I’m a huge fan of street art and one of the biggest perks of visiting a city is discovering the street art scene. In San Francisco some of that street art can be found in Clarion Alley which is a small street in between Mission and Valencia Streets and 17th and 18th Streets. This alley is well known for the murals painted by the Clarion Alley Mural Project.
Clarion Alley is a place you can keep coming back to because the art is always changing. This means you’re very likely to find something new every time you go. It’s also completely free to walk through the alley and it’s open 24/7. I do suggest going in daylight as the alley is not lit up and you’ll probably miss most of the pieces if you go in the dark. There is street parking around the roads but it’s also accessible via public transit.
Some of the murals are political in nature and some of them offer social commentary like the following pieces:
When we were there, a new piece was being added and it was to honour two victims of the Ghost Ship Fire. The victims were a couple, Michela Gregory and Alex Vega. You can read more about this piece on the official Clarion Alley site.
A few of my other favorites:
It may seem like I took pictures of everything since there are so many yet this isn’t even a quarter of the alley. That’s how much great art and content there is to be seen. If you want more information please visit the official site. There’s lots of information on the project as well as the history of it.
Have you ever visited this hidden gem? What was your favorite piece? Let me know in the comments! As always, follow me on bloglovin’ or subscribe to find out about the latest posts!
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While I havent visited the locations you have shown, I do love and appreciate grafitti. There’s a level of rawness and creativity to it. The expression of art. In toronto at Union station, when you pull in on the train theres an entire stretch of grafitti, and they all look so different yet so cool.
Author
Yes! Toronto’s street art is fantastic. I loooove Graffiti Alley. Was going to feature that soon!
Wow, the artwork here looks so great! It must have been fun to explore. I love the political graphics, and was saddened by the artwork of the couple 🙁
Thanks for sharing!
xoxo
http://kristaaoki.com
Author
It was definitely fun! We walked back and forth for a bit to be able to take it all in. I was saddened by the couple’s story too but it’s such a beautiful memory of them!
There is such great art in street art. So much personal style from the artists.
Author
Definitely agree! You can see different personalities shine through.
Fun! I love street art, it makes a city so colorful 🙂
Author
It really does! San Francisco had it everywhere too, it was amazing to look at!
This street art is beautiful! I grew up in NYC so graffiti was all over the place but not always this out together and artistic. Ty for sharing love it !!
Author
I’m heading to NYC at the end of this month and can’t wait to discover the street art! Any tips?
I’ve been to Mission a few times but I have never seen any of these! Next time when I go back to SF, I know where to look 😀
Author
Yes! I loved Mission and now I have another reason to go back!
My favorite: “My solution is probably worse than the problem”. Haha… But on a serious note, the one remembering the victims of the Ghost Ship fire is beautiful, and as they were most likely artist themselves, a wonderful tribute.
Author
It definitely is a beautiful tribute.
I personally totally related to the solution one as well!
I still have yet to visit San Fran! The only time I’ve been there was a layover… I’m also always looking for different street art for outfit posts or just to admire because they’re so cool! These ones are beautiful! Awesome post
xoxo Olivia
http://www.ourwanderingmind.com
Author
Love street art for outfit posts! They make for fantastic backdrops!
Very Cool! I miss San Fran! There is so much good art up there. I’m in DTLA and it’s become quite a good nook. Great pics!
Author
Thank you! I can imagine LA having a fantastic street art scene!
This street art is amazing! Cool pictures.
Maria | http://finastyleblog.com
Author
Thank you 🙂
This looks so amazing! My favorite part about going to new cities is checking out all the artwork. It’s amazing how talented people are!
Author
It really is! It always blows my mind how talented some of these artists are!
Clarion Alley looks pretty awesome. We do want to visit San Fran and we are fans of street art so we will make sure to check it out.
Author
It’s fantastic and free so definitely worth a visit!