Comments on: Dear out-of-towners, http://www.historiann.com/2011/06/27/dear-out-of-towners/ History and sexual politics, 1492 to the present Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:52:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Indyanna http://www.historiann.com/2011/06/27/dear-out-of-towners/comment-page-1/#comment-844069 Indyanna Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:16:54 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=15753#comment-844069 There's actually a thread on a noirish blog called "The Fedora Lounge" entitled "Famous Intersections." I learned this when I googled to double-check on my memory of a New Yorker cartoon in which a very pickled drunk late at night looks out of a phone booth and tells his would be ride that he's "at the corner of Telephone and Telephone..." GPS before the era of the smart phone. There’s actually a thread on a noirish blog called “The Fedora Lounge” entitled “Famous Intersections.” I learned this when I googled to double-check on my memory of a New Yorker cartoon in which a very pickled drunk late at night looks out of a phone booth and tells his would be ride that he’s “at the corner of Telephone and Telephone…” GPS before the era of the smart phone.

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2011/06/27/dear-out-of-towners/comment-page-1/#comment-843966 Historiann Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:12:15 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=15753#comment-843966 Wow--I live on a corner like that, Notorious, with (let's call it) Blibbityblab Boulevard and Blibbityblab Road. But that's not as funny as the intersection of the Goings. Couldn't the town mothers and fathers come up with any more interesting street names? Srsly? Is it that difficult to think up new and interesting street names? Wow–I live on a corner like that, Notorious, with (let’s call it) Blibbityblab Boulevard and Blibbityblab Road. But that’s not as funny as the intersection of the Goings.

Couldn’t the town mothers and fathers come up with any more interesting street names? Srsly? Is it that difficult to think up new and interesting street names?

]]> By: Notorious Ph.D. http://www.historiann.com/2011/06/27/dear-out-of-towners/comment-page-1/#comment-843916 Notorious Ph.D. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 07:02:14 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=15753#comment-843916 For the first 7 years of my life, I grew up on a house halfway between Going <i>street</i> and Going <i>place</i>. I thought it was funny (and easy to remember for a first-grader, so yay, that). But by the time I turned seven, I was already tired of the "going, going, gone!" jokes that every single bus driver had to make when I told them my stop. For the first 7 years of my life, I grew up on a house halfway between Going street and Going place. I thought it was funny (and easy to remember for a first-grader, so yay, that). But by the time I turned seven, I was already tired of the “going, going, gone!” jokes that every single bus driver had to make when I told them my stop.

]]> By: rustonite http://www.historiann.com/2011/06/27/dear-out-of-towners/comment-page-1/#comment-843469 rustonite Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:27:53 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=15753#comment-843469 St Louis is another city with a semi grid. The original city (the present downtown) was a square two miles on a side, divided into 24 blocks on a side, with NS numbered streets and EW streets named for trees (Olive, Locust, Pine, Chestnut). If they had stuck to that, we would be ok, but the curve of the river interferes, and urban renewal scooped out big chunks; for example, the ground occupied by the Arch used to be 1st through 3rd streets. Outside downtown, it gets even weirder, because St Louis annexed smaller towns as it grew, each with its own, slightly different grid. I don't know how tourists do it, it took me a year to work it out. St Louis is another city with a semi grid. The original city (the present downtown) was a square two miles on a side, divided into 24 blocks on a side, with NS numbered streets and EW streets named for trees (Olive, Locust, Pine, Chestnut). If they had stuck to that, we would be ok, but the curve of the river interferes, and urban renewal scooped out big chunks; for example, the ground occupied by the Arch used to be 1st through 3rd streets. Outside downtown, it gets even weirder, because St Louis annexed smaller towns as it grew, each with its own, slightly different grid.

I don’t know how tourists do it, it took me a year to work it out.

]]> By: Joan E Little http://www.historiann.com/2011/06/27/dear-out-of-towners/comment-page-1/#comment-843409 Joan E Little Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:48:48 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=15753#comment-843409 I must confess that each time I am in Potterville it takes me many days to remember which way the Aves go and which way the Sts go. I have the same problem with more than 2 light switches on a plate, too. I lived in a house for almost 20 years and could never remember which of the 3 switches went to which light. But, in my defense, I must say that I can fight my way out of a paper bag. I must confess that each time I am in Potterville it takes me many days to remember which way the Aves go and which way the Sts go. I have the same problem with more than 2 light switches on a plate, too. I lived in a house for almost 20 years and could never remember which of the 3 switches went to which light. But, in my defense, I must say that I can fight my way out of a paper bag.

]]> By: Julie http://www.historiann.com/2011/06/27/dear-out-of-towners/comment-page-1/#comment-843395 Julie Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:46:39 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=15753#comment-843395 Ha! Yes, here in DC, we have numbered streets going out both directions east-west from the Capitol, and lettered streets going out both directions north-south from the Capitol. Which means the same street address can be in FOUR SEPARATE PLACES if you don't know which quadrant you're supposed to be in. And of course, this is invisible to tourists, of which we have many. Ha! Yes, here in DC, we have numbered streets going out both directions east-west from the Capitol, and lettered streets going out both directions north-south from the Capitol. Which means the same street address can be in FOUR SEPARATE PLACES if you don’t know which quadrant you’re supposed to be in.

And of course, this is invisible to tourists, of which we have many.

]]> By: Indyanna http://www.historiann.com/2011/06/27/dear-out-of-towners/comment-page-1/#comment-843288 Indyanna Tue, 28 Jun 2011 04:32:04 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=15753#comment-843288 William Penn almost screwed up the original American grid plan by assuming that half of his investors wouldn't mind getting their "free" town plots on Schuylkill Front Street (right out my back window), instead of Delaware, which would be followed by Schuylkill Second Street, Third Street, etc. and that the town would slowly grow together back-to-back as the two "half grids" met at Broad Street. (About in time to import some English Mummers for a mid-winter parade). The investors laughed him right out of town. Old Man Potter situated the Trib at a place in New York where a diagonal alley, Broadway I think, slashes awkwardly through the grid. With humans, students, and other ruminants wandering around, you just can't win with a grid. William Penn almost screwed up the original American grid plan by assuming that half of his investors wouldn’t mind getting their “free” town plots on Schuylkill Front Street (right out my back window), instead of Delaware, which would be followed by Schuylkill Second Street, Third Street, etc. and that the town would slowly grow together back-to-back as the two “half grids” met at Broad Street. (About in time to import some English Mummers for a mid-winter parade). The investors laughed him right out of town.

Old Man Potter situated the Trib at a place in New York where a diagonal alley, Broadway I think, slashes awkwardly through the grid. With humans, students, and other ruminants wandering around, you just can’t win with a grid.

]]> By: Historiann http://www.historiann.com/2011/06/27/dear-out-of-towners/comment-page-1/#comment-843282 Historiann Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:58:41 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=15753#comment-843282 The same numbers for both streets and avenues is a terrific way to screw up what should be a completely transparent and rational grid plan. But then, I've heard that the Town Fathers back in the 1870s and 1880s never seriously thought that Potterville would extend west of 14th Ave., so maybe they thought it would be more like NYC? (Horace Potterville was the editor of the New York Tribune who sent Nathan Meeker out here to found a garden in a desert way back when. . .) The same numbers for both streets and avenues is a terrific way to screw up what should be a completely transparent and rational grid plan. But then, I’ve heard that the Town Fathers back in the 1870s and 1880s never seriously thought that Potterville would extend west of 14th Ave., so maybe they thought it would be more like NYC? (Horace Potterville was the editor of the New York Tribune who sent Nathan Meeker out here to found a garden in a desert way back when. . .)

]]> By: Comrade PhysioProf http://www.historiann.com/2011/06/27/dear-out-of-towners/comment-page-1/#comment-843243 Comrade PhysioProf Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:59:42 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=15753#comment-843243 Fucken ungrateful fuckes! Fucken ungrateful fuckes!

]]> By: Ruth http://www.historiann.com/2011/06/27/dear-out-of-towners/comment-page-1/#comment-843227 Ruth Mon, 27 Jun 2011 23:53:16 +0000 http://www.historiann.com/?p=15753#comment-843227 I've been in Minneapolis over a decade now and still get the numbered streets and numbered avenues confused. I’ve been in Minneapolis over a decade now and still get the numbered streets and numbered avenues confused.

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