My wife and I came to Kingston for our honeymoon (our options were obviously limited due to COVID-19, but this city was far enough away for us to still feel like it's a getaway).

That being said, we toured around the city, checked out quaint coffee shops, all the vintage gift stores, the Kingston Penitentiary, took a ferry to Wolfe Island, and much more. The place that truly captured our hearts during our time in Kingston was none other than Martello Alley.

My wife enjoys looking at creative expositions of work, and I can appreciate them, but what really had us resonating with Martello Alley was the ethos behind its conception. David (the owner) had a vision to clean up a small little nook in the city and give it new light. A corner in which its only purpose was to serve as a dumpster area was redefined and repurposed to become both a place of beauty and invitation to explore, and an open space where local people can display their work and build community amongst themselves. Martello Alley has turned from a place of disposal into a place where voices are heard, voices from people who are regular and enjoy art, voices from people of minority backgrounds, and voices from people who are severely pushed to the margins.

Having David share this story with us was powerful, because a relatively smaller initiative carried such a big impact and continues to do so. I hope to see a ripple effect from this, where simple regular people with a heart to revitalize an area and clear the stigma behind some neighborhoods can creatively navigate what the needs of the community are, and develop plans to execute them under a lower budget. David has done this, and my wife and I would like to follow suit in our own local setting, in our own unique way. I hope this review encourages you to check out Martello Alley while you are in Kingston and hopefully be inspired to help facilitate positive change wherever you call home.

Have a wonderful day everyone, and thanks again David.