How Croydon Has Become One Of The UK’s Ultimate Destinations For Street Art

Posted by Liz Seyi on March 16th, 2020

“Street art”; isn’t that just a fancy name for what we used to know as graffiti? Alas, if you still think that way, you’re seriously behind the times.

Indeed, even many Croydon residents might have been forgiven for having this attitude until the early 2010s, when major change began to occur that ushered this area of South London to the forefront among global street-art epicentres.

The story of an unlikely transformation

If you ever wonder what has most helped to make Croydon so ‘hip’ these days compared to just five to 10 years ago, you can bet that street art has played a significant part in the town’s rejuvenation.

As recently as earlier this decade, Croydon’s image among most people wasn’t exactly ‘cool’. The community’s street artists, however, knew better about its ultimate potential. They began to see the area’s ‘blank canvas’ as a ripe one for street art, and today, it seems that you can barely turn a corner in the town without seeing all manner of fascinating examples of it.

A key development in this seemingly improbable makeover was the opening of RISEgallery in St George’s Walk in 2014. The gallery has since been a major fulcrum of creative activity in the town, with founder KevinZuchowski-Morrison coming to an arrangement with the local council to create an arts quarter that enabled street art to flourish nearby.

Today, the signs of that revival are clear for all to see

If you’re presently seeking out a Penthouse For Sale In Croydon but are unfamiliar with the locality’s street-art charms, you really owe it to yourself to take a stroll around the town and spot a few of the gems that have helped to make the area such a magnet for fans of this type of creativity.

Highlights of the street art to have arisen in the area in recent years include a mysterious mural of Princess Diana on the Surrey Street pumping station in Exchange Square opposite Matthews Yard, courtesy of Rich Simmons, as well as the visually striking blue sculpture of a boy in military clothing that can be found, again, in Surrey Street.

The latter piece was created by the artist Schoony, and has proved so popular that even the likes of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Benedict Cumberbatch and Damon Albarn have purchased versions of the sculpture for their homes.

Also to be seen in the Matthews Yard area is @AlecLDN’s eye-catching piece portraying a woman wearing a hijab in front of a moonlight glow – thought to be a celebration of the renowned diversity of the borough. @AlecLDN, by the way, is the tag of Minster Junior School teacher Alec Saunders.

Or, for something a bit different still, why not head to Church Street to see the incomparable Banksy’s Gross Domestic Product? This particular piece of art is, in effect, an entire shop, set up by the famous anonymous artist due to what he has described as “the least poetic reason to ever make some art” – a legal dispute with a greetings card company.

Immerse yourself in this captivating world by becoming a resident here

Whatever your current attitude and level of appreciation of street art may be, you can be assured of being intrigued and enchanted by it when you make Croydon your home.

Why not register your interest in the properties that constitute our own prestigious ISLAND development online today?

When you do, we’ll soon let you know what opportunities may exist for you to snap up an apartment or penthouse for sale in Croydon, so that you can soon start living an enthralling new life here.