# In re: street names **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 22, 2001, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-re-street-names/88950 "2001-10-22T21:29:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![babaloo41](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9de0a6/32.png) [@babaloo41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/babaloo41)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-re-street-names/88950/1 "2001-10-22T21:29:26Z")
Be thankful you don’t live in St. Louis and have to put up with abomination known as Olive Street Road. Now how confusing can that be? My speculation is that as it gets farther out into the country it becomes Olive Street Road Lane. ---
**Author:** ![Marnie\_sDad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Marnie\_sDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marnie_sDad)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-re-street-names/88950/2 "2001-10-22T23:03:40Z")
Leading north out of Philadelphia is Second Street Pike, which later becomes Street Road. I lived for nearly ten years in Dublin, Pennsylvania, on a street (called Main Street while within the village limits) which was a state highway running (roughly) east and west. The highway signs SAID “East” and “West”. My address was 161 NORTH Main Street. Go figure. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-re-street-names/88950/3 "2001-10-23T00:21:56Z")
A hearty welcome to the both of you. A link to the column is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a blamk space on either side of it. [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990423.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990423.html) ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-re-street-names/88950/4 "2001-10-24T17:35:45Z")
Three’s a town in England (right next to Glastonbury) named “Street”. As to “161 NORTH Main Street”, it probably meant that you were on the north side of the street, especially if it was a divided highway. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-re-street-names/88950/5 "2001-10-24T21:34:23Z")
On the other side of the confusion scale, there’s a major thoroughfare in Cleveland called “West Boulevard”. That’s exactly what everyone calls it, too. In fact, it’s often just called “The Boulevard”, since the only other major boulevard in the Cleveland area is clear on the other side of town (and yes, it is East Boulevard). But of course, all the street signs read **WEST** [sub]blvd[/sub]. Rather odd, to see it. ---
**Author:** ![dhare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@dhare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhare)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-re-street-names/88950/6 "2001-10-24T22:40:57Z")
Over here in the UK, at least, an avenue is by definition lined by trees. I think it comes from the drives you often see leading to grand houses. An approach. It comes from the French avenir, I think. ---
**Author:** ![DMAAN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/278dde/32.png) [@DMAAN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMAAN)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2001, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-re-street-names/88950/7 "2001-10-25T12:58:52Z")
French person here. Avenir is french for future. The word avenue is a french word also with the same meaning as in english. Also with the same confusions. I know of one called Avenue du Boulvard. d