Stokes Croft is Bristol's bohemian quarter — a long, slightly chaotic street running north from the city centre through an area of independent shops, community cafes, record stores, and wall-to-wall street art. This is Banksy's home territory, and the concentration of murals here — some by Banksy, many by other artists — is as dense as anywhere in the city.
The neighbourhood has a strong community identity and has been the site of some of Bristol's more dramatic confrontations between residents and property developers over the years. The old Carriageworks building at the top of the street hosts food markets and events; the People's Republic of Stokes Croft community centre campaigns actively against the encroachment of chain stores. The area around Hamilton House, Cosies cafe, and the Crofters Rights pub gives a good taste of the neighbourhood's character. Come here for the murals, the independent eating, and a Bristol perspective entirely different from Clifton.