Who doesn’t love Paris? This city has it all. While it may be crowded it is easy to see why throngs of people spill into the city year-round. The artistic spirit is more present here than anywhere in the world. From Renaissance at The Louvre, Impressionism at The Orsay, and contemporary alternative at Palais de Tokyo, Paris is filled to the brim with art. And the best part is even the streets are filled with incredible murals and graffiti. From lowbrow pop to politically-motivated and everything in between. The street art in Paris is stunning!

The 5th arrondissmeent and the 13th arrondissement are the mostly heavily painted of all the neighborhoods. You can’t turn a corner without seeing spray paint, paper cut-out plasters and mosaics. These neighborhoods are replete with art. Lots of which is hidden down little alleyways or in otherwise inconspicuous places. Be sure to keep an eye out.

One thing that makes street art so amazing is its anonymity. Very few of these artists actually sign their name to their work. This creates a certain mystery to the art that keeps you guessing. This street art is often times socio-political and its anonymous nature makes you wonder the back story of all these artists. In fact, it is said that the Les Halles green market in Paris is the birth place of street art. In the 70’s this market was an urban construction site that artists would use as an outdoor canvas. Gérard Zlotykamien was supposedly the first to enter and decided to spray paint images that evoked a nuclear destroyed Hiroshima. From then on out street art grew and grew throughout Paris. Today, it is all over and more moving than ever.

The Paris Metro is also a good spot to see some art. Since the underground is constantly crowded, seeing some exotic public art helps make the commute easier to swallow. Let’s face it, crowds in Paris suck. But, there’s always a silver lining. And masterful public art is a good one.

Paris is most definitely a socially and politically aware city. One of it’s best features to me. The city blends the upper crust with the starving artist too. They live within blocks of each other. And this blend (which being a New Yorker I am all too familiar with) is apparent down every block. Part of its charm however is that there does seem to be a peaceful co-existence. Most of the time.

Le Mur Des Je T’Aime or “Wall of I love you” in Montemarte is one of the city’s best. On 40 meters of tile the words “I love you” appear in 250 languages. It truly is romantic up close. After all, Paris is for lovers.

Some of the dirtier graffiti is just as cool as the immaculate building-high pieces. Paris has a little grit to it. But, it wouldn’t be Paris without it. You’ve got to take a little grime to give a city some authenticity. Paris is certainly unapologetic about each and every street. When visiting you’ll have to learn to appreciate it.

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My name is Shannon. I am a travel photographer and I have made it my mission to spread my joy of wanderlust to the masses. Through my lens I see the world and all its beauty and want to inspire others to get on that plane and fly. It's just me and my camera. My name is Shannon. I am a travel photographer and I have made it my mission to spread my joy of wanderlust to the masses. Through my lens I see the world and all its beauty and want to inspire others to get on that plane and fly. It's just me and my camera.