Horse Track Alley
Horse Track Alley is a public road that you won’t find on any map. In fact, I had no idea it even had a name, until about 2-3 months ago when this sign popped up out of no where. It’s very near where I live, and I walk down it frequently when out with the dogs.
It’s also the first sign I’ve ever seen that had the double zero designation. It begins on Clark Ave near Cameron Village, and dead ends behind some businesses on Hillsborough St. (El Rodeo being the only one I can recall at the moment).
Anyone have any info on the origin of the name? Are there any other designated “alleys” in Raleigh with their own street sign?
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03/06/2008
I too was surprised to see that sign pop up. Strange.
Cameron Park neighborhood has tons of alleys but I don’t recall any signage on any of them.
There is a Stronachs Alley downtown (runs between Wilmington and Blount Streets). It is on google maps as a one-way street…however the map vs the satellite view has it several feet off.
When I was in downtown Asheville last week, I saw several alleys marked with street signs. They do it more than Raleigh apparently.
03/06/2008
I believe that before the fairgrounds moved to what is currently the Rose Garden area, the horse track was farther east. It would have been close to the north end of Horse Track Alley.
Also, there’s probably not a sign, but Horse Track Alley’s south end runs into College View Alley, which runs west-east from the side of the Post office to behind El Rodeo.
I think.
03/06/2008
Sorry, it’s College Crest Alley. You can see it on the Wake Co IMAPS.
03/07/2008
ton b,
thanks for the info. now that you say it, it makes sense. horse track alley is very near fairmont methodist church which got it’s name for being on the second site of the NC fair grounds. There are very old brick foundations and concrete blocks covered with ivy and grass, giving hints as to it’s distant past. I’m sure they have nothing to do with the horse track, but interesting nonetheless.
03/10/2008
tony – that’s interesting about College Crest Alley. I’ve been here 13 years and never knew that.
They probably ought to put a sign on that one…I’d bet it’s the most-used alley in the entire city (since Chamberlain turns one-way and people don’t have room to turn around).
04/18/2008
The recent appearance of this street sign was a suprise to me, too. I’m guessing that some genius down at the city planning department got cute and came up with the name as a nod to the old fairgrounds race track, which was located nearby. I do know, however, that when the state fairgrounds occupied the site (mid 1870s – mid 1920s, along Hillsboro St. between (now) Brooks Ave and “Racetrack Alley”), a high board fence surrounded the site so as to keep out nonpaying “visitors.” The alley ran alongside this section of fence, which defined the eastern edge of the fairgrounds. It continued across presentday Clark Ave (which of course didn’t exist then), northward along what is now Chamberlain St.
04/22/2008
I live on Chamberlain Street… from looking at old city maps, the fairgrounds was right there. I have a picture of my house when it was under construction in 1924, and the high wooden fence mentioned in a previous comment is clearly visible there.
I also happened to be around the day before the sign got put up. There was a new ticket-writer and he was running around frustrated because he didn’t know what to write on the citation.
01/18/2010
Not sure if this has been brought up somewhere else, or even part of this, but are ya’ll aware the street (Gardner & Pougue) that circles around the Rose Garden was part of the track that was part of the old fairgrounds?
04/17/2023
A sequel, which is planned to serve as the eleventh and last
main installment, is scheduled to be released in February 2024.