Alleys in New York City

[Northwindsforever]

Originally Posted by overdose

is that the site with the wild hipster jumping into holes and train tunnels and things of that sort?

They have walking tours in different ghetto neighborhoods all dressed in Forgotten NY t-shirts.

[ddavide74]

Thanks everybody.. Anyway, I was talking about Manhattan. Maybe the title "Alleys in New York City" is too general :-)

[bmwguydc]

No, the title isn't too general, it's the use of the term, when compared to cities that have real alleys, where the hidden elements of the seamier side of society gather to skulk in the shadows and stalk the city avenues -- a very useful and dramatic element for literature and film, but one that does not translate well in NYC. Manhattan has limited alleys, and most of them are just side entrances that do not connect, and provide hidden means of getting through an area, etc.

Staple Street in TriBeCa, I would classify as an alley, albeit a short, two-block long one. Collister Street is similar, just to the north of Staple by a couple of blocks, and on the center west side of the block as opposed to east side of the block as Staple, such that one could conceive of a connection, had there been a diagonal jog toward the center of the block below Beech. Liberty Place also has the hallmarks of an alley, and, of course, Exchange Alley off Trinity is a narrow alley. Alleys are an exception, rather than a rule in Manhattan, and the remaining alleys are in older sections of the island, such as Lower Manhattan. Unlike other cities, however, Manhattan's alleys are short, and some are more pedestrian walkway than true, gritty alley, that forms the service side of buildings.

[SeventhFloor]

There are real alleys in Ozone Park, Queens and a few neighborhoods in Southern Brooklyn, similar to the alleys in residential neighborhoods in Chicago.