Alleys & Gangways Shirt

THE STORY If you thought the narrow space between residential buildings in Chicago wasn’t full of rich history, you are sorely mistaken. The original city plan required these ‘passageways’ or ‘breezeways’ to the front and rear of buildings. However, because they were dark and hidden away, many were used as a dumping area of rotting vegetables and waste, which created a smell and rodent problem around the turn of the century. During the Capone era, however, these narrow areas became escape routes for those evading the law or other gang members, thus its current name. More recently, it’s a fond memory of urban childhood and another unique term in the Chicago lexicon.