Bubblegum Alley
There are notorious landmarks. There are bizarre landmarks. There are gross landmarks. Then there’s Bubblegum Alley in downtown San Luis Obispo. The 15 foot walls of the 70 foot alley between a clothing store and taproom are covered with undoubtedly every make of gum known to man. There are two popular stories about the origin of the tradition. One says that it started in the 1950s with a rivalry between high school students and Cal Poly students. The other says that high school grads started the sticky tradition after World War II. When shop owners complained that it was “unsanitary and disgusting,” the alley underwent a full cleaning. The gum graffiti survived two thorough cleanings in the ’70s, and following efforts to clean it up have failed.
San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt