So the college friends from D.C. are in town, or the in-laws from Newton, and you’ve got an entire Saturday with no plans. You’ve done the High Line, the Brooklyn Bridge, Governors Island – even The Vessel. Enter Hudson Square Canvas, a new art tour down Varick revealed last month by the Hudson Square BID.

To me this is great BID work – rather than just replacing failed city services (like emptying trash cans) it is actually adding something extra to the neighborhood. There are five original works done by four city-based street artists, and while you can walk the tour yourself following the digital map (and end with drinks at Houseman or The Greek or tea at Interlude) the BID will also be hosting free tours this Tuesday (tomorrow) at 5:45p and also on Oct. 5 at noon. (Register with those links.) The locations are unexpected: the side of SOB’s, the windowless windows of Manhattan Mini Storage, the columns holding up the Courtyard Marriott’s glass awning (unfortunately nothing can be done to improve the look of that building).

I’ve added the amazing 20,000-square-foot mural on the Hudson side of City-As-School (above) to the tour to beef it up. That was completed last year, and is the biggest mural in the city (plus Basquiat went there, to add to the art street cred). Start at Hudson and Clarkson, and make your way down to Canal. Here’s the lineup of artists:
• Magda Love, Kobra and City-As-School students (my addition)
• Greg Lamarche
• JMikal Davis (aka Hellbent)
• Katie Merz
• Claudia Ravaschiere and Michael Moss