Say Goodbye to One of the Most Popular Graffiti Spots Near Paris

Take a ride on the Paris subway north and you'll soon arrive in Pantin, a commune squatting along the banks of the Canal de l'Ourcq. Pantin's waterfront was once a charming wasteland of dead zones and decrepit structures jutting into nowhere, but recently it's seen signs of life in the form of chic housing developments for Parisian suburbanites.

Of course, there had already been life there; it just operated under the radar. Pantin is home to one of Paris' most popular, eye-blasting graffiti spots, an abandoned grain warehouse circa 1930 that has sustained severe internal injuries. With most of its windows long since knocked out, the site is regularly visited by taggers who hop the fence to spray, scribble and splash all over its surface. Its multitiered balconies and modular bays make it especially delightful for street artists; to joggers who use the nearby path for their weekend runs, it's hallucinogenic eye candy.