An alley by any other name...

The word “lane” is decidedly more attractive term than “alley,” which is probably why whoever names streets opted for the former when laying out Manchester, NH.

Hampshire Lane, Monadnock Lane, Londonderry Lane, Derryfield Lane — to me, these names suggest narrow, meandering roads that traipse through the English countryside (in spring).

“Alley,” however, is a much more appropriate name for what exists in our fair city. The sign might call it a lane, but this is, without a doubt, an alley:

Not that there’s anything wrong with this. It is what it is and, truth be told, I like it. Alleys aren’t pretentious. You won’t see attractive landscaping, nice wayfinding signs or pleasant facades. What you will find are trash cans, fire escapes, loose debris and, more likely than not, graffiti. Some even turn into al fresco bathrooms for the homeless, such as this narrow walkway on Merrimack Street known affectionately as “Piss Alley” due to the often-present smell of urine:

But as much as I like alleys for what they are (excepting when they double as urinals), I also like what the Eagle Eyes Community Organization — a grass roots nonprofit/Neighborhood Watch group started by Lake Avenue resident Cheryl Mitchell — is doing to bring some color to center city alleys.

Last summer the group painted murals on 15 garage doors in center city alleys:

Cheryl told me last month that the group is currently looking for additional garage doors to paint this summer. If you own one, give her a call at 641-2945.