Spray paint cans are the latest unconventional objects in New York City to be arranged in the form of a Christmas tree. Standing in Freeman Alley at the UNTITLED Hotel on the Lower East Side, this graffiti-themed tree is made entirely of spray paint cans sourced from artists within the LES community and supplies from the iconic All City Legends art shop in Harlem. The festive display honors the creators who have made the alley a new street art hotspot.
Walking down Freeman Alley is like walking through a hidden art gallery. The building walls on either side are covered in colorful street art and wheat pastings. Jimmy Wright, an artist who lives in a 19th-century stable on Freeman Alley, told WNYC that there has been street art there since the 1980s, but the proliferation of art really took off during the Black Lives Matter protests.
The alley runs about halfway through the block between Rivington and Stanton Streets, parallel to Bowery and Chrystie Street. It opens at Rivington and dead-ends at Freeman's Restaurant which opened in 2004. The alley is just a few blocks away from another popular street art spot, the Bowery Wall Mural at the corner of Houston Street, where artists like Keith Haring, JR, and Banksy have left their marks.
In the early 1900s, Freeman Alley was where the bread lines would form for the nearby Bowery Mission. The short stretch of street was officially de-mapped at that time. Over the course of the 20th century, the alley remained a largely forgotten backstreet. Now, Freeman Alley is a vibrant corridor flanked by shops, restaurants, galleries, and the UNTITLED Hotel.
The tree will be on display through the holiday season on the ground floor outdoor terrace of UNTITLED hotel located at 3 Freeman Alley. Guests are invited to tag the tree with their own sticker “ornaments.”
Secrets of the Bowery Tour
Check out Freeman Alley on our upcoming tour of the Bowery, NYC's oldest thoroughfare!
