Hello Neighbors!
This past Fall a small group of your neighbors along the Thatcher-O’Farrell Alley gathered to brainstorm ideas on how to turn the shared alley space into a unique, inviting, and purposeful place for everyone to enjoy (special thanks to Gina at 416 Thatcher for initiating this effort!). As the group took a stroll along the alley, ideas and enthusiasm began to fill the conversation and sparked excitement for what might be possible.
Since then, we have identified garden spaces, mural sites, kids’ fort area, sculpture projects, herb gardens, and even an alley hang-out spot with a future fire pit! What started as a small gathering last Fall, has turned into recurring neighborhood social gatherings with drinks, food, music, and good company.
Now, we have an long list of ideas, several engaged alley neighbors (and kids!), and approximately 939.9 square feet of identified Alley Project space so far! The group has a strong interest in securing funds through grants, sponsors, partners, etc., or even holding an “alley sale” to generate money to cover development costs.
Each and every neighbor is invited to participate, share ideas, and help contribute to creating and building a great space for all of us to benefit from and enjoy together.
Ideas We Started with:
- Plant vines to create a cohesive look
- Create garden spaces to share harvests among neighbors
- Assist each other with hauling unwanted debris/materials to the dump
- Help out with pulling weeds, physical space maintenance, general clean-up, and/or raking leaves
- Hold a “Neighbors Night Out” block party
- Incorporate art/murals on existing structures
- Meet regularly to share food, beverages, and get to know our neighbors!
However, the ideas for this alley project are ever-flowing and growing!
With each gathering, we get more and more excited about the possibilities and our ideas grow with each neighbor joining us. We have created a single page to capture them all here: The Big Idea!
Area Map:
