Baltic Triangle | Postcards From Here and There

Baltic Triangle Street Art 2019

I first wrote about the street art to be found in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle in September 2018. You can read the original post using the link here. As twelve months have elapsed I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the area and have a look at what was new. Much of the original work first seen in 2018 is still here but this post will just concentrate on that which is new to me. Check the link above to see the earlier works.

The Baltic Triangle is a pleasant 15 minute walk from Liverpool city centre, head out along Paradise Street, turn left onto Park Lane and when the road forks take the right branch which is Jamaica Street. This brings you to the heart of the Baltic Triangle.

Blundell Street is very much under redevelopment but there are a couple of nice pieces on the hoardings surrounding the building work.

The next street is Kitchen Street where you will find this work. I can’t seem to find anything about the artist and there are a number of works of a similar nature closely. If anyone knows add a comment at the end of the post.

The building at the corner of Jamaica Street an Bridgewater Street has a number of smaller works including the ceramic by HEX.

On Watkinson Street Liverpool based artist John Culshaw has created a mural of the ‘Fab Four’, although Ringo does appear to have had one of his teeth coloured in.

The north side of Norfolk Street is now cordoned off for redevelopment work but you can just glimpse the work by PinHeadUK on the corner with Jamaica Street.

The brick wall on Jamaica Street between Norfolk Street and Brick Street has long been a popular location for artists and is home to probably the real most iconic work, Paul Curtis’s Liver Bird Wings and Straw Girl by Irony. Much here has survived the passage of time but there is a couple of pieces I had not come across before. Latvian street artist Kiwie has this work here.

Check Point Charlie is also a relatively recent addition.

Neal Keating’s Game Over is also here.

Vancouver based artiest Emily Gray has created a delicate, pastoral mural which has suffered a little with a tag added but still looks pretty good.

The Liverpool Life Sciences UTC building on Greenland Street has yet another mural by Paul Curtis. You can even become part of this work as a convenient space has been left for you to stand in.

The skate park on Jamaica Street has always been popular with street and graffiti artists. What started out as an advert for the Netflix series ‘Our Planet’ has since been partially overpainted. It was created in March 2019 and showed Pink Flamingoes coming into land on a lake. Only the top section now remains.

On Jordan Street Manchester street artist Aske has created this portrait of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

Paul Curtis has another mural on the wall of Cains Brewery Village. Commissioned by The Beatles Story Museum, in the Royal Albert Dock, for the 50th anniversary of the release of Abbey Road. Paul has created the famous street scene minus the four Beatles enabling you to create your own version of this most famous album cover.

5 Alternative Reasons to Visit Liverpool

In an earlier post I looked at the 5 Reasons to Visit Liverpool . These were the the things that should be done on a first time trip to the city. If you have more time available you may want to dig a little deeper into the city and explore some of the other reasons that make Liverpool such an excellent destination for a weekend or short break.

Bold Street. Bold Street has had something of a resurgence in recent years and has become a hub for independent retailers, restaurants and cafés. It runs from Hanover Street in the city to join Renshaw Street opposite Liverpool’s Bombed Out Church. At the city end is The Lyceum.

Built in 1802 it has been through a number of incarnations including a gentleman club, a library, a cafe and a post office. It was saved from demolition in the early 1970s but sadly the building is currently vacant.

Heading up from The Lyceum the lower part of the street is a fairly traditional shopping street but one past the junction with Concert Street it reveals its independent heart. Some retailers have been on the street for years, both Mattas and News From Nowhere are Bold Street institutions.

They have been joined by a host of others. Leaf is perfect for tea and the Artisane bakery across the street has lovely coffee, bread and patisserie. If you fancy something a little more substantial then Mowgli and Maray are good options but there are plenty of others.

The Baltic Triangle. An up and coming area just outside the city centre. Home to tech start ups, cafés, restaurants and bars it is very much a happening area. The area is also well known as a centre of street art and I have covered this in a previous post (here) .

For coffee try The Baltic Bakehouse, which also has some amazing sourdough bread, on Bridgewater Street or Baltic Creative on Jamaica Street. If you have an hour or so to spare try a game of Ghetto Golf. Grab a drink at the Baltic Social or Gibberish Tap Room (do check opening times as it does seem to change). If you are there at the weekend try the Baltic Market in the old Cain’s Brewery for some excellent street food.

Street Art. If a visit to the Baltic Triangle has whet your appetite there is plenty more to see and the beauty is it is always changing. There are a lot of pieces in Oldham Place and you can even take a graffiti class at Zap Graffiti on Saturday afternoons.

Church of St Luke. The Bombed Out Church

Located close to the Bombed Out Church on Leece Street why not combine the two combine the two. Entry to the gardens around the church is free. For the more adventurous there is more art to be seen in the streets around London Road .

Craft Beer. The rise in the popularity of craft beer has been as big as that for artisan gin. As a result there are some good options in the city. The Dead Crafty Beer Company on Dale Street has 19 taps which change frequently and they hold regular tap takeovers. Across the road is a beer drinking institution, The Ship and Mitre. A pub for real ale aficionados but also with good selection of craft beers. Heading out of town towards the Baltic Triangle is The Baltic Fleet. In the Triangle itself there is The Baltic Social and Gibberish Taproom.

Natural Wine. Paralleling the growth of the craft beer and gin markets has been the interest in natural/biodynamically produced wines. R & H Fine Wines is a wine merchant hidden away on Queen Street, a small alley off Castle street, close to the Town Hall. They have a great selection of interesting wines from around the world and is well worth searching out. Bunch Wine Bar on Berry Street has an ever changing selection of wines available by the glass or bottle. Hidden away in a small courtyard off Hardman Street is the Buyers Club. There is something for everyone here, eight craft beer taps, natural wines, cocktails and food. Its a relaxing chilled out place to spend an hour or two, especially early evening.

Baltic Triangle Street Art

The Baltic Triangle is to be found about a 20 minute walk from Liverpool city centre. It is not blessed with great public transport but a taxi from the city centre should cost less than £5. In the heyday of Liverpool as a shipping port this area was awash with warehouses, some of which remain today. Clearance and redevelopment has now resulted in the variety of architectural styles. It is very much an area of contrasts from the modern to Victorian to derelict. Its what makes it such an interesting area and a perfect backdrop for street art.

Much of the art that can be viewed today can be found on the streets around Jamaica Street including; Greenland, Newhall, Cramp, New Brick and Jordan Streets.

The old skateboard park on Jamaica Street is perhaps the most obvious example but is a large number of works in a small area. Further along Jamaica Street is Paul Curtis’s work of Liver Bird wings

The Liver Bird is the symbol of the city and can be found atop of the Liver Building at the Pier Head. The Liver Birds. The Liver Birds was a TV comedy in the 1970s set in the city and featuring the life of two local women sharing a flat together, hence the dedication!

Its interactive art as you can become the none to wear the wings. There is even a crown to rest on your head as you stand between the wings.

There area number of other pieces on the same stretch of wall.

Street Art is an opportunity to make a point and here the piece makes reference to Banksy pieces which are taken down and sold for large sums. Nearby is a piece by Irony.

The piece by Dime can be found on New. Bird Street. An octopus holding a yellow submarine!

Greenland Street and the side streets from it are awash with street art. Many of the pieces were created as part of the Liverpool Mural Festival that was held in April 2018 and featured local and International artists.

Perhaps the most striking is the large work by StineHvid

On the walls next to Constellations café/bar are pieces by Aches and Burnon.

Newhall Street has a huge mural.

At the far end of Greenland Street is Crump Street. It is easily missed as there is nothing much around here and it leads only to the busy Parliament Street. It is however a treasure trove of street art from the Mural Festival.

Turning right from the end of Crump Street onto Parliament Street will bring you to the Stephen Hawking piece by Manchester artist Akse.

As with all street art it is a developing scene and by its very nature evolving. A return visit in twelve months or so will be something to look forward to.