ChiKat

It has taken WEEKS for our alley to be paved. They totally over-hauled the entire alley. At the end of the alley, there is now a stamp carved into the pavement designating the alley as a City of Chicago Green Alley.

I had no idea what this meant, but it turns out we have a FANCY alley! The grading, pitch and material of the alley all help facilitate drainage into the ground rather than the sewer system. In addition, the alley is made from recycled materials. The handbook even shows pretty plants along the alley, but I don't think we are getting *that* nice of an alley.

I'll just be happy if they actually finish the alley. The entire alley is paved, but the connecting ramp from our lot to the alley is just a gaping hole that my little VW Golf cannot traverse. So I've been parking on the street along with everyone else from the alley for the past two weeks.

Having the alley closed to parking has meant there is hardly any parking on the street these days. Yet the nearby University insists that the new 800+ bed dorm isn't going to impact street parking at all. Give me a break.