Graffiti has been a part of New York City‘s history and culture for many years now – some of it thought-provoking, some haunting, some beautiful, and some downright offensive. Graffiti has evolved from a fringe movement into something more mainstream and lucrative. It’s a common myth that modern graffiti began in New York City. In fact, it began in Philadelphia in the 1960s. New York took a front-row seat in the modern graffiti movement in the late 60s, especially in places like Washington Heights, the Bronx and Brooklyn. Graffiti artists made their mark on walls, buildings, subway cars and more. Often, the graffiti of the 1960s took a political stance. As time went on, graffiti changed with the culture, implementing aspects of hip-hop, modernism, pop culture.

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