# A couple of questions about New York **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 12, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180 "2010-05-12T15:53:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/1 "2010-05-12T15:53:56Z")
Question 1: I’ve noticed that on the roofs of a lot of buildings in New York, there’s something that looks like a tank. It’s a big cylindar with a little conical hat. What’s it for? I assume it holds water. Is it a fire prevention thing? I don’t think I’ve ever seen those in any other city. Question 2: There’s a street in Manhattan called West 38th Street. Similarly, there’s a West 42nd Street, West 55th Street, and West 88th Street. I’m going to go ahead and presume that there is an East 38th Street. Where do it and West 38th Street meet? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/2 "2010-05-12T15:58:33Z")
1)[New York Water towers.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_tower) ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/3 "2010-05-12T15:59:20Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Question 1: I’ve noticed that on the roofs of a lot of buildings in New York, there’s something that looks like a tank. It’s a big cylindar with a little conical hat. What’s it for? I assume it holds water. Is it a fire prevention thing? I don’t think I’ve ever seen those in any other city. [QUOTE=Wikipedia] In the 1800s, New York City required that all buildings higher than six stories be equipped with a rooftop water tower. This was necessary to prevent the need for excessively high pressures at lower elevations, which could burst pipes.[citation needed] In modern times, the towers have become fashionable in some circles. As of 2006[update], the neighborhood of Tribeca requires water towers on all buildings, whether or not they are being used. Two companies in New York build water towers, both of which are family businesses in operation since the 1800s.[2] [/quote] [Cite.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_tower) edit: Gah, I’m too slow! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/4 "2010-05-12T16:01:17Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Question 2: There’s a street in Manhattan called West 38th Street. Similarly, there’s a West 42nd Street, West 55th Street, and West 88th Street. I’m going to go ahead and presume that there is an East 38th Street. Where do it and West 38th Street meet? You can see it on google maps. It looks like West 38th street becomes East 38th street as it crosses Fifth Avenue. [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=s&utm\_campaign=en&utm\_source=en-ha-na-us-bk-gm&utm\_medium=ha&utm\_term=google%20maps](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=s&utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-bk-gm&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=google%20maps) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/5 "2010-05-12T16:01:57Z")
> [@teletype](#): > > edit: Gah, I’m too slow! That’s what you get for typing at [110 baud!](http://www.pdp8.net/asr33/asr33.shtml) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/6 "2010-05-12T16:08:30Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Question 2: There’s a street in Manhattan called West 38th Street. Similarly, there’s a West 42nd Street, West 55th Street, and West 88th Street. I’m going to go ahead and presume that there is an East 38th Street. Where do it and West 38th Street meet? Fifth Avenue. East of Fifth Avenue, it’s East 38th Street, and west of Fifth Avenue, it’s West 38th Street. That’s true from the start of Fifth Avenue all the way uptown (although Fifth Avenue is also the eastern border of Central Park). ---
**Author:** ![Sinisterniik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@Sinisterniik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinisterniik)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/7 "2010-05-12T16:13:37Z")
Saying 5th Ave divides the city into East and West is more accurate, but it’s more poetic to say that Central Park does it. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/8 "2010-05-12T16:15:31Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > You can see it on google maps. It looks like West 38th street becomes East 38th street as it crosses Fifth Avenue. > > [Google Maps](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=s&utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-bk-gm&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=google%20maps) Broadly speaking, streets are referred to as East St. when east of Fifth Ave./Central Park, and West Street when west of there. Above 132nd St., the East St. is mostly in the Bronx, and from 140th St. up, it’s all technically W. St. in Manhattan, but nobody really bothers with the East/West designation in Manhattan from that point up anymore. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/9 "2010-05-12T16:16:46Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > You can see it on google maps. It looks like West 38th street becomes East 38th street as it crosses Fifth Avenue. Thanks. I was at that intersection a few days ago but I guess I failed to notice. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/10 "2010-05-12T17:05:03Z")
In addition, you can figure out any particular address on the cross streets in New York by their relationship to Fifth Avenue. There are 100 numbers between each Avenue (except Madison, Park, and Lexington, where there are 50). Thus 233 W 38th Street would be near 7th Avenue (Fifth Avenue + 2.33 blocks). I’ve always loved the logical way Manhattan (above 14th Street) is laid out. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/11 "2010-05-12T17:14:40Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > In addition, you can figure out any particular address on the cross streets in New York by their relationship to Fifth Avenue. There are 100 numbers between each Avenue (except Madison, Park, and Lexington, where there are 50). Thus 233 W 38th Street would be near 7th Avenue (Fifth Avenue + 2.33 blocks). That is so cool! I never knew that. About the water towers – so they are used as a general water supply for the building? How are they filled? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/12 "2010-05-12T17:24:29Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > That is so cool! I never knew that. > > About the water towers – so they are used as a general water supply for the building? How are they filled? City water provides enough pressure for about five stories. Any building taller than that will need a tank on the roof. The tank is filled with a pump and provides pressure to the whole building. These aren’t unique to New York; any city with a lot of tall buildings will have them. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/13 "2010-05-12T17:37:02Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > That is so cool! I never knew that. > > About the water towers – so they are used as a general water supply for the building? How are they filled? There are tables giving the cross street for north/south avenues also, though it is not so clean as east-west streets. It was very valuable when I worked as a messenger one summer long before faxes and the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/14 "2010-05-12T18:00:56Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I’ve always loved the logical way Manhattan (above 14th Street) is laid out. I love that you can be at the corner of West 4th Street and West 12th Street, and they cross at right angles… ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/15 "2010-05-12T18:03:09Z")
I thought you were actually asking questions about NYS. Nope, it’s NYC. ☹ Those fuckers get all the attention. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/16 "2010-05-12T18:56:54Z")
> [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > I love that you can be at the corner of West 4th Street and West 12th Street, and they cross at right angles… We take no responsibility for those weirdo streets below 14th. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/17 "2010-05-12T18:57:27Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > There are tables giving the cross street for north/south avenues also, though it is not so clean as east-west streets. It was very valuable when I worked as a messenger one summer long before faxes and the internet. [Street Locator Algorithm](http://www.ny.com/locator/algorithm.html) This isn’t the nice one that everyone has in their wallets, but it shows the complexity well. “To locate avenue addresses, take the address, drop the last figure, divide by 2, add or subtract the number indicated below. The answer is the nearest numbered cross street.” ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/18 "2010-05-12T22:43:05Z")
My first solo taxi ride was to E. 41st Street–my dad had put me in the cab from lower Manhattan and given me 5 bucks and given the cabbie the destination. I was about totally panicked when the meter read 4 bucks and the street signs were all reading "“W. 38th Street,” “W. 39th Street” as we drove north on Sixth Avenue–I was almost out of money and the cabbie was on the wrong side of town!!! But as soon he crossed Fifth Avenue, everything worked out OK. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/19 "2010-05-13T00:01:13Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I thought you were actually asking questions about NYS. Nope, it’s NYC. ☹ Those fuckers get all the attention. > 😉 **Little Nemo, Reality Chuck** , you and I should team up for a MPSIMS “Ask the Upstate New Yorker” thread. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180/20 "2010-05-13T01:26:13Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Fifth Avenue. East of Fifth Avenue, it’s East 38th Street, and west of Fifth Avenue, it’s West 38th Street. That’s true from the start of Fifth Avenue all the way uptown (although Fifth Avenue is also the eastern border of Central Park). And below (south of) Fifth Avenue, which begins at Washington Square Park, the dividing line is Broadway, although you’ll soon get to the part of Manhattan where the streets have names rather than numbers. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-of-questions-about-new-york/539180.md?page=2)