Elfreth's Alley is a narrow cobblestone lane tucked between Front and 2nd Streets north of Arch — thirty-two colonial row houses from the early 18th century, most of them still lived in. The oldest dates to 1702, giving the alley its claim as the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in the United States. Walking it on a quiet morning, you can almost believe the claim: the scale is human, the brickwork original, and the sense of compressed time genuine.
Number 124 is a small museum open on weekends, giving a sense of what the houses looked like inside when inhabited by artisans, tradespeople, and their families. The alley itself is a public street you can walk down any time. It is short — half a block — but dense with atmosphere. The best photographs are taken early morning before the tour groups arrive.