During our Glenwood Park tour this week, Domenick Treschitta showed us a designed alley: backdoors, garage doors, trash cans of beauty. I fell in love. I'm not alone.
Houses on the corners make two chunky "columns" that frame the alley. The one-story garage is painted correlated metal, quite modern-utilitarian, and pretty. Cyprus columns flank and soften garage doors. This wins the gold medal for alley landscaping.
The entry to the alley has curved curbs. A right angle wouldn't be as good, would it? Here is the "little yellow brick house" at the south end of the alley. I like it a lot. You can see that consistent footprints, heights, masses and detailing allow a variety of styles to harmonize.
Grids, alleys, and pathways give these compact developments breathing room, alternative routes, places to explore, privacy, and a bit of unexpected mystery. Here is Domenick leading us on a footpath. It's a shortcut to the park/playground/lake. What landscaping!
If you walk around, you'll find little surprises around every corner.
More to come on Glenwood Park. Thanks, Terry
Another shot of the yellow house.