street, which also doubles as one of the most colorful streets in Notting Hill.
The area, which gives off clear vibes of a tiny village inside London, also offers a few cute coffee shops, and colorful rows of houses down Hillgate Place, Farm Street, and Farm Place.
Read: The Best Free Things to Do on London’s Central Line
Best Street Art Neighborhoods in London: Globe Town, East London
Globe Town, near Bethnal Green station, is a really local place in which you don’t really find tourists, ever.
However, you will find along the street a couple of murals and street art pieces, including on Rickman House.
The Globe Town Primary School is also covered in mosaics (bottom pictures), made by locals with the help of students, and a really cool sight after a coffee and a croissant at the Quarantacinque coffee shop.
Also, when you’re in Globe Town, you’re close to some of my favorite charity shops in Bethnal Green: Ayoka, Lama’s Pyjamas, and the Jambala Bookshop.
Great if you’re looking for some unique pieces!
London’s Street Art: The Best Neighborhoods To Visit
There you have them, the best neighborhoods to spot street art in London, from Globe Town to Camden Town and Brick Lane!
You’ll hopefully have found here some new areas you didn’t think you would include on your bucket list, but believe me: each of these places is great to visit, with shops, restaurants, and landmarks that add another dimension to any London trip!
Until next time!
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- The Curious Traveler’s Guide to Canary Wharf, East London
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