From an alley, the windows of a historic downtown building become a mirror reflecting the blue sky of May.

Upstairs apartments have turned downtown into home.

Backdoors & alleyways

A backdoor becomes a work of art in the Court Street district.

Sometimes the alleyway graffiti makes a social statement.

Utility lines and garbage carts lend a certain uniformity to alleyways.

A few entrepreneurs embrace the alleyway.

Photos by Scott Morris​

Downtown Southern charm doesn't end at the front door, as I discovered recently while exploring the backdoors and alleyways of Florence, Alabama.

Alleys were created to hide the less desirable aspects of business like garbage and utilities, a place for the fry cook and the server to share a smoke, a good spot to tie up your horse — but they have a certain beauty of their own.​

A bicycle boneyard behind Tennessee Street provides used parts to keep the self-propelled bargain hunter on the move.