Alleys

When going through towns many people tend to ignore the backsides of the buildings and stick mostly to the main streets, while I often find myself slipping back into the alleys behind.

    The main street through most towns and villages shows the best side of the community. The stores are painted nicely, the sidewalks are clean and there usually isn’t much litter along the curbs. The streets are well lit. The views are beckoning you in, inviting you to stop and stay for a while.

    This isn’t always the case for the alleys. Collections of trash cans and dumpsters intrude into narrow roadways. Unwanted furniture and electronics sit beside the cans with scraps of paper and bits of food scattered around. Occasionally the smells of the alleys can get a bit overwhelming. Rodents can sometimes be seen but most often they hide from us, the intruders.

    The road surfaces are filled with potholes, asphalt is broken and missing in places, bricks or cobblestone can be seen under the blacktop, evidence of the town’s past. So much of the alleys are reminders of the past. Loading docks and heavy doors line the alley along with stairways leading up to the floors above or to apartments and offices higher up. In older industrial areas, cranes hang out over the roadway to help in loading or unloading trucks. Ghost signs sit fading away on the walls.

    These back roads are often used as galleries for artist wannabes. Occasionally there are masterpieces hidden in the graffiti, artwork painted on the walls that few ever see. Sometimes they share the walls with ghost signs, they are both remnants of someone or something that was here before. Sadly, I feel that most of the graffiti is from people who have a desire to be remembered. Don't we all? It is amazing the efforts they must take to put some of these pieces onto the buildings.

    What was once the main road through town may have become one of these alleys. Now they are no longer seen since the town has expanded. Streams or rivers can be hiding behind the buildings on main street. Railroad tracks that once fed the businesses can be rusting away beside these dark streets, while in other places, trains speed past, no longer even slowing down.

    Alleys are like regular streets but they can also show the darker side of a town or city. There are some people who desire to stay out of sight, unnoticed, and prefer the less traveled roads. People with poor morals or bad intentions may decide to call these places their own. The chance for crime rises as we leave people’s sight and enter into the darkness. Common sense is important when visiting these or any unfamiliar site.

    Like the main streets, the alleyways of a town can show visitors a lot about the community. They aren’t always pretty and inviting but, in some ways, that is exactly what adds to the appeal of visiting them.

    We all have alleys of our own, hidden behind the façade we show to our friends, family and even ourselves. Our minds are filled with alleyways. Don’t be afraid to visit those alleys and if needed, do some cleaning. There are times that it can take some effort to brighten them up but it’s always worthwhile. Let the good and artistic things stay but clean up the garbage. We all know that once you allow trash to remain un-cleaned, the vermin moves in and none of us want that!