Yes, Please

In a follow-up story on the city's approval to look at "greening" 12,309 blocks of essentially unused alleys, Grist magazine reports that the merchants who make up the Hollywood Business Improvement District have approved a $125,000-a-year alley fund. And here's their ambitious vision: "And while the initial goals are cleanup and maintenance, merchants are hopeful that their alleys can become more than dumping grounds, according to Hollywood BID Assistant Executive Director Sarah MacPherson. 'There's kind of this European vision of outdoor dining and retail entrances through the alley," said MacPherson of the possible future of Hollywood's alleyways. "They have a very pedestrian scale, unlike many large boulevards that we see in Los Angeles, so it's a very unique way of experiencing Hollywood and a very unique way of experiencing an urban area." [Grist Magazine]