Wynwood Arts District, Miami FL - 50 Blocks of Street Art
This incredible mural in Wynwood, Miami FL made me stop and stare. I felt just like her - falling into the sea, the waves lapping gently against my skin, cleansing water relaxing my body and soul... Ok it was hot and I was weary.
Travelling is exciting and tiring. Over the last couple of months we have been overloaded with new sights, sounds, tastes and feelings that have been fun, interesting, challenging, amazing and sometimes really sad. When you travel like us without much of a plan, you will experience such emotions, sometimes all in one day.
The Wynwood Arts District, in Miami Florida, is such a place for energy overload. Spread across 50 city blocks of former warehouses and unused buildings, there is more street art than one day of walking in sunny Miami heat can appreciate. Up-and-coming retailers, eateries and galleries pop up throughout the district but the real charm is the empty factories, car lots and industrial businesses that have been brought back to life from uninviting concrete walls to artscapes that pull you into their realm of sheer talent.
Quiggy and I live in Melbourne where urban graffiti is appreciated, free for the passers-by to critique, photograph, enjoy or hate. It is ever evolving as is here. The difference is the size of this project and it's dedication to art by attracting businesses solely interested in creative pursuits. It may take a while for the district to be complete, it is 50 blocks, but the mix of raw and polished is what keeps it's authenticity.
There are hundreds of murals colouring the walls, some by well known artists from across the globe, many are anonymous. Take a wrong turn down a quiet street? doesn't matter, the art isn't restricted to the main roads. We took wrong turns and had streets to ourselves, the art just kept on coming. Pity our stamina didn't.
This is a concrete jungle, even the silos are works of art. There are empty lots, some displaced humans, no free car parking and plenty of tourists. We didn't realise the scale of the area and could only manage a couple of hours walking in the sun (we did just arrive from chilly San Francisco). We got here before lunch so it wasn't too crowded and though most people are polite enough to move for your photo opportunity, it can be a rushed experience especially at the famous Wynwood Walls. They do hold private events here so check the site before going or just walk around the streets outside. When you've had enough head to the beach like we did. Sounds refreshing doesn't it? did I mention the traffic in Miami? Just think back to the first mural - falling into the sea, the waves lapping gently against your skin, cleansing water relaxing your body and soul.
Travel tip: Wear comfy shoes, a hat and make sure you have lots of photo storage. There's so much artwork on display you'll be in instagram heaven.
#Back to the car. Wait, where did we park?
#Skip the car, take a tour bus or uber
#Go on a photo rampage