BootsnAll Travel Community

I've wondered just how many ways we have of naming that part of land that we drive on. Related to that, I've also wondered if there is a specific difference between them.

I don't know what the distinctions are, but these are the ones I know. Can you add any or offer the real differences?

1st Avenue
Gregory Lane
Holmes Way
Houston Street
Roberts Drive
Route 35
Rural Route 9
Weeping Willow Circle - Okay, this one is obvious
Piccadilly Circus
Holmdel Road
Quahog Boulevard

Parkway
Court
Highway

We've got a lot of loops and ways in NC. End of the street sign says LP or WY.

Generally when you turn on to one and follow it to its end, you end up on the same road you started on. Big horse shoes that wrap around lakes, streams and rocky outcroppings...

Trail is another that you'll see, generally if you make a turn on to a new road with the name "trail" it leads into a subdivision. If you follow a pot holed, chip-seal encrusted road it tapers down from road to dirt path, and eventually turns into something passable by foot or farm tractor. Down east it'll lead into a corn field, central its into the woods... and mountains it goes up till you wonder exactly what it was that made those tracks!

Well....

FREEWAY
Interstate Highway
Grade
Pass

Thats all I got

cul-de-sac
alley

We've got:

-strasse
-gasse (usually minor)
-weg (usually minor)
-platz (usually intersections)
-damm
-steig

Alway appened to the name, hence the '-'. E.g.: 'Jestergasse' or 'Prisaplatz'.

It's not a straight copy of High German. But, there might be others...these just come to mind. For whatever reason, there are lots of little difference, actually. E.g. we never use the ß here, especially on street signs. (This is something that always stikes me as exotic when I visit Germany.)

Interesting thread topic. I need to think about this some more! Fun, fun, fun...

Turnpike

Crescent (loop, as mentioned before)
Close (dead-end street)

i have to say for the montana guy up there... u know your out there when roads are called "pass" or "grade"

we have the typical

road, avenue, street, lane, court, boulevard, drive

Papermill
Hunters Trail
Dennison
River Road
Breakneck Hill
Hilltop
Boston Post Road

When i read the topic title i thought it had to do with actual road names but i'll add this anyway... If anyone is considering visiting South Africa in the future please ensure you have the lastest edition in maps and guide books because they are changing almost every road name in the country and it's extremely confusing... even for locals, nevermind the expense involved!!!

Just an example... a simple name like NMR avenue has now been changed to Masabalala Yengwa Avenue (most people aren't even sure who this guy is...)

Anyhoo... just a heads up

Here in Queens, we love our numbered streets, much to the confusion of outsiders. Near my house, 30th Street intersects with 30th Avenue, 30th Drive and 30th Road [the last two conveniently abbreviated DR and RD in case it wasn't confusing enough].

To add to the fun, my subway stop is the 36th Ave stop on the N or W line (which is marked in yellow on the map); nearby, but not that near, is the 36th St stop on the R line (also marked in yellow).

Gate is a common one here in the East Midlands area of England. The word does not refer to a gate but rather to an old Danish word for street.

More info on the use of Gate versus Gates

In short, if the sign says gates, then there might actually be some gates around, or were at some point in time. But if it just says gate, then it's just a street.

One of my favorites is Mews -- which you fine in New York and London, and I'm sure plenty of other cities. It's a street that was formerly lined with stables. Actually, it's still lined with stables, but they've been converted into apartments.

We have bypasses, too.

eg. Maryhill Bypass

There's also "Junction," and "Place."

We mentioned highways, parkways, and freeways. There are also "Expressways."

In Rosyln, NY (on Long Island), there are roads that don't have "Street" or "Avenue" suffixes: The Dogwoods, The Pines, The Hemlocks. This was quite maddening in the days before Google Maps.

There's also the most popular "Broadway." Though NY's is the only one that matters.

Squares and Plazas. Not local but Greens, Walks and Quays.

Looking through my address book, I see I know someone who lives on an Alley.

I worked on a job site once, and the community had some very strict rules on building commercial propertys.

A builder purchased a nice lot, and the township members told him they would NEVER let him develope the LAND.

Well,he did, and the road he put into in is named

NEVERLAND Dr.

A real smack in the face of the township members....

Too funny

Anyone know if there is a distinction between the different names or if they are just synonyms?