# Streets, roads, avenues, boulevards **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 26, 1999, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363 "1999-04-26T22:02:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 1999, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/21 "1999-04-28T03:28:00Z")
Around here, we’ve got the "Old"s. Willow Road and (East) Old Willow Road (but only on one side, the other is Sycamore(?–some tree name starting with S). Buffalo Grove Road and Old Buffalo Grove Road. Half Day Road and Old Half Day Road. McHenry Road and a couple of Old McHenry Roads. Rand Road and about 6 dozen Old Rand Roads. * * * “The truth is out there - and it’s got bloody great teeth!” -Pete Wisdom ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 1999, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/22 "1999-04-28T11:37:00Z")
These designations used to make sense because they refer to different kinds of structure. A street (rue, calle, strasse) is a thoroughfare with buildings on both sides within the walls of a city. A place (plaza, platz, square) is a paved open space inside a walled city, usually in front of a church or opera house or something, often accommodating a market. A boulevard (from the French for “bulwark”) is a broad ring street built in the space where the ramparts of the city used to be; it would originally be broad and leafy, a kind of greenbelt between the city and its 'burbs. An avenue is a way marked by rows of trees, through the country, to a country house, or through a hunting forest; hence “Maple Avenue”, etc., after the kind of tree lining it. A lane is a smaller, less formal sort of country road, sometimes like an avenue but often without trees. A pike or turnpike, by the way, is just a country toll road; the pike being the barrier that was turned when you paid. When American developers built cities from nothing, they adopted these terms to evoke the character of the place. “Place” or “Square” indicates urban housing close to power centers; “Avenue” means open suburban areas with broad, tree-lined streets; “Lane” indicates country rustic charm. “Boulevard” evoked high-toned commercial and retail districts, or impressive new cultural facilities like the necklace of museums, opera houses, concert halls, and ritzy shops and hotels on the Ringstrasse (built along the course of the old city walls) around the old city of Vienna. Now, in these sad latter days, of course, none of this means anything. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 1999, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/23 "1999-04-28T12:52:00Z")
Boulevard is also used to describe the median between both two directions of travel and the sidewalk and the road. The latter green space is rarely found these days–more is the pity. Although this usage is not in my Oxford dictionary, I do hear it from time to time. To dwtno: “Phoenicians”, I should think. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 1999, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/24 "1999-04-28T16:57:00Z")
Speaking of French in the response (and you do), did you know cul de sac actually translates to “bag’s ass” in French, presumably due to it’s shape. * * * DaveC ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 1999, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/25 "1999-04-29T06:57:00Z")
I reference to the prefixes, I know in Albaquerque, NM The two major interstates bisect the city at right angles to one another, creating four well defined quadrants of equal size. The need for the prefixes, is not only because of the repetitiveness of street names, but because several of the steets that bound the city are nearly circular in shape and carry the same name all the way around. Therefore intersecting the e-w and n-s steets twice. Really a very simple explanitory system. Also good to direct cab drivers and the such to your location. For all you foriegners (non-Chitowners) who have posted your complaints that Chicago has nothing on the older cities, you are more right than you know. I read (possibly by Cecil) that the city of Chicago really has it better than any older city. From my understanding the Great Chicago fire was a stroke of luck for the urban planners. It so completely wiped out the city that, they basically were able to start from scratch. Now all the old narrow winding road problems that plague the east coast cities, as well as antiquated naming and numbering were eliminated and the need for nostalga was minimal. Having this basically blank template, now all the streets are n-s and e-w at fairly even spacing, with radial streets filling the gaps at diferent angles. The numbering is fairly simple, with a street dividing the city n/s and 90% of the city is all west of the lake. These facts make navigating Chicago really easy. Mathman, i have a complaint about your post. Being these two examples were 21st st. and 21st ave. wouldn’t the correct numbering example be 2102, 2104, 2106, 2108, and so on? * * * The facts expressed here belong to everybody, the opinions to me. The distinction is yours to draw… Omniscient; BAG ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 1999, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/26 "1999-04-29T14:28:00Z")
[[I know in Albaquerque, NM The two major interstates bisect the city at right angles to one another, creating four well defined quadrants of equal size]] I agree that Burque’s grid is excellent for finding stuff, but one minor correction: the grid in AlbuQuirky is actually formed by the AT&SF Railroad, which divides east from west, and Central Ave (Rt 66), which divides north from south. It’s tempting to think of the freeways as the dividers, since they seem to fit so well over the map, and it’s a problem in the older part of the city, as the entire downtown is south of I-40 and west of I-25, but much of it is in the NW, and some even in the NE. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 1999, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/27 "1999-04-29T16:46:00Z")
Ian Rey, I stand corrected. Although I must say that being a frequent visitor to the city for a few years, left me with one opinion. The city is merely a giant suburb littered with strip malls. As opposed to Sante fe there is no semblance of culture or history, or style in that easy to navigate city * * * The facts expressed here belong to everybody, the opinions to me. The distinction is yours to draw… Omniscient; BAG ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 1999, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/28 "1999-04-30T05:46:00Z")
Mathman, Ignore, my comment, I gave it some consideration and realized, my rational was a touch flawed. * * * The facts expressed here belong to everybody, the opinions to me. The distinction is yours to draw… Omniscient; BAG ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 1999, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/29 "1999-04-29T18:19:00Z")
It seems that cities in the Great White Northwest have the most confusing addressing. Nothing seems simple up there-- every address is “214 S.W. 232nd Street” or some such. Bleah. ## But still unanswered is why we drive in the parkway and… oops. Sorry. - Another fine production from Nitrosyncretic Press \* ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 1999, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/30 "1999-04-30T13:42:00Z")
[[The city is merely a giant suburb littered with strip malls. As opposed to Sante fe there is no semblance of culture or history, or style in that easy to navigate city]] Oh, we keep all that stuff hidden. Wouldn’t want people stumbling on some reason to stick around for too long. 🙂 As opposed to Santa Fe, where they lure people in with culture, but then get rid of them with their attitude. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 1999, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/31 "1999-04-30T19:53:00Z")
I happen to live on Boulevard Road, which causes no end of confusion when ordering merchandise by phone. Most everything I order from catalogues comes addressed to BLVD RD due to the company’s software compulsively abbreviating Boulevard. It may be that the street is called Boulevard Road because it runs roughly parallel to a parkway, but long it is not. It’s all of one blocks ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 1999, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/32 "1999-05-20T18:31:00Z")
In New Haven, CT there is a street named “Boulevard.” Just that, and no more. I always thought that was odd. -j ---
**Author:** ![ganley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@ganley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ganley)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 1999, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/33 "1999-09-12T21:12:00Z")
Somebody already mentioned Arlington, VA (where I grew up) - amen. Northern Virginia in general doesn’t seem to have heard about this alleged USPS rule (uniqueness not including postfixes) - in Reston, where I live, it’s common to have, e.g., X Court branch off from X Way which branches off from X Road. Gotta be hell on the mail carriers. BTW, in Blacksburg, VA, where I went to college, we had a University City Boulevard; seeing this name the first time, I pictured some big thoroughfare like the Sunset Strip. In fact, it’s a two-lane medianless road about a half-mile long. ---
**Author:** ![Momotaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Momotaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Momotaro)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 1999, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/34 "1999-09-12T23:50:00Z")
Be happy your streets HAVE names. I’ve been living for a year in Japan and I still haven’t figured it out. In villages only two or three streets have names. They don’t bother naming the rest. Instead, they name significant corners, only a few mind you. If you don’t know the neighbourhood, you’re doomed to never find what you were looking for. I understand that was the purpose in medieval times, but those years are long gone. I’ve lost so many of my western friends already. The last you hear of them they were trying to find the corner store and then they just dissappeared. No body ever found. When will the madness stop! * * * Only humans do inhuman things. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 1999, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/35 "1999-09-13T21:08:00Z")
All this reminded me of the old canard (I’m surprised someone hasn’t already posted it) that the definition of a suburb is where they cut down all the trees and then name the streets after them. ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Day](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Dan\_Day](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Day)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 1999, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363/36 "1999-12-27T05:16:00Z")
On the subject of cities with confusingly repeated street names, let me submit my hometown of Houston, Texas. Houston has: > [@](#): > > Post Oak Circle > > Post Oak Blvd > > Post Oak Parkway > > S. Post Oak Ln > > Post Oak Park Drive > > Post Oak Road To make matters worse, most of the above are clustered together within a few miles of each other, just north of the Galleria, and are in a heavily traveled area that everyone in town ends up traversing at one time or another. Two “Post Oaks” run parallel one block apart, a couple intersect each other, one’s just on the other side of the freeway from the others, and so on. If you set out to make the most confusing street names ever, you could scarcely do worse. I’ve lost count of the number of times that someone I know has gotten lost, or been given erroneous directions, because of this debacle. One of the most commonly spoken sentences in Houston must be, “Oh, you meant _that_ Post Oak!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streets-roads-avenues-boulevards/363.md?page=1)