36 AMERICANWAY
DECEMBER 15 2008
T R A V E L
I havemymuseum face on.My jaw is tight,
and my hand is continually near my eyes,
catching my black-rimmed glasses as they
slide downmy nose. In front ofme is a 50-
footmural, a swirlingmassof urban images
and screaming colors that flow together in
a soothing rush. But instead of there being
the simulated natural light and tourists’
whispers of amuseum, the sun beats down
as the elevated train rumbles overhead. I
can smell theWhiteCastledown theblock.
Moments ago, my iPod directed me to
step off the subway in the South Bronx to
begin theGraffitiwalkproducedby Sound-
walk,aNewYork–basedcompanythatoffers
more than twodozenunique audiowalking
guides on three continents. NowBG 183, a
member of theTatsCru, a legendarygraffiti
collective, ispreparingme for thehour-long
tour by describing how he and his friends
have improved the formerlyblightedneigh-
borhoodby coating it in spraypaint.
“Wewanted toget the fame, and the fame
Walking toa
DifferentBeat
Audio-tour companySound-
walk offers uniquewalk-
ingguides for thosewho
wouldn’t normally take an
audio tour. And that’s exactly
why it’s cool.
ByEthanRouen
