Street names: What on earth were they thinking (or drinking)?

[txstateends]

I'm sure we've all gone past street signs and shook our head--or maybe even did a u-turn to double back, to make sure we saw that street name on the sign.

I'll start, there is one in north Dallas: South Better Drive ( http://goo.gl/maps/UMbGw ).  As opposed to "North Worse Drive"?  About 3 blocks west of the linked sign blade, it does intersect Better Drive.  Okay, I guess, but still weird.  AND, South Better goes east-west!

Now that I've also found Better Drive, does that mean I can't walk down that street, I'd better drive?? 

[hotdogPi]

Nearby town name streets that are very short and don't go towards the town they say.

If it's some way to get there, that's okay, but sometimes it's a dead end. That obviously doesn't go to the other town.

[deathtopumpkins]

Nearby town name streets that are very short and don't go towards the town they say.

If it's some way to get there, that's okay, but sometimes it's a dead end. That obviously doesn't go to the other town.

Often when the roads were built and named centuries ago they DID connect these towns. But many have been realigned or abandoned over the years. Often nowadays there is no trace of what was in the 17th century a busy road.

[thisdj78]

This one was so bad they had to get rid of the street and change it to a walking path:

http://goo.gl/maps/BDD0q

[hotdogPi]

Anything that goes directly to the named town makes sense.

The other ones that make sense:

Lowell Street (MA 129) in Reading: MA 129 goes to Chelmsford, which is close.
Salem Street in Lynnfield: The rotary can get you to Salem.
Salem Street in North Andover: Easy access to MA 114.
Pelham Street in Methuen: Only goes about a mile away.

The ones that don't make sense:

Gloucester Street in Methuen.
Beverly Street in North Andover.
Westford Street in Haverhill.
Boxford Street in Worcester.

How could these have gone to the other towns?

(These are just examples out of hundreds.)

[Alps]

Any road named after a farm in a subdivision that obliterated that farm.

[national highway 1]

Rode Rd in northern Brisbane:

Any road named after a farm in a subdivision that obliterated that farm.

Hence this:
Murray Farm Rd
http://goo.gl/maps/kwUdM

[kphoger]

There seem to be several cities with an "Easy Street".  Maybe it was a cute idea, but who was actually in charge and approved that?

[hotdogPi]

There seem to be several cities with an "Easy Street".  Maybe it was a cute idea, but who was actually in charge and approved that?

It was Miss Hannigan, Lily, and Rooster.

[cpzilliacus]

There's this in the county where I grew up: Memory Lane. It's not the only one.

[cpzilliacus]

Any road named after a farm in a subdivision that obliterated that farm.

Like this Marlow Farm Terrace?

[froggie]

In far southeastern Fairfax County, VA, we have a Mordor Dr that intersects a Furnace Rd.

[1995hoo]

I suppose I know what they were thinking when they named the streets and the neighborhood, but still, the Friendly Village of Dulles in far western Fairfax County makes me shake my head. (Map here: http://goo.gl/maps/xX8PY )

Main drag is Airline Parkway. Fair enough, though you might expect that to be the road leading into an airport (this neighborhood is off the south side of the Dulles Airport property and has no direct access).

Streets branching off of Airline Parkway: BOAC Circle, Braniff Circle, Icelandic Place, Iberia Circle, Lake Central Drive, Lufthansa Circle, Northwest Place, Northeast Place, National Drive, Lanica Circle, United Drive, Pan Am Avenue, Trans World Avenue, Swissair Place, and Panagra Place. The street names sure date the place, don't they, given how many of those airlines no longer exist?!

Similarly, my sister-in-law in Viera, Florida, lives in a neighborhood where all the streets are named after grape varietals used in making wine (with four exceptions–three streets named after winemakers and one named after a winemaking region). I could understand something like that in a winemaking area, but I think it seems really bizarre in the Space Coast area of Florida. "Mondavi Drive" is just a strange name unless it's the street where said winemaker is headquartered.


Down in Charlottesville, I always disliked the name "Hydraulic Road." It runs out to the reservoir and I assume that's the name's origin, but I still hate the name. "Reservoir Road" would have been a lot better, IMO.

[agentsteel53]

any place where Foo Drive yields branches of Foo Circle, Foo Court, Foo Terrace, etc.  there are so many available names.

similarly is where they get all cute and have Foo Mountain Road, Foo Creek Road, Foo Valley Road, Foo Meadow Road all within several blocks of each other.

street names are intended to facilitate navigation first, and foremost.  if you're not gonna order them logically (say, a numerical grid, or an alphabetical theme grid), at least don't disorder them to be purposely confusing! 

also, any variant of "Camino Road".  either you don't speak English, or you don't speak Spanish.  your ignorance is showing.

[JCinSummerfield]

I know of a "Mustang Alley"

[WichitaRoads]

I suppose I know what they were thinking when they named the streets and the neighborhood, but still, the Friendly Village of Dulles in far western Fairfax County makes me shake my head. (Map here: http://goo.gl/maps/xX8PY )

Main drag is Airline Parkway. Fair enough, though you might expect that to be the road leading into an airport (this neighborhood is off the south side of the Dulles Airport property and has no direct access).

Streets branching off of Airline Parkway: BOAC Circle, Braniff Circle, Icelandic Place, Iberia Circle, Lake Central Drive, Lufthansa Circle, Northwest Place, Northeast Place, National Drive, Lanica Circle, United Drive, Pan Am Avenue, Trans World Avenue, Swissair Place, and Panagra Place. The street names sure date the place, don't they, given how many of those airlines no longer exist?!

Similarly, my sister-in-law in Viera, Florida, lives in a neighborhood where all the streets are named after grape varietals used in making wine (with four exceptions–three streets named after winemakers and one named after a winemaking region). I could understand something like that in a winemaking area, but I think it seems really bizarre in the Space Coast area of Florida. "Mondavi Drive" is just a strange name unless it's the street where said winemaker is headquartered.


Down in Charlottesville, I always disliked the name "Hydraulic Road." It runs out to the reservoir and I assume that's the name's origin, but I still hate the name. "Reservoir Road" would have been a lot better, IMO.

Wichita has a Hydraulic Ave. - semi-majorish arterial. Used to be the hydraulic mill that has been gone 120 years.

Salina, KS has a number of planet-named streets... all off of Planet Ave. - the frontage for Ninth Street (Old US 81). - http://goo.gl/maps/TjtMv

ICTRds

[jeffandnicole]

In the town I grew up in, many of the residential streets were named after the counties of New Jersey.

For some reason, most but not all not all of the streets were named after counties (even though about 6 counties were not included).  And there's no logical layout that was used when naming the streets.

[codyg1985]

Wichita has a Hydraulic Ave. - semi-majorish arterial. Used to be the hydraulic mill that has been gone 120 years.

Isn't it also parallel to a large storm drain that runs through the middle of the city?

[hotdogPi]

Another problem: Main Street when it's not that important.

[The High Plains Traveler]

also, any variant of "Camino Road".  either you don't speak English, or you don't speak Spanish.  your ignorance is showing.

In the area where I live, many Spanish named streets (Calle x x) have "Drive" appended to the end.

[agentsteel53]

Another problem: Main Street when it's not that important.

there's also a rash of Maine Streets, including one in the town in which I live which is sufficiently important that it could be completely sensible without the suffix letter.  ha ha de doop LOOL3 ha, you're so clever. 

[Brandon]

Another problem: Main Street when it's not that important.

there's also a rash of Maine Streets, including one in the town in which I live which is sufficiently important that it could be completely sensible without the suffix letter.  ha ha de doop LOOL3 ha, you're so clever. 

More like these are named after the state or the ship.

[agentsteel53]

More like these are named after the state or the ship.

I'm aware that both of those concepts exist, but I have seen at least 3 or 4 towns where Maine is the most important road therein, so it always makes me roll my eyes.

[empirestate]

street names are intended to facilitate navigation first, and foremost.

With all due respect, says who?

[kphoger]

Wichita has a Hydraulic Ave. - semi-majorish arterial. Used to be the hydraulic mill that has been gone 120 years.

Isn't it also parallel to a large storm drain that runs through the middle of the city?

It's also home to the address I'm currently sitting in.  My work address is on N. Hydraulic, basically on the Wichita—Park City line, and I'm closing tonight.