Murals and Mosaics of Spanish Harlem: Amazing Street Art

There are 4 outdoor murals at our meeting place, and we spend time looking at and commenting on all of them. We also discuss the church, which is nicknamed “The People's Church” for its association with the Young Lords. They were a social justice and community empowerment group in Spanish Harlem from 1969-76, and they left a great legacy in the neighborhood. We do not go inside the church.(20 min)

We see one mural on the outside of this restaurant and one on the inside. This stop is one block East of our starting place.(5 min)

We walk 8 blocks from North to South, zigzagging between Lexington and Third Avenues, which are only a block apart. So, not much walking, but that is because this area is chock-a-block with public art! We stop to look at about 2 dozen murals and mosaics. And, all the while, we are just North of the Upper East Side and only 3 blocks from Central Park. The mosaics are all by the brilliant artist Manny Vega, who was recently celebrated in a year-long exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York.(1 hr 30 min)

We talk briefly about why there is a large Greek Orthodox Church in a neighborhood which has never been associated with residents of Greek heritage. But mainly we stop here to see the final mural on our route and say farewell. And because next to the church is the East 103rd St. stop on the #6 subway train. So that is an easy way to get to your next destination.(5 min)