Welcome to Wynwood... Miami’s creative soul! Remember when you were a kid and got in trouble for writing on the walls? Well, here it’s celebrated in giant streets murals filled with amazing colors. Not even Covid could stop me from admiring from my car window.
This is art… as real as it gets!
And to think that this neighborhood was once a gloomy warehouse spot, today it has over 70 art galleries, trendy restaurants, the hippest bars and ever changing art painted on those old warehouse walls.
Wynwood dates back to 1917. Purchased as farmland, the area quickly grew into a working-class neighborhood and attracted many commercial residents as well. The Miami boom of the 1920’s brought huge companies like Coca-Cola, who built a bottling plant in the area.
It also grew into one of the country’s largest garment districts but as the area became more industrialized and other parts of Miami became more suburban, majority of residents left. By the late 1970s, Wynwood had become a not so safe neighborhood for its residents.
By 2009, urban visionary Tony Goldman who revived Soho and South Beach saw an opportunity to create a canvas for street art.
And so it began… Wynwood Walls opened a couple months later to coincide with Art Basel. To this day a monthly art showing called the Wynwood Art Walk takes place on the second Saturday of every month.
As a Miami-an who always got busted for coloring instead of paying attention to class… this fills my creative heart. Wynwood now brings in artists from all over the world to showcase their vibrant work and tourists who flock its streets to feel the energy. Let's not forget locals, yes... you can spot them here.
Every wall has a story… some are raw, emotional, happy, others showcase pop culture but all have one thing in common. They overflow your soul with colors and colors give hope and hope brings smiles…. And that is exactly what you will be doing after strolling Wynwood. Plus, there are so many 'instagrammable' spots… You will leave inspired believe me!
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