In the central Appalachian mountains,(West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia) 'hollers' or (hollows) refer to the narrow, but often long valleys made by the many creeks. They usually end in cul d sacs where the creek comes down off the mountain, and the further up the holler one lives, usually, the more remote one is. I don't know what they call them in the mountains of Georgia, Tennessee or Pennsylvania. In the North Carolina mountains they are called coves instead of hollers.

I think the only way the term would have an urban context would be if a hillbilly who had moved to an urban area for the work in the factories likened a narrow alley or stairwell to a 'holler.'

Janie