Noho block named after Jean-Michel Basquiat
Credit: Gerardo Romo / NYC Council Media Unit on Flickr
A Noho block has been co-named for artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, officially recognizing the site of his former studio and home. The New York City Council and the estate of the late artist on Tuesday unveiled “Jean-Michel Basquiat Way” on the corner of Great Jones Street and Bowery. Basquiat lived and worked at 57 Great Jones Street, renting a second-floor space from Andy Warhol, from 1983 until his death in 1988 at age 27, according to ARTnews.
Built in the 1860s, 57 Great Jones Street was purchased by notorious gangster Paul Kelly, who opened the Brighton Athletic Club there in 1904. It later housed a metalworks business and a kitchen supply company before Andy Warhol bought the property in 1970. Warhol rented the second floor to Jean-Michel Basquiat shortly after the two met and became close friends.
Basquiat lived and worked in the space until his death in 1988 from a heroin overdose. Since then, the building’s facade has become an informal memorial to the late artist, covered in street art and graffiti, according to Artnet.
“The co-naming recognizes Jean-Michel Basquiat’s enduring legacy as a visionary Black artist who helped redefine modern art through his bold, expressive, and socially conscious work,” according to an official press release, as ARTnews reported.
“The space served as his home and studio during some of the most prolific years of his career, anchoring him in a neighborhood that was at the heart of New York’s creative energy in the 1980s.”
Tuesday’s renaming ceremony drew local residents, city officials, and members of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s family, including his sisters, nieces, nephews, and cousins, according to the New York Times.
Lisane Basquiat, one of the artist’s sisters, reflected on the significance of the honor amid the city’s current social and political climate.
“The fact that, in 2025, in the context of everything that’s going on, he would be honored in this way by New York City is profoundly meaningful and impactful to our family,” she told the Times. “We appreciate the recognition.”
In 2016, the Village Preservation installed a plaque on the building’s facade to mark its historical significance, reading “Basquiat’s paintings and other work challenged established notions of high and low art, race and class, while forging a visionary language that defied characterization.”
The building hit the rental market in 2022. The following year, Angelia Jolie opened Atelier Jolie, a creative hub for artists, designers, and makers.
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