Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Amtrak Is Buffing Freedom Tunnel Street Art
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 1, 2010
Modified Dec 1, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
View all 7
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 1, 2010
Modified Dec 1, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Freedom Tunnel—the Amtrak Tunnel that has long been a destination for both street artists and urban explorers—is in danger of being buffed! This is according to Adventure Two—the blogger of that site writes he talked to a woman who has lived in the tunnel for 20 years about changes to the tunnel security, and work being undertaken by Amtrak, noting "there was a rumour that large blocks of the tunnel walls had been washed over with paint, destroying significant sections of the historical artwork."
Indeed, upon a journey through the tunnel, he was met by a "plain flat grey" stretch of wall, where there used to be graffiti. He writes, "for a short distance the wall reverted back to it's densely tagged state, but then the grey was back for as far as could be seen."
To check out what the Freedom Tunnel used to look like before being buffed over in a dead shade of grey, Nate Kensinger's documentary about it (called "Covered Tracks") will be screening on December 11th inside the Atlantic Tunnel, which is almost as good as it screening inside the Freedom Tunnel itself—solid grey probably makes for a pretty good screen to project upon.
Tagged
amtrak
buffed
freedom tunnel
graffiti
street art
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 13, 2026 at 3:17 p.m. ET
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Arts & Entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .