Alley Clean-ups
Be social and help make a difference. Join our spring and summer bi-monthly clean-ups!
We're your neighbors, and we care about improving and maintaining the alleyways in our historic district! These often-overlooked pathways play a crucial role in our community's environmental health. Alley Clean-ups are a fun way to meet your neighbors, be a little social, and help keep our alleys and waterways clean.
Why Alleyways Matter
Alleyways are more than just back routes for trash collection—they are integral parts of our urban ecosystem. They connect our community, provide access, and increasingly serve as the front doorsteps for many Midtown residents. However, their less visible nature makes them susceptible to neglect and pollution.
The Impact of Stormwater Runoff
Stormwater runoff from our alleys flows directly into local creeks, watersheds, and rivers. This runoff can carry a variety of pollutants that harm our riparian systems:
- Trash and Litter: Debris from nightlife activities and improper waste disposal can clog storm drains and end up in our waterways, harming aquatic life and degrading water quality.
- Pesticides and Herbicides: Chemicals used to control pests and weeds in alleyways can wash into streams, negatively impacting plant and animal species.
- Sediments: Soil and other particles from runoff cloud the water, affecting fish and other organisms.
- Nutrient Pollution: Excess nutrients from organic waste can lead to harmful algal blooms, depleting oxygen levels and killing fish.
How You Can Help
- Join Our Clean-Up Events: Participate in scheduled clean-up activities to remove trash, weeds, and other pollutants from our alleyways.
- Educate Yourself and Others: Learn about the importance of stormwater management and share this knowledge with your neighbors.
Uplifting our Neighborhood's Alleys
Friends of Capitol Mansions is focusing on efforts to clean up the alleys in our area, improve safety and livability, and to integrate the alley into our neighborhood. The two alleys within the Friends of Capitol Mansions district are Matsui Alley and Leistal Alley, and the team cleans from the corners of 22nd Street to 26th Street. Our mission is to show that we care about their health and cleanliness. of our alleys and that we want to make sure that they are clean and useable for both our neighbors and our many visitors.
March 2021 Clean-up Day along Matsui Alley
March 2021 Clean-up Day along Matsui Alley
Pink Shirts at Work
There's nothing like finishing up a morning of trash and debris removal to find a cleaner and safer alley left behind. Next time you see the pink shirts, stop us to ask how you can be a part of this fun and neighborly effort.
Clean-up Workdays in the Pandemic
This Alley Clean-up Day was held along Matsui Alley in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We "masked up" and went to work to maintain our alleys, even during the lockdown. Turns out you can pick up trash even when socially distancing!
B Street Theatre Clean-up
The team finished up our clean-up day at the B Street Theatre, where the group helped care for the landscape after months of closure due to COVID-19. Our crew hauled away truckloads of plant and waste debris to restore the beauty of our neighborhood's corner.
Our First Clean-up Workdays, 2019
The first Alley Uplift clean-up event was held on June 15, 2019 to clean Matsui Alley from 26th-23rd Street and Liestal Alley from 25th-23rd. The 2nd workday was held on August 24, 2019 to clean Liestal Alley from 22-24th. It was a great beginning to a fun and important effort that is restoring the health of our alley ways and giving us a great reason to connect with our neighbors and friends.