Balmy Alley

Interesting colorful street in the Mission District filled with beautiful murals. Each wall has a story: about culture, history, and community. It’s a great place for photos and to see local art up close. Best to visit during the day and take your time walking through.

San Francisco's most amazing street art, murals, graffiti. It's in Mission District near 24th and Mission. The street is cobble or brick lined. Can have some good latin street food near the middle of the stroll. Great place to bring kids for some San Francisco early history experience.

Neat little alley with some amazing and beautiful art work. But it was a tight squeeze in a few spots where residents where parked. But we made it with not too much trouble! Good luck and have fun!

Beautiful murals! Loved the colors and variety of artwork. Beautiful flowers and plants the whole way, too. Great small walk through short alley for our whole family.

Good quick stop and close by art stairways. We drove through a 1 way alley, quick stop for pictures. Painting on the garage door and the new ones on the beginning alley. Old and wash out painting toward the ends.

It was a real pleasure meeting street artist Roberto Guerrero today! The conversation with him about his artwork, artistic process, and background was incredibly interesting. I definitely recommend this place to anyone interested in street art, and it’s a great opportunity to have a brief chat with some of the artists, if they happen to be around. Have fun! :)

We went to an event unveil new art work. It was posted on social media. There was so many welcoming people, including artist to talk to. They had a DJ playing music as we dance. Some people offering free drinks, other selling food and drinks. It was a very lively and welcoming event and we really enjoyed the art.

I love graffitis so this is the best place to see many. All the walls on street, lanes, restaurants are full of graffiti. The designs are beautiful and different. It keeps changing to with the new ones. Some of them has a meaning. Check insta for more. nomadic_mandeep

If you walk fast, you can easily miss this side street that's filled with incredible street art. After having lunch in the Mission I decided to take a walk and check out the area. I'm always driving through, getting whether I need and leave. I realize just how much culture and awesome things I miss by not walking around. You can easily spend 30 mins here because there are so many murals, each one being unique on its own. If you're looking for something to do on the weekend, check this street out if you haven't before and get lunch nearby!

I recently learned about the public art collection along Balmy Street in SF, and decided to check it out this past weekend. Loved the artwork along the fences and garages, diverse and colorful murals created by a range of artists, focusing mainly on the topic of human rights, but everchanging and updated over time... I even found one with bunnies (if you look hard enough to notice) - Victorion, El Defensor de la Misión by Sirron Norris. According to the Balmy Street Murals main website, they apparently have a guided tour through Precita Eyes, but it probably wouldn't take more than 15 minutes to explore on your own and appreciate the talent on display. It's mostly in decent condition, and the area is typical of the Mission district, there was one homeless person we saw along the block and the smell of urine while walking through a small part, but other than that, it was clean and comfortable enough to enjoy the brief stretch of street art, and convenient after shopping at one of the stores nearby.

Balmy street Murals is not a business per se, but murals painted on buildings. Eye catching, interesting, sometimes provoking.

Wow! Talk about your diamond in the rough! Solid stop and powerful murals! Add this to your "to do" list of public art in San Francisco!

In the 70s, a couple of artists renting an apartment on Balmy Street decided to decorate the outside of their residence with a mural. A few years later, artist Raymond Patlan helped to get the rest of the street covered with 27 more murals. The series of murals by Patlan feature themes such as Central American culture, U.S. intervention in Central American wars, colonization, and industrialization. Additional murals added within the last ten years focus on topics such as police brutality and gentrification. Nearby Clarion Alley was inspired by Balmy Alley, as was La Lucha Continua, A Political Art Park in New York. While some of the murals are flat, many of them are three dimensional, or feature props, such as posters, toilets, motorcycles, street parking machines, and other random repurposed artifacts. While the murals are technically always changing, the overall themes remain largely the same. Balmy Alley sits in the heart of Calle 24, San Francisco's Latino Cultural District. It's easy to make a whole morning out of seeing the murals, visiting the dozens of fascinating shops, and grabbing a bite to eat at one of the hundreds of amazing restaurants in the Mission District. Overall, Balmy Alley is amazing. It's an entire street covered in intricate artwork, and it's free to visit. If you have the opportunity to check it out, I highly recommend doing so.

If you're into history, messages, and artsy stuff this place is the place to stroll with some free time and then head for lunch. It's fun to see the different murals and messages throughout the alley. Place seems well kept and very bright on a nice sunny day. The colours and the aesthetic of the murals just seem to uplift me while enjoying a nice sunny day in the mission. Don't miss the nearby Clarion alley which is just as fun and nice as the many art you'll see around the mission and elsewhere. And there's so much history that goes along with the culture and the rest of the city. Love that this is one of the many things this city has to offer. Recommend it. 24th street BART station is the nearest. MUNI 14, 14R, and 48 get you here with ease.

It's National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 -Oct 15, 2021), and it starts mid-month because several Latin American countries celebrate September 15 as their Independence Day. I know that not because I'm so cross-culturally aware but because Sunny Hostin said so on "The View". I listen to her sometimes, Meghan McCain never. Anyway, that's pretty much the extent of my Hispanic knowledge except for my semi-frequent trips to 24th Street for menudo...and this intimate alley which is far less trumpeted than the politically volatile Clarion Alley. Dating back to 1973, the murals here mostly reflect the rich Latino culture with less turnover and far fewer lookie-loos than Clarion. Fine by me. RELATED - Exploring the Mission? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2NHtst6

Good quick stop and close by art stairways. We drove through a 1 way alley, quick stop for pictures. Painting on the garage door and the new ones on the beginning alley. Old and wash out  painting toward the ends.

The most famous alley for murals... they all harken back to the community and the messages are always worthy, fascinating and beautiful. They have tours that explain each mural and muralist A must do , must see

The Mission District is known for its murals painted on buildings throughout the District. After seeing the murals at the famous Clarion Alley, I had Balmy Alley on my list to check out. It's located on 24th St. several blocks from Mission St BART station. The block long alley is wider and cleaner that Clarion Alley. Walk through the alley and enjoy the stunning and striking murals, which started as artists' expressions on human rights and political issues in Central America to the current myriad of styles and subjects. Stare into these murals and you will see the central message of the artists. Check out Balmy for intriguing murals and they do change as new ones go up all the time.

I just love art and what it represents. Balmy Alley is a one-block-long alley that is home to the most concentrated collection of murals in the city of San Francisco. It is located in the south central portion of the Inner Mission District between 24th Street and Garfield Square. These are garage doors painted with beautiful art that signifies political activism, religion, justice and love. Moreover, Balmy Alley is a constant work in progress, with repairs from weather-related damages taking place at the same time as fresh murals are being painted atop the old. Overall, I liked these garage door murals. I highly recommend you visit this alley.

Art is not what you see but what you make others see... Balmy street had interesting murals with lots of meaningful artwork. The murals are on one long alley. I only wish there might have been some more to see. I definitely appreciated the murals but particularly the ones that had some kind of meaning to it. There were a ton of messages in the murals like women's rights, equality, racism, and political injustices. Different murals representing different races of people and their struggles. There was a large focus on the dislike of President Trump which I appreciated. You could also find murals about our environment and our impact on it as humans. You really had to take a moment to look hard to understand the deep meaning behind each mural. I really appreciated all the dedication and creativity. The best thing is this place is free! Unfortunately, you can find tagging on some of the murals which are sad that people come to destroy other people's artwork. I was disappointed to see that and I'm sure it's frustrating for the artist. While in San Francisco I probably wouldn't go back just because it's a small area. Lastly, some of the owners that live there were blocking some of the murals and were unfriendly. I'm glad we came but once was enough.

Either do the official tour or go with someone who has. There's a LOT behind the beautiful wall-art that may be lost on just a walk through. GREAT history and variety of artists!!

Cool spot to take family visiting from out of town. This alley is just a plethora of murals painted along the walls. Paintings are vibrant, diverse and thought provoking. Just as the Mission district vibe is. Once you're done walking the alley it's perfect to walk the streets of the Mission and site see and people watch, maybe even grab a bite to eat.

They are super rad. Don't really see how anyone would rate them under 5 stars. They are wonderfully eclectic and colorful and representative of life. This is the Mission and the life that speeds along there. This is real art. Art of the people. And totally free. Yes, there might be homeless people around. This is San Francisco - get used to it.

This is a gem in the heart of The City Open to the public, and it's very very free! So much culture along this long street Filled with murals created by the artistic elites A million photo ops for those who #DoItForTheGram Even MJ strutting his moves - rockin' my favorite jam There are eyes that watch your every move But don't worry, just be yourself - you ain't got nothing to prove Remember it's still an alley, so be careful Or you'll find yourself at odds with a semblance of the devil.

Such a cool hidden gem within the City. I grew up in SF and had no idea of these alley murals!! It was cool to walk and enjoy the art with my kids and learn a little more about the history of this art mural alley. If you're unaware: Balmy Alley The street is located in the Mission District in San Francisco, California. The block long alley is the best place to see the most concentrated collection of murals in San Francisco. The murals began in the mid-80's as an expression of artists' outrage over human rights and political abuses in Central America. Today the alley contains murals on a myriad of styles and subjects from human rights to local gentrification.

An alley worth seeing. The Mission is going thru a lot of changes - some bad, some good. With the gentrification that is currently ongoing throughout the city, this neighborhood is in the epicenter of it all. Look no further than what is going on in Dolores Park a few blocks away from this alley. You have the rich techies and the I'm-better-than-you-attitude hipsters who have migrated in this neighborhood and priced out the locals who were and are still the backbones of the city. These are hard-working middle class citizens who can no longer afford a rent in this neighborhood, nor the city. The park has been run over by thugs and hoodlums every weekend and leaves a wake of devastation behind every single time. These people have no respect for the history, authority, culture, environment and diversity of the city and all act entitled simply because they can afford a 3K - 5K rent to live in this neighborhood. Yup, the park has become the landfill of the privileged. Check out the video on this link: http://kron4.com/2015/03/24/video-shows-uphill-battle-to-keep-dolores-park-clean/ Why is this rant relevant to this review, you may ask? Well, some of the murals on Balmy Alley depicts that; however, just like the diverse city that is San Francisco, it is and so much more. This is just one part of the story, but all are connected with different artworks and artists all collaborating to tell their story and our story. The Mission is the mecca of murals and Balmy Alley is solely devoted to giving the artists a canvas to express themselves. A place to be seen and heard: sometimes more powerful than the spoken word. The talents behind these murals are like our conscience just to remind us that these are constantly playing out and have an impact on all of us whether directly or indirectly. All of the murals are organically created with the freedom one might not be afforded with if it were to be exhibited in a museum or a gallery. There are no restraints with each brush stroke and paint stroke, and that is the beauty in every single piece. All are unique, and each one special with a distinct story to tell from whimsical to political. Just like the city, a cornucopia of artwork and very diverse.

ART IS THE INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE THAT MAKES US STOP, THINK AND SMILE/LAUGH/CRY. I happen across this alley while driving a friend thru the area recently and hiked back to get pixs of something else I saw, but then stumbled across this alley. I was in a hurry as someone was waiting for me two blocks ago but if in th area (or not),YOU MUST see these gorgeous murals. Any description is beyond belief... as they/we say in spanish: hay que ver (you need to see it yourself - git your butt outa da house now and SEE it). PHOTOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING: Take a wide-angle if you have one, anything else is just too "long" to capture these vivid colored murals. A tripod isn't necessary unless you're got earthquake-hands. Don't use flash. A gray-sky day without shadows is perfect and watch your time of day in preventing shadows across these murals resulting in partially dark/bright areas due to under- and over-exposures. Go with time on your hands so you can ENJOY the art after snapping it. Respect the artists and if any firmas (signatures) are shown,please include it in your images. Disfrutes/enJoY!!! UPDATE: One should view and enjoy these murals and other nearby murals during the day. BE AWARE of the people and situations/events around you. Have a third eye as you view these and be sure their is an "exit" hideaway no matter where you are. Not trying to scare others away, but things are sadly and undeservingly changing in the Mission, so be careful!! http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2011%2F05%2F08%2FEDR01J5UIB.DTL if in the future this article is not archived and thus no longer available, email/msg me and i'll send you a copy; i'll save it on my laptop.

Neat place to see. Great artwork with meaningful murals making important statements about the current state of the world.

Do yourself a favor and check this alley out. http://flickr.com/photos/calmenda/sets/72157603458343094/ Take your time, look at the murals and think about the message. The murals are beautiful and powerful. Most of the murals center around latin-american issues. If you ever want to venture off the beaten path, this is the place to go. Who needs the classics when you have grassroots art in your own backyard? :-)

Art was really cool and pictureworthy, but there were some pretty scummy people lingering around in the surrounding neighborhoods and by a park that was close by that made my girlfriend feel a little uncomfortable as we walked. One of the cars we walked by before entering the alley also had a busted window, so those few negatives left a less than perfect image of the area. I never personally felt anything less than content but I would say 3.5 stars as a result. We ate at la taqueria which was right around the corner right before coming here which was hella bomb

The murals here are nicely done. Very short stroll through this alley. Not sure I'd go out of my way for this one though

I've lived in SF almost my entire life and never new about these murals or that SF was covered in them! It took Yelp and my search for touristy things to do to uncover these treasures! The colors and details are just outstanding! You have to come to see them in person. Pictures do not do it justice. Best of all they are free to view!

This was my first time going to Balmy Alley and it was worth the short walk from Mission St. I would give it 5 stars, but I felt that there should've been more to see and was a little disappointment. Balmy Alley is a block filled with colorful, captivating, detailed murals mainly showcasing local gentrification and human rights. The alley is located in the much quieter area of the Mission surrounded by small shops and hole in the wall restaurants. I do hope to see newer artwork in the future. In the meantime, I encourage people to check it out.

This short Street is an out door musium if murals. There is everything from memorials to Where the Wild Things Are. It's kind of amazing. There are lots of murals on most of the homes/garages but there are breaks, lots of plants. A lot of work and planning must have gone into each one. It was exiting to get to see it all. It's a bit out of the way. But close enough that I walked in and out. I will be back.

Nice to see art in different ways. Very strong messages here. After tacos we take a stroll here. Highly recommend this place it makes you think of the reality that we are living.

Nice little alley walk. It is free, short (~550 ft) and artistic. You will be disappointed if this is some elaborate exhibition of art works. I recommend strolling through if you are in the area but not make a special trip for it. If you are too lazy to be there, you can take a Google map walk. It is almost as good :)

San Franciso is pretty much mural central. You can find them just about any and everywhere. This tiny block is pretty substantial for a number of reasons: 1. The block is short. Like, shorter than a standard city block it seems. 2. Apparently this is the most concentrated collection of murals in the city. 3. It's wildly visual! Stunning. Every single piece of the walls and garage doors are filled with color and sometimes covered with adornments. 4. The block carries a crucially important historic and contemporary statement, drawing attention to anger over human rights and other abuses throughout Central America. It is a visually striking and emotionally overwhelming tapestry, with a crucial narrative. Also, the murals apparently change time to time. And you can reach out to Precita Eyes for a guided tour. Highly recommended stop, even if you are just passing through the area. You can walk it, or drive it one way.

This alley has so much to offer. Just stroll and pay attention and appreciate the art that surrounds you.

Balmy Street - the alley lined with murals, many complaining about hipsters and gentrification, which is then filled with hipsters and gentrifiers taking selfies in the alley of themselves in front of said murals. What's not to love!? Irony at its finest. If you're iron deficient, you've gotta check this out. I've taken my 88 year old grandma to check out these murals, I've taken a 12 year old cousin who loves Starbucks more than Philz coffee to these murals, I've taken first dates to these murals, and I've taken stoned friends here as well. This collection of humanity is as eclectic as the smatterings of paint in this alley, and they all loved it. It's art freed to the streets. 24th also makes for an easy walking tour with Humphry Slocombe and taquerias aplenty.

Famous fabulus - go there - check out my pics! How amazing all these artists and now they are making it an even lovelier street adding plants. Many local people contribute to this. It's amazing! And there are many more incredible murals all over this area - get a map, take your camera and enjoy!

I love this street! It is the most ironic place I have ever had the pleasure of strolling through. The walls are filled with beautiful murals with veiled (some not so veiled) messages about gentrification, greed, money, techies, struggles, and white people and the street is filled with the subjects of these murals. It is something to see....

I was so happy to accidentally find this place on my way to Humphrey Slocombe's today. My wedding photographer had taken gorgeous shots here before, and I had always wanted to see it for myself. On first glance, it might look like just another mural. But as you stroll down the brick-laden street of Balmy, the art seems to leap off the walls (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/_cOXVjvweYYDsfcrSRaZug?select=TimZ_Luuti7G4mGBgjFdtw). Not only are the colors vibrant, but some of the art is actually 3-dimensional (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/_cOXVjvweYYDsfcrSRaZug?select=p6F8rAhc_0SWdSlWZDwOOw), which helps to mask some of the more industrial elements of this street (namely, the unattractive metal screens on the windows). It's truly a Mission gem. I'm partial to it because it represents families like mine. My parents came to the United States from Mexico in the early 70's, at a time when the Mission district became home to lots of Latino families. Although the murals are not limited to latin-american subjects, it represents an artistic and political movement that I'm proud of.

Wanted to something different for this trip to the city for the kids, we have done all the tourist things and boat tours, so was seeking something new. I found out on Yelp about Balmy Street Murals and though this might be cool my daughter is into art so thought we are going to go check it out. We took Bart down to 24th st and then walked up to Balmy St, along the way we started to see the murals painted everywhere along the way, then we got to Balmy street, which is really more like an alley way and slowly walked our way down, each painting tells a story, every one done with vivid color. We enjoyed our little walk down Balmy Street, even showed my pops a street he didn't know about, and this has been his city for years. It's a great find to go see if you have the time!

Gorgeous, thoughtful, thought-provoking wall art. Changes and evolves over the years as older murals deteriorate and new ones are added. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/_cOXVjvweYYDsfcrSRaZug?select=6-jt-uWVu4NHmnvAsqKt0w). Worth visiting--it's a cool feeling to be totally surrounded by creative expression. Highly recommend coming with a tour guide (talk to Precita Eyes: http://www.yelp.com/biz/precita-eyes-mural-arts-center-san-francisco#query:mural%20alley) who can provide insight and background information about each of the murals and many of the artists.

Some of the immigration/civil rights murals were too deep for me, but my fave was definitely Where the Wild Things Are. My friend loved the one with the juxtaposition between rich and poor. (Probably a good idea to not take us to art museums.) Anyway, Balmy Street kind of feels different because part of it is painted on people's garages. Feels safe during the daytime, idk about nighttime. Plus, I don't know how illuminated it would be.

Murals all around, definitely lots to take in. Make sure you go through the alley ways because art is everywhere.

It's amazing how the murals are integrated in this alley with the surrounding infrastructure of gates, fences, portals, homes, garages, shops, etc. We were lucky to see some of what's behind the "decorated walls." It was also neat to see the correlation between the Native American culture we learned about on our walking tour earlier during our visit. I think I photographed each and every part of this alley, and luckily for you (Yano - if you read this) I didn't see any vandalism which needs to be removed. :) PS - @Yano - thanks for recommending!

Consider it a free outdoor art gallery. Having a guide from San Francisco City Guides (http://www.sfcityguides.org/index.html) explain the history and meaning of art helped me appreciate them more. Recommend checking City Guides for the next free tour or stopping by Precita Eyes Mural Arts and Visitor Center (http://www.yelp.com/biz/SRmbFOdZypTh6WAX8aVgcg) on 24th Street prior to viewing the murals to enhance your experience.

ART: Check. CULTURE: Check. FREE: Check. Check. I had a friend visiting and wanted to take him to the NOT so touristy places and came across Balmy St here on Yelp. We took our time admiring and wondering about the stories these murals told. Took awesome pics and then went to go get some food nearby. My son, (3 then), enjoyed it too! Worth coming back to: CHECK!

Impressive, Colourful & Detailed Murals - Learn the History, Wander the Alley & Take Photos! My mother and I visited the Balmy Alley Murals on the morning of August 2nd. We had left our Airbnb apartment early in the morning to go for a long walk through the residential side streets in the Mission District. We discovered many small alleyways with beautiful, colourful and unique murals on the way to the more well-known Balmy Alley Murals, as we strolled along 24th Street heading east from Mission Street. We were the only people exploring the alley during our visit which made for a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere. We arrived at Balmy Alley (which stemmed off from 24th Street), and I was immediately impressed by the intricate detail and vibrant colours that the murals displayed, painted on garage doors and fences in this residential back lane. We wandered down the alley and stopped at each mural to admire the beautiful street art and take photos. The murals depicted a variety of scenes which included messages and images of a political/social nature, San Francisco landmarks and street scenes, influential and historical people in San Francisco among others. The murals displayed so much culture and history. As we explored the alley, we met a man named Tony, who was sitting on his driveway with his Chihuahua. He was drinking a can of beer while simultaneously smoking a joint. Initially, I thought he was homeless, but I was wrong. He started chatting with us and was very friendly. He told us a little bit about himself and his background (he was a History and Cultural Arts major in college) and then shared with us the history of some of the murals and the people featured on them. He was a wealth of knowledge and it was interesting to learn from him! Exploring and wandering down Balmy Alley was well worth my time in San Francisco. It was a unique and slightly off the beaten path experience, and I enjoyed learning about the history of the murals.

Visiting Cal, I came across a mural, then 2 then I spent countless hours in my rental driving and parking and running into alley ways ( during day light hours) with camera in hand taking it all in. Beautiful, unique,tasteful works of art. From tiles mosiacs, to stencil to old fashion spray can and bandana covering their faces. Ah-mazing. a lot of good eats in the area too! Ill be back!

The quality of the art here is mostly very good. Some of the stuff is not as great. Most of the art reflects the story of the Mission District but also that of Mexicans/Chicanos and even Latinos in general. The issues expressed here are also universal among disenfranchised communities of all kinds. The art is very colorful. Balmy Alley is not far from Galeria de la Raza. In my opinion Balmy Alley is better than Clarion Alley and it is also less crowded so you get better picture opportunities. If you're lucky you'll get to meet on of the friendlier locals that we met there and get the low down on the art and local history and culture. Parking is tough around here. What can I do without at Balmy Alley? Nothing. What stands out at Balmy Alley? The fact that it represents a culture which may or may not be your own faithfully. With an open mind you will see it is well worth your time. Five stars!!!! Balmy Alley is really, really ridiculously cool!!!!

I absolutely love taking photos of really interesting graffiti and murals. I find that kind of art is fascinating, as long as it's not trashy and doesn't give off the wrong message. I had a trip planned to Cali, and when I found this place through Yelp, I knew immediately that I had to come here. Unfortunately, I came here an hour before my flight back home, so I literally had 5 minutes to run through one alley and take as many pictures as I could. I was in awe with the amount of talent and beauty I saw everywhere. You really need to spend time at some of these murals because they give out very powerful messages and portray beautiful stories. The colors were so bright and engaging and I just find it really cool that Mission District exists. According to their site, Mission District began in the mid-80's as a way for artists to express their anger over human rights and political abuse in Central America. It seems to have continued leading in that direction, but with focus in America. From reading other reviews, these murals change from time to time. I really hope to come back to San Fran soon, and when I do, this will be one of the first places I will come back to. Next time, I will stay a bit longer and check out the neighborhood around Mission District.

Balmy Alley has a life of its own. The original block parties location has become a famous Mission District attraction. Balmy Alley features colorful murals stemming from Hispanic roots. Creative. Original. Evolving.

This street offers some great murals to spend some time looking at. There's a lot of messages here - specifically, working in the tech industry, the mural of these companies coming into SF and kicking locals out really spoke (picture to be attached). Docking 1 star just because Clarion Alley has a lot more space for murals. Regardless, I still recommend.

Nice murals along the alley, the artists repaint them from time to time. It's always great to come back after few months to see the new murals. Love the details. Go there during day time when there are more people, be careful if you are alone at the alley.

Reasons why you should check out the famous Balmy Street! - Very unique pieces of art - FREE - You can touch the art and take flash photography! - culture Reasons why you shouldnt check out Balmy Street... NONE Enough said..