Tattoos, just like hometowns, leave a permanent mark. If you harbour a special attachment to a city or town — even if you left long ago — inking it on your body forever is often a fitting tribute.
In many cases, maps symbolise far more than just a street grid: It might be a city you’ve only dreamed about, or the place you wish you could go back to. It could even be a place that no longer exists — like the tattoo that shows New York’s Five Points, the crime-ridden neighbourhood that disappeared in the 19th century. We’ve collected some of our favourite map tattoos below.
The Chicago El
Picture: Grist.org
Seoul, South Korea
Picture: Grist.org
Boston’s the T
Picture: Flickr
Paris in 1910
Picture: Lovely Elixir
The Texas Highway System
Picture: Flickr
Hanover in 1896
Picture: Pinterest
Downtown Mexico City
Picture: Pinterest
A simple topographic map
Picture: Pinterest
New York City’s Five Points
Picture: Flickr
The city of Detroit
Picture: Flickr
Flint, Michigan
Picture: Flickr