avenue versus street

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surena abari - 08 Dec 2003 16:44 GMT

I am visiting Seattle and want to know the difference in meaning
between words like:avenue, street, place(as Oakwood PL), drive (as
Oakcrest drive), way(as Newport Way), road(as Richards road),
boulevard, freeway and highway?
I have been told that direction of avenue is in the north to south
and the direction of street is in the west to east.
But I have seen avenues like "150th Av SE".
I have another question.I have seen "SE Newport Way", but also
"Newport Way NW"
and "17th Av NW".Why the direction is in front of some names and at
the end of others?Can we say "S 1st avenue" in place of "1st avenue
S"?

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John Ings - 08 Dec 2003 19:43 GMT

>I am visiting Seattle and want to know the difference in meaning
>between words like:avenue, street, place(as Oakwood PL), drive (as
>Oakcrest drive), way(as Newport Way), road(as Richards road),

All those names used to have specific meanings, but for a long time
now they have been used carelessly by city governments and developers
to the point that almost any kind of street can bear any of those
names.

>boulevard,

Properly a boulevard is a broad, landscaped avenue.

>freeway

A freeway is a highway that has access restricted to on-ramps and
off-ramps, and is intended for high speed traffic.

>and highway?

A highway is supposed to be a road outside built up areas.

>I have been told that direction of avenue is in the north to south
>and the direction of street is in the west to east.

Unless it's the other way around. In my home town avenues are
east-west and streets north-south.

>But I have seen avenues like "150th Av SE".

In this case the street numbering may start at center street and go in
both directions. Thus you can have a 1st street west and a 1st street
east (two different streets). The avenues are likely to be numbered
both ways from a central avenue as well, so you can have 19th aveneue
north and tenth avenue south. Thus there can be four intersections of
10 avenue and 5th street. So you have to say which one you mean.
Where 10th avenue north crosses 5th street west (NW) or where 10th
avenue north crosses 5th street east (NE). Or where 10th avenue south
crosses 5th street west (SW) or where 10th avenue south crosses 5th
street east (SE)

>I have another question.I have seen "SE Newport Way", but also
>"Newport Way NW"
>and "17th Av NW".Why the direction is in front of some names and at
>the end of others?

No particular reason as far as I know.

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Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / December 2003

avenue versus street