Oops, Easy to Miss the Alleys

First St NW alley

Adams St NW alley

W Street NW Alley

You can walk right by the entrances to the alleys, not even seeing them at all, but they are there if you look for them.  Sometimes narrow and rather dark, they are one of the reasons why you see little trash on the street, because most of it is in bins in the back alleys. They are also the reason why you don't see the trash truck pick up unless you get up early enough in the morning and exit out your back gate.  I only hear the noise of the trash trucks as these hardworking city employees (?) crash about upturning our bins and dislodging our rubbish into these giant trucks that they somehow manage to squeeze into the twists and turns of our neighborhood alleys. While walking by, the alley may beckon your longer glance to see glimpses of what your neighbors might be up to -- ladders and construction equipment signaling remodeling or tossed out mattresses and bureaus signaling new furniture, or cars parked closely to the garage wall when overnight guests have failed to get the visitor permit in time and don't want to risk the Parking Ticket Nazis on the street front.  The alleys often belong only to the cats and the stray dogs that got away during the day.  Occasionally, in the summer, you may see young people shooting baskets or playing ball if someone has been so kind as to put up a hoop. Of course, about a decade ago our alleys were the scenes of drug dealing, some prostitution, more than a handful of murders and some public drunkenness, but it seems like most of that has passed.  However, today if you do see someone walking through the alley from your house rear view windows you do find yourself  remarking about them and wonder what they might be up to in a different way than the people you notice walking by on the sidewalk in front of your house. There's something more unusual and more private about the public alley ways, as if the space has been reserved only for certain purposes like egress to a garage or garden or some other special purpose.  This layout and design adds a great deal to our neighborhood, in my opinion, and it's something we take for granted, so used are we to the benefits the alleys bring.