Alleyways in the city

Off the main streets, the residential areas of Hanoi are a maze of narrow alleys dating from the days when the city was basically a collection of villages with the citadel at the centre. Houses used to be one or, at most, two storeys. Now they tend to be 5 or 6 storeys and the sun almost never reaches ground level. I'm staying in a room that looks out onto one such alley (narrower than the one in the picture - in fact only wide enough for two-wheeled traffic). About 5 years ago I stayed in the same room. Plenty of light came in through the window. Now every house opposite has gone up a few more floors and the light coming from the window is just a sort of gloom. I need the lights on all day. I'll have to make sure I go outdoors a lot to get my quotient of Vitamin D!