Backstreet

Backstreet is a term that typically refers to a street located at the rear of a city block, or a narrow lane behind larger streets. The word is a compound of back and street, and it is widely used in English-speaking countries to describe what is often a secondary or less prominent street. In urban planning and everyday use, backstreets provide secondary access, service corridors for utilities, delivery routes, or informal pedestrian shortcuts. Because they are behind buildings, backstreets frequently carry less traffic and may be less maintained than main thoroughfares.

Backstreet as a proper noun appears in various cultural contexts. The most internationally known use is The Backstreet Boys, an American vocal group formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1993, whose music career peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The term has also been used as a title or setting in films, television, and literature, often to evoke urban life, romance, or secrecy, though such uses are varied.

Geographic usage: Across English-speaking regions, many towns, streets, or neighborhoods are named Back Street or Backstreet, reflecting its descriptive origin as a back lane behind main streets. The phrase can function as both a common noun and a proper noun, depending on context.

Other uses are varied and context-dependent. The two-word form back street is also common in everyday language when describing a rear street rather than a specific title.