Lost #Toronto alleyways: 1st in a series

Bricked
Toronto, ON
March 2016

The scene: I'm in town for a large-ish organizational gathering - think hundreds of people in one place for a couple of days, endless rows of perfectly-aligned straight-back chairs and a stage filled with lots of speakers, giant screens and enough videos to make YouTube jealous.

I've learned a ton and have met some incredible people, but when I end up with an hour between this and my next gathering, I reach for my camera and head for the door. A meandering walk through the new-to-me neighborhood will be good for the soul.

I begin to notice the alleyways that criss-cross the area. Almost without exception, they're dead-silent. Given the wear on the ground and the walls, I'm guessing this place has seen more than its fair share of action. But not today. Still, the tomb-like feel of a place barely removed from the non-stop street behind me strikes me as an amazing study in contrasts. Anyone looking to escape the chaos of the surrounding city would do well to camp out in a lawn chair for a couple of hours.

But I have no lawn chair. Just a camera to record the delightfully urban-rough surfacing of the place before I pack it all up again and head back inside. For now, anyway, the story of this mysterious place will have to remain untold. Perhaps I'll bring that lawn chair on my next visit.

Your turn: What goes on in alleys like this?