In riding my bike, on the NW side, I've come across a number of alleys that are not paved and a few where the alleys don't go all the way through so that the garbage truck has to back out, other alleys end at a parking lot. When I read the neighborhood paper on zoning issues, it seems as if the city discourages businesess from having their parking lot empty out into a alley. I've noted some exceptions that I don't know whether they were grandfathered in or this being Chicago where the "help" of the alderman was involved.

Several examples:

When the new Jefferson Park police station was built on Milwaukee Ave, it seemed to be a surprise that somehow a portion of Heck's catering at 5135 N. Milwaukee was built over what should have been the middle of the alley. The homeowners on the next block who had garages could not drive all the way through. In the newspaper article there was a big discussion but no answer when or how this occurred or why the city didn't use eminent domain to allow the alley to go all the way through. Possibly another case of divine intervention of some politician in the past?

There is a alley behind Central at Elston that ends at Colletti's restaurant that does not go all the way through to Elston.

Superdawg's parking lot is allowed to empty into a alley leading to Devon. With the high bushes definitely a safety hazard but the city doen't mind. I assume it's landmark status gives it priveleges that other businesses are not allowed.

Another question I have is, I seem to remember that the allwys were nnot always lit. If I remember correctly, the lighting of the alleys atarted sometime in the 60's.