I love doing solo photography or sightseeing trips every once-in-a-while. I’m one of those people who is super content with being by themselves, whether it’s a lazy day by the pool, or traveling somewhere for some sightseeing.
Sunday morning I decided I needed some me time, so I packed up my camera and headed to Central Square in Cambridge.
There’s a place called Graffiti Alley in Central Square that I’ve been dying to go to. I saw a few pictures on instagram, read this history of it, and knew I had to visit. Other than my 10:30 am drive to a parking lot I found on google-maps, I had no plan other than to snap a few photos.
I knew this place could be busy because it’s a sunny summer weekend, so I headed out around 10:15 to beat the crowd. Despite a few closed roads, I was able to find Graffiti Alley with no trouble. I parked in a City of Cambridge Parking Lot (which was free on Sunday’s WOO), and walked about a minute until I found the alleyway. There is also a red-line T station (central station I believe) that is about a 1 min walk away!
It’s not super big, and it’s basically in the back of an H-Mart grocery store which I thought was funny. Essentially the walls on both sides just have graffiti on them, but in my opinion it should be called Street Art.
The masterpieces on both of the walls were absolutely amazing. In an article I read, “Graffiti Alley is the only place within Greater Boston that graffiti artists can paint without fear of being arrested”.
My first thought while walking down the alleyway was that this is clearly a space that encourages art and freedom of expression and fosters creativity. Much of the current graffiti related to current events, particularly the Black Lives Matter movement. One of the main idea’s behind this wall is that it is ever-changing, which is something I think is pretty amazing.
You could come to the wall, take pictures, see the artist’s depictions of current events- and in a month you could come back and the entire thing could be different.
I like the idea that it’s a pretty popular place, and it gives local artist’s a space to educate viewers about current events through their art. It’s also cool that they can get inspiration through things that are happening around them, and use the wall to bring attention to it.
On another note, this place is super instagrammable. If you’re willing to get up a little early, you could definitely have a very cool photoshoot with little to no people walking through the alleyway!
Below are a few photographs from my visit. I hope these photos will spark your interest and maybe even encourage you to go.
Boston & Beyond 