Street sights in North America
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A
Nicollet Mall
Nicollet Mall is the pedestrian-friendly portion of Nicollet Ave in the heart of downtown, dense with stores, bars and restaurants. It's perhaps most famous as the spot where Mary Tyler Moore threw her hat into the air during the show's opening sequence. A cheesy MTM statue depicts our girl doing just that. A farmers market takes over the mall on Thursdays from May to November.
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B
Macondray Lane
This scenic route down from Ina Coolbrith Park, via a steep stairway and past gravity-defying wooden cottages, is so charming that it looks like something out of a novel. And so it is: Armistead Maupin used this as the model for Barbary Lane in his Tales of the City series.
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C
Jack Kerouac Alley
Fans of On the Road and Dharma Bums will appreciate how fitting it is that Kerouac's namesake alleyway offers a poetic and slightly seedy shortcut between Chinatown and North Beach via favorite Kerouac haunts, City Lights bookstore and Vesuvio – Kerouac took his books, Buddhism and drink to heart.
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D
Diamond District
Like Diagon Alley in Harry Potter, the Diamond District is a world unto itself. A frenetic whirl of Hasidic Jewish traders, aggressive hawkers and love-struck couples looking for the perfect rock, its 2600-plus businesses peddle all manner of diamonds, gold, pearls, gemstones and watches. In fact, the strip handles approximately 90% of the cut diamonds sold in the country.
Marilyn, eat your heart out!
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E
Cottage Row
Take a detour to days of yore, when San Francisco was a sleepy seaside fishing village and before houses got all uptight, upright and Victorian. Easygoing 19th-century California clapboard cottages hang back along a brick-paved pedestrian promenade and let plum trees and bonsai take center stage. The homes are private, but the minipark is public, ideal for a sushi picnic.
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F
Mulberry Street
Although it feels more like a theme park than an authentic Italian strip, Mulberry St is still the heart of Little Italy. It’s the home of landmarks such as Umberto’s Clam House, where mobster Joey Gallo was shot to death in the ’70s, as well as the old-time Mulberry Street Bar, one of the favorite haunts of the late Frank Sinatra. Just a half–block off of Mulberry is the legendary Ferrara Cafe & Bakery, brimming with classic Italian pastries and old-school ambience. You’ll see lots of red, white and green Italian flags sold in souvenir shops, and you’ll also enjoy the lovely aroma of fresh-baked pastries and pizzas wafting out of doorways. Take a gander at what…
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G
Rue de la Commune
Set back from the waterfront, ‘The Common’ is a showcase of the rejuvenation that has swept Old Montréal. Compare it with old photos and you’ll see the warehouses and factory buildings haven’t changed much on the outside, but the tenants are upmarket hotels, restaurants and converted condos. Though the street has lost its raw, industrial feel, the original stone walls can still be viewed inside many buildings.
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H
Commercial Street
The main artery of the town, walking down Commercial St is a top attraction in Provincetown. On any given day you may see cross-dressers, leather-clad motorcyclists, barely clad in-line skaters, same-sex couples strolling hand in hand and heterosexual tourists wondering what they’ve stumbled into on their way to a whale-watch.
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I
Clematis Street
Long before CityPlace came along, there was Clematis St, a hip, bohemian strip bustling with locals doing their shopping, diners looking for a foodie scene, and scads of bar-hoppers come nightfall. In short, this stretch is the most eclectic strip in town – and much of it's also a historic district with a jumbled collection of architecture – Greek Revival, Venetian Revival, Mediterranean Revival and art deco.
Every Thursday night, Clematis plays host to West Palm's signature event, Clematis by Night.
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J
Balmy Alley
Inspired by 1930s WPA and Diego Rivera murals in San Francisco, and outraged by US foreign policy in Central America, Mission activist artists set out in the 1970s to transform the political landscape, one mural-covered garage door at a time. Balmy Alley showed personal perspectives on international events, with early works by muralist groups such as the Mujeres Muralistas (Women Muralists) and Placa (meaning 'mark-making') transforming fences and garages into artistic statements.
Today, a one-block walk down Balmy Alley leads past three decades of murals, from an early memorial for El Salvador activist Archbishop Óscar Romero to an homage to the golden age of Mexican…
reviewed
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K
K Street
K St is the center of the Washington lobbying industry. This is where high-powered lawyers, consultants and, of course, lobbyists (‘K St’ and ‘lobbyist’ have practically become synonymous since the 1990s) bark into their Blackberries and enjoy expensive lunches. Come nightfall, the same power set comes back with hair considerably slicked and/or flattened to drink expensive cocktails while surrounded by the sort of people who swoon over everything we’ve just described. In total contrast are some lovely nearby green spaces. Franklin Square (between 13th and 14th Sts) is a large stretch of green open space thick with trees, paths and benches. Check out the…
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L
Clarion Alley
Trial by fire is nothing compared to Clarion Alley's street-art test: unless a piece is truly inspired, it's going to get peed on or painted over. Very few pieces survive for years, such as Andrew Schoultz's mural of gentrifying elephants displacing scraggly birds, or the silhouette of kung-fu-fighting feminists that make Charlie's Angels look like chumps. Incontinent art critics seem to have taken over the east end of the alley – pee-eew! – so topical murals like the new one honoring the Arab Spring usually go up on the west end.
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