This is another location in my novel. I am fascinated by north American back alleys, the most under utilized urban areas on the continent, slicing like old scars through house blocks. With their raw look, and in this case even brick walls, I find them more appealing than anything on their street side.
Imagine these back alleys in Amsterdam or Barcelona, and these places would be full of cafes, bistros and little shops buzzing with people, who like to meet and chat and laugh in an environment where you can be mensch—and not some car dependent entity bumbling from parking lot to parking lot.
These very back alley facades look more appealing than their actual street counterpart. Nobody would notice if the garbage bins would stand in front of the building. Only a lack of fantasy, balls and laws prevent these areas to live up to their potential, turning them into an urban area equivalent of any European tourist destination.
In my novel Arthur and Minna sit down here, in a cafe like atmosphere, it rains and his situation is dire, but in my version this place has more joie de vivre than their street sides in 2021. I love to dream. Maybe one day.
Thank you for your time.