ELI5- Why do streets have different labels like Ave, Blvd, Rd, etc.? Are there certain qualifications for what determines them?
In: 909
Different rules in different places. In Seattle for example, BLVD’s are owned by the parks department. All ‘streets’ do East and West, and all ‘avenues’ go North and South. Which makes it easy to know your direction.
In my city, the ‘grid’ is based on a fairly straight stretch of river that runs through the center of town— the river that the city was built around. It runs from the south-by-southeast to the north-by-northwest. The city was founded on the west side bank, so the other side is called East [City]. It’s just a naming convention; both sides are part of the same municipality. Numbered roads in the original town that run parallel to the river are Avenues. Roads in the east side that run parallel to the river are Streets. So 1st Avenue is right next to the river, but in the main city. 1st Street is on the east side.
There’s a North and a South of these, too. In the original city, that’s determined by whether they’re north or south of Broadway, also colloquially just called ‘Broad.’ On the east side, it’s determined by whether they’re north or south of Main Street. (Most of Main Street is on the east side, with only a couple of blocks in downtown.)
There are several roads that were originally toll roads to other towns, called Turnpikes back then and now just Pikes, but most locals will also just call them Roads. They’re named for their destination towns, though in a few cases the towns have been absorbed by the growing city and now they’re just neighborhoods. And one or two of the towns have changed their names but the road to them still bears the original name.
What about Grove?? I live on Street name, Grove
It depends on the location. In many places, streets run one direction, and avenues run perpendicular.
For example, in King County, in Washington State, streets run east and west, and avenues run north and south. Drives, lanes, circles ect happen when a road exists between, say 87th St and 88th St.
A Blvd or Way would be a road that meanders about the grid, changing directions and cutting through, as it were.
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