Walk Safely
After last call, walk these well-lit routes and shortcuts—but skip the alley with the dead bulb, even if it looks shorter.
The safest routes after midnight follow the main sidewalks along Broadway where bars close later and foot traffic thins slowly, not disappears. Paths like 2nd Avenue South from Broadway to Commerce Street stay brightly lit due to street-facing business signs and fewer alley-side shadows. Locals also know the underpass between the old National Life building and the honky tonk on 5th—that stretch stays lit by motion-sensor fixtures above the doorways and has clear sightlines to security patrols.
Shortcuts live in the alley networks, especially between 3rd and 4th North—where most have cobblestone or uneven concrete. The alley behind the honky tonk on 4th South has worn paths used daily by delivery trucks, making them smoother and more visible. But the alley between 5th and 6th North, just south of Cherry Street, has one stretch with a single burnt-out bulb in a string of four—everyone steps around it or waits for the next car’s headlights to briefly illuminate it.
Side streets like East Trinity Place and South 5th after 10 pm become safer as bar clusters thin and lighting improves near residential entries. Watch for streetlamps that flicker red—that usually means a loose bulb or fault, not a working light. The alleys behind venues on 2nd Avenue North stay clearer due to staff foot traffic, even past 2 am. Avoid corners where two alleys intersect without a streetlamp between them—no one waits in those pockets.
