“An alleyway plastered with bubblegum!”
Bubblegum Alley is a local tourist landmark in downtown San Luis Obispo, California, known for its accumulation of used bubble gum on the walls of an alley. It is a 15-foot (4.6 m) high and 70-foot (21 m) long alley lined with chewed gum left by passers-by. The locally created, "most-talked-about landmark" covers a stretch of 20 meters between 733 and 734 Higuera Street in downtown San Luis Obispo. According to the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Business Improvement Association, the history of who actually started this gum fiesta is "a little sketchy". Some historians believe that the tradition of the Alley started after WWII as a San Luis Obispo High School graduating class event. Others believe it to have started in the late 1950s as rivalry between San Luis Obispo High School and Cal Poly students. As soon as the Poly students suspected that the high school was trying to out-do them on the gum walls, the college students stepped up their game and immediately became more creative, thus launching Bubblegum Alley. In any case, by the 1970s Bubblegum Alley was well under way. When shop owners complained that it was "unsanitary and disgusting", the alley underwent a full cleaning. The gum graffiti survived two full cleanings in the '70s, but when, in 1996, the BIA attempted to have another full cleaning, it was not passed.
NO LONGER EXISTS as of 12/20/15
Does exist
Fun place to leave a piece of gum! Quick stop right off highway!
It was disgusting and beautiful
Don't forget the gum!
It cool novalty. Disgusting. Funny
Creative use of space. Pretty nasty if you think about it. Bucket list check. 3 because of health concerns. Would give it a 5 for creativity.
Oddly enough, this was the highlight of the day. It's amazing how many forms art can take, and this is one of those creatively genius ways.
It looks really cool, but disgusting at the same time. - Julz
If you visit downtown San Luis Obispo (which I highly recommend) you will most likely wind up in bubblegum alley either by choice or accidentally. When we were in SLO we unintentionally found the alley leaving a restaurant. It's kind of cool to look at, but smells like a strong mixture of bubblegum and urine. Within five seconds of entering the alley you begin worrying about stepping in both!
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