Street, avenue, boulevard or drive: how to understand the classification of US streets and roads

Street, avenue, lane, court, drive are just a few subtypes of streets that are found in the United States. How to understand what is what, and why the road on which your house is located is called a boulevard, and not an avenue, for example? Channel author tells That American Life on Yandex Zen.

Photo: Shutterstock

No, this is not a whim or a fantasy of local developers - in fact, there is a road classification in the USA that city planners must adhere to. And although in practice they do not always succeed, in most cases they still try not to break the rules.

In general, the name of a road depends on its size and function. What is called in the USA road (road or highway) Is a path connecting two (or more) points on the map, and for streetfor example, there are houses and other buildings on both sides. It turns out that, according to the rules, a street can be expensive, but a road is not a street.

Avenue (avenues) often run perpendicular to streets and are also characterized by buildings and trees on both sides. The municipality of each city has the right to decide in which direction to place its streets and avenues. For example, in Manhattan the avenues run from north to south and the streets run from east to west, but in Denver the opposite is true.

In addition to streets and avenues in the United States, there are other subtypes of roads, the names of which in most cases are not translated:

Boulevard - a fairly wide street, often with several lanes for traffic, trees on both sides, as well as a wide dividing strip, where, as a rule, trees also grow.

Court - a small street, most often in a residential area, which leads to a dead end.

Crescent (crescent) - A winding, narrow road that usually connects to other roads at both ends.

Drive (drive) - a long road laid along or around some geographical feature: a mountain or a river, for example.

On the subject: The most scenic and romantic road in the USA: what you need to know about traveling on the famous highway in California

Lane (lane): a narrow road that is usually found in residential areas or villages with private houses or residential complexes.

Place: road or street with a dead end. Unlike the court, the play area does not have a circle or loop to turn at the end of a dead end.

Terrace: street leading downhill.

Way (way): a short alley that branches off the main road, often ending in a dead end.

This list can be supplemented with other types of roads found in different American cities. Of course, not all developers follow the rules, and it happens that the lane may actually turn out to be a court, and walking along the drive, you will not see either a mountain or a river. However, knowing these terms will certainly help you better navigate American cities, and a word like street + avenue will not throw you into culture shock.

Original column published on the blog. That American Life on Yandex Zen

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