Jack Kerouac Alley

Jack Kerouac Alley is a one-way alleyway in Chinatown, San Francisco, California, that connects Grant Avenue and Columbus Avenue.The alley is named after Jack Kerouac, a Beat Generation writer who used to frequent the pub and bookstore adjacent to the alley.The alley was a common place for garbage dumping and a shortcut for trucks. In 1988, poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who is the co-founder of City Lights Bookstore, presented his idea to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to transform the alleyway. The project involved repaving the alley, banning motor vehicles from entering, and installing new street lights. The new look alley was reopened to the public in March 2007. The alley is now known for its engraved Western and Chinese poems, including poets such as John Steinbeck, Maya Angelou, and Kerouac himself. A ceremony was held in April 2007 to celebrate the reopening of the alley.