{"id":4835,"date":"2026-05-10T10:53:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T17:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/julianalee.com\/blog\/?p=4835"},"modified":"2026-05-10T16:49:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T23:49:57","slug":"downtown-palo-alto-murals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/julianalee.com\/blog\/downtown-palo-alto-murals\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking Through Palo Alto\u2019s Hidden Theater:"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Happy Mother&#8217;s Day to all the mothers &#8211; May10, 2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This Mother&#8217;s Day, I decided to write about one of the murals that deeply inspired me when I first came to Palo Alto: Greg Brown\u2019s \u201cPedestrian Series.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are cities with famous museums, and then there are cities where art quietly lives among the people. In Palo Alto, one of the most beloved examples is the whimsical and unforgettable \u201cPedestrian Series\u201d murals created by local artist Greg Brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At first glance, you may miss them entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0041-3.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0041-3-768x1024.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4850\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0041-3.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0041-3.jpeg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0041-3.jpeg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0041-3.jpeg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A milkman opening a door at the top of a staircase, little green: &#8220;Venusian&#8221; aliens climbing the stairs. ( close to Lytton and High ). It was painted in 1976 and is one of Palo Alto&#8217;s best known trompe-l&#8217;oeil(&#8220;trick the eye&#8221;) murals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2067-scaled.jpeg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2067.jpeg?resize=576%2C1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4847\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2067-scaled.jpeg?resize=576%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 576w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2067-scaled.jpeg?resize=169%2C300&amp;ssl=1 169w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2067-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2067-scaled.jpeg?resize=864%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 864w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2067-scaled.jpeg?resize=1152%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2067-scaled.jpeg?w=1440&amp;ssl=1 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A garbage collector casually hauls away an alien hidden in a trash can. ( corner of High and Hamilton)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0043.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0043-768x1024.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4851\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0043.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0043.jpeg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0043.jpeg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0043.jpeg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An alien crashes a UFO into the side of a bank building.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then suddenly \u2014 you stop.<br>You smile.<br>You look again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That moment of surprise is exactly what Greg Brown wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not Just Art \u2014 An Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brown called the collection the \u201cPedestrian Series\u201d because the murals were designed for people walking around downtown, discovering them unexpectedly while running errands, shopping, meeting friends, or grabbing coffee. He once described the project as being \u201cgeared toward people being on foot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That idea is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I first came to Palo Alto, I was deeply attracted by the energy, creativity, and stories hidden in every corner of the city. It was not just about the beautiful streets or famous companies \u2014 it was the feeling that people here dared to dream, build, and express themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the years, I began to notice the murals, public art, and meaningful paintings on walls throughout downtown. They were more than decoration. Each mural reflected identity, history, culture, emotions, and hope. Some celebrated community. Some challenged people to think differently. Some simply made people smile during a difficult day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As an immigrant arriving in Silicon Valley many years ago, I was inspired by how art could quietly connect strangers without saying a word. Back then, I never imagined that one day I would own a commercial building myself. Yet somewhere deep inside, I carried a dream: if I ever owned a building, I wanted the walls to mean something too. Not just paint. Not just advertising. But something with purpose, memory, and inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, I find myself thinking more seriously about that dream. What kind of mural would represent my journey? Perhaps something about courage, perseverance, family, education, or giving back to the community. Maybe something that reminds people that success is not only measured by money, but also by the lives we touch and the dreams we help others achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I also want to take more photographs around Palo Alto \u2014 not just of buildings, but of moments, colors, reflections, and small details that once inspired me when I first arrived. Sometimes we move too quickly in life and forget what originally moved our hearts. Looking back helps me appreciate how far the journey has come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perhaps one day, someone walking by my building will pause for a moment in front of a mural and feel inspired the same way I once was when I first discovered Palo Alto. And maybe that is the true beauty of public art \u2014 it allows one person\u2019s story to quietly encourage another person\u2019s dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Happy Mother&#8217;s Day to all the mothers &#8211; May10, 2026 This Mother&#8217;s Day, I decided to write about one of the murals that deeply inspired me when I first came to Palo Alto: Greg Brown\u2019s \u201cPedestrian Series.\u201d There are cities with famous museums, and then there are cities where art quietly lives among the people. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":791,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[204,221],"tags":[223,224,228,225,61,215],"class_list":["post-4835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-downtowns","category-sightseeing","tag-arts","tag-downtown","tag-juliana-lee-jlee-realty-palo-alto-silicon-valley-market-trends-real-estate-tips-local-lifestyle-community-stories","tag-murals","tag-palo-alto","tag-what-to-do"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Juliana Lee","author_link":"https:\/\/julianalee.com\/blog\/author\/juliana-lee\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Happy Mother&#8217;s Day to all the mothers &#8211; May10, 2026 This Mother&#8217;s Day, I decided to write about one of the murals that deeply inspired me when I first came to Palo Alto: Greg Brown\u2019s \u201cPedestrian Series.\u201d There are cities with famous museums, and then there are cities where art quietly lives among the people.&hellip;","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/791"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4835"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4835\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4858,"href":"https:\/\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4835\/revisions\/4858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/julianalee.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}