Alley Life

[Laurie Verge]

The word is actually of French origin and means way to go. I looked up their original use, and it appears that they were ways for people to get to their backyards without having to go through the house. In D.C., it appears that they became part of the housing "market" as poor people were shoved out into the streets to make way for wealthier owners. This occurred here in the early 1800s, and was made worse with the influx of freed slaves.