A hidden street

When you find a new place that few people know of, there’s always an excitement that fills you up. It’s like you've won the lottery, well at least for me that is the case.

I've been living in Nottingham since September and have only noticed a little side alleyway in the centre which I have to say reminds me a lot of Diagon Alley. There's so much character in the street, from the coloured outsides to the unique names. The alleyway is an expression of this urban grunge that Nottingham has provided through places like Hockley, but I can now see been translated to the more central parts of the city as well. I don't think that this place of unique and weird aspects has been seen by many or appreciated for that matter, allowing the beauty of it to be that much exclusive to those who come across.

Overall, you can view this alleyway being looked over as many wouldn't have thought about going into the dark walkway as from first appearances it doesn't seem the same as it is once you've walked through. The people from the shops next door smoking weed, looking piercing into your soul aren’t the best first appearance. This, along with the smell of piss and Guinness means many get turned off by first impressions and would rather walk up the busier, less covered in glass street connecting to the upper streets. Well, that wasn't the case for me, I saw this and the artwork saying there were vegan meals (this at once catches my hungry veggie eyes) and decided to explore.

From my experiences of being in Nottingham and living here, the best thing I've ever done was to explore. Walking down streets that you typically wouldn't was how I came to find places like Cobden Chambers in Hockley and Sneiton Market. The areas that have these artistic flares and more unique are usually the ones hidden away from the public eye. Sometimes this can be due to there being illegal graffiti being in a place, or it can be, like in Sneiton Markets case the skaters, groups that go to these places and make it their hangout. If there is one thing you should take from this it’s that exploring is good, make sure you're safe. I don't want anyone mum's emailing me angry their kids got lost in a city.