Alleyway Crew

Living in Brooklyn can be a bummer sometimes. When I was a kid, I could ride my bike in the street from an early age, because my neighborhood was a place for families first and a place for driving second. On the congested streets of New York City, the car is king. Whereas a neighbor who was driving recklessly down the suburban streets would catch hell from every parent on the block, in the big city people drive however they want because they are anonymous. We don't even know our neighbors, much less the thousands of outsiders who drive through our neighborhood everyday.

I don't want my daughter to be harmed by this menace. I mean this in two senses. First, I don't want her to get hurt by someone driving recklessly down our block. But second, I also don't want her view of the world, her exploratory spirit, to be dampened by living in the big city.

Thank goodness for the alleyway between our building and the next:


It's here that the Louisa Street alleyway crew is in effect. Gaia and her pals next door rip around on their bikes and scooters and tricycles in this short but sweet little alleyway, protected from the dangers of the outside street. They can be kids, albeit in a small space. They can enjoy time together unsupervised by adults. They can learn from each other.

I of course am not allowing this alleyway to define the limitations of Gaia's riding world. We have already gotten out on some long rides, allowing the sidewalk to be our ally as we make our way over to the safety of Prospect Park. But I am thankful for the alley, because it is a place that Gaia and her friends can claim as their own.