Avenue versus street

Question

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"?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]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),[/nq]
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.
[nq:1]boulevard,[/nq]
Properly a boulevard is a broad, landscaped avenue.
[nq:1]freeway[/nq]
A freeway is a highway that has access restricted to on-ramps and off-ramps, and is intended for high speed traffic.
[nq:1]and highway?[/nq]
A highway is supposed to be a road outside built up areas.
[nq:1]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.[/nq]
Unless it's the other way around. In my home town avenues are east-west and streets north-south.
[nq:1]But I have seen avenues like "150th Av SE".[/nq]
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)
[nq:1]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?[/nq]
No particular reason as far as I know.

Avenue versus street

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