Bronx’s Street Murals Map Out Soundview

Soundview’s walls are a canvas this March, with Bronx street murals mapping the hood. Last night, artist Tariq Evans finished a 30-foot piece—kids flying kites over the river—off Bruckner Boulevard. It’s one of 10 new works, tracing NYC’s edges with spray cans. Locals pose for pics; tourists detour off the 6 train. ‘This is Soundview’s story—bold and loud,’ Evans says, shaking paint. The borough’s never looked so alive.

The mural wave’s fresh—a city grant funded six; locals crowdfunded the rest. Evans, a Bronx lifer, spent three days on his, dodging rain and tags. A grandma blessed it with a nod, saying it beats the old graffiti. Paint’s still wet—kids smudged a corner, but he rolled with it. A mural tour’s set for next week, biking the art trail. Soundview’s a gallery now.

Some scoff—’It’s just paint,’ griped a shopkeeper, sweeping cans away. Gentrification hawks circle, eyeing rents; residents push back. A rival crew’s tagging in Mott Haven, splitting the scene. Still, #BronxMurals is popping—500 posts overnight. Evans’ kite kids are the borough’s new face.

He’s plotting a rooftop piece next, maybe a bodega tribute if permits clear. ‘NYC’s ours—this claims it,’ Evans says, capping his spray. The murals are a Bronx flex—grit in color. Soundview’s mapped in art now; ride by and see. It’s raw beauty, block by block.