BS: Unusual Street/Road Names

Subject: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: RangerSteve
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 09:53 AM

I think this counts as folklore. I collect unusual road names. Here in New Jersey there's a Shades of Death Road. According to legend, during the American Revolution, some colonists slaughtered some British soldiers and dumped the bodies in a lake. The mist at night resembles ghosts. Or the soldiers killed the colonists, or colonists killed some Indians. No one knows for sure, or even if anyone slaughtered anyone. There's also a Foul Rift Rd along the Delaware River. On Long Island, where I grew up there's a Skunks Misery Rd (northern Nassau County). I have no idea where the last two names came from. Does anyone have any more great names? Locations would be nice, so I can visit them someday.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Crazy Eddie
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 09:58 AM

Stoat's Nest Road, just off the A23 between Croydon & Purley (England).
Nonsuch Park, also in or around Croydon.
I don't know the history though.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Gervase
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 10:15 AM

Sadly now gone, but there used to be a "Gropec*nt Lane" in the City of London.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: alison
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 10:30 AM

there was a "Franki Lane" just round the corner from me in Sydeny....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Mr Red
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 10:35 AM

I collect risque ones for a personal project.
One that has appeared in a UK comic called the Sun on page three (as has Mr Red)
"Minge Lane" (UK slang for er... a naughty bit) and just to make it more interesting one of the founder members of the Upton upon Severn Folk Festival lives there - Pat Cox.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 11:49 AM

In hull there is a Land of Green Ginger,its a small street in the city centre,sorry I dont know the history.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 11:50 AM

hmmm...I know some people who lived near the intersection of Gallows & Hemlock in Falls Church, VA....(Socrates could have had a choice)

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Midchuck
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 11:54 AM

Not a street, but there's a Ticklenaked Pond over on the other side of Vermont.

Peter.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: GUEST,Wavestar
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 12:00 PM

When I worked for the map company, I had sheets of them... every map I proofed or edited had a few. It was cool.

-J

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 12:15 PM

A friend of past years who was very much into cars and highspeed ralleying told me that writing ralley driving instructions is a sadistic sport in many cases. The instructions are often literally correct but misleading.

One favorite set of instructions he mentioned said something like "two and a half miles. turn right on that road," all in lower case. The sign, which was not very prominent, did indeed say "That Road." The confusion between "that" as a general description and "That" as a name cost many a driver seconds, and thus points.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Megan L
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 12:54 PM

There is a Goosedubs lane in Glasgow

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 01:02 PM

Toronto has an Avenue Road.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Spud Murphy
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 01:13 PM

My daughter recently lived on a 'Never Mind Lane' in Colorado Springs.

Spud

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: RangerSteve
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 01:16 PM

To the above I'll add Street Road, going from Philadelphia up into Bucks County, and Lane Avenue in West Caldwell, NJ. When I started this thread I omitted Sodom Road, in Hunterdon County, NJ, but don't go looking for it, once the yuppies moved in, they got offended and had it changed to Forest Glen Rd, or something equally boring. Yuppies ruin everything.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: The Walrus
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 01:27 PM

Gervaise,

Didn't "Gropec*nt Lane" become Threadneedle Street?

Walrus

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: dwditty
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 01:39 PM

A few towns over there is Roast Meat Hill Road.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: bobby's girl
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 01:51 PM

In York (UK) a lot of the streets are Something-gate from the viking language, and there is one called Whipma-Whopma gate. To add to the oddity, the three houses are numbered one, one and a half and two! Imagine getting arrested when drunk in a different town and trying to persuade a policeman that your address is One and a half Whipma-Whopmagate!

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Mrrzy
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 02:04 PM

Just north of Stony Point, (central) VA, is a road called Pinch'Em Slyly. My fave. There is of course a Lover's Lane near Gordonsville, but the sign doesn't stay up for more than 36 hours, so it's not called that often...

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Quincy
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 02:51 PM

When I was visiting family in New Zealand, I was in the car with my cousin and he suddenly pulled over and kissed me on the cheek!
He then pointed to the road name to show me that I had been kissed in "Every Street" in Dunedin!!

best wishes, Yvonne

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: CarolC
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 04:41 PM

I used to live just off of 'Pig's Ear Road' in Garrett County, Maryland. Pig's Ear Road was pretty close to 'Devil's Half Acre Road'.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: ddw
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 05:10 PM

Just outside Windsor, Ont. there's a road called Disputed Road.

Crossing I-75 in Kentucky is Stinking Creek Road.

And tucked back in the hills of Virginia near where Va, N.C., Tenn. and Ky. meet is a little hamlet called Goose Pimple Junction, Va.

And one of my favorite town names has always been Cowpens, S.C. We used to drive through it on the way to the drag strip in Chester, S.C.

cheers,

david

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: RangerSteve
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 05:31 PM

Whipma-Whopmagate, huh? Another one I wouldn't want to tell the police while drunk is Goa Way. It's in a town somewhere on the NJ coast.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: CarolC
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 05:59 PM

Speaking of towns, when I lived just off of Pig's Ear Road, the name of the nearest town was 'Accident'.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 06:05 PM

If you drive into Sawbridgeworth from Harlow, you find yourself going down Bonks Hill. Imagine sending a Valentine Card to someone living there...

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 06:14 PM

I remember Titsey Lane(or Hill) in Sussex.

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: vectis
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 06:48 PM

Titsey Hill Murray.
I used to live in Dubbers. I think it was named after a water pump.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: GUEST,John Gray / Australia
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 07:14 PM

We have a BlowFly Rd.

JG / FME

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 07:21 PM

I went down Squeeze Gut Lane, Whitstable last Sunday..... and there is a police station at the end of Letsby Avenue somewhere in Yorkshire.

We've eaten at a service station in Bell End, and I've been through both Aunt Mary's Bottom and Pratt's Bottom. I've also been round the Monkey's Jump (which leads to Aunt Mary's Bottom....) and we also have an Avenue Road nearby.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Donuel
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 07:54 PM

Extraterrestrial Highway New Mexico.
Yo Yo MA has a tiny street named after him in NYC but people call it Yo Mamma.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: GUEST,Blackcatter (got to reset my cookie)
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 12:00 AM

for 12 years I live on Pathway Drive - I always reffered to it as "tripple-redundant road" The fun part was that it was located off of Millinockett Road (at least that's how I think it was spelled, there were 5 street signs and three different spellings of the road. And this was in a sub-division called "The Grapevines at Sutton Ridge." Problem was that there were no grapevines, no ridge and it was highly likely no one named Sutton had any connection with the subdivision. By the way, this is all in Orlando, FL

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 12:06 AM

Liz, I do NOT believe a police station in Letsby Avenue! Nice urban myth, however.

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Gervase
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 01:49 AM

Surely the police station is in The Copse? Give WPc Laura Nauder a call, she'll put you right!

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: DaveJ
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 02:55 AM

Bone Plain Road, rural Tompkins Co., Up-state NY

The residents seem to make the Police Blotter very frequently. There are lots of feuds that include shootings, wife swapping, and every other thing that is generally associated with southern Appalachia...except for we're at the 42 parallel.
DaveJ

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 02:59 AM

Yvonne, you scored better than I ever - despite very regular trips to Dunedin (NZ) for six years. I can't recall getting kissed in any street, let alone Every St

Yonks back I chuckled over these signposts on the West Coast, South Island, NZ - can't remember which town.

Utopia St
Cemetery
Dead End

and another...

Public Toilets
Waters Lane

There's heaps more, but my brain cells aren't working. All I can think of at the moment is placenames and creeks, which are off-topic.

Cheers - Sam

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: GUEST,chrisj
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 03:44 AM

On the road north out of Melbourne was 'Pretty Sally' hill. Nowadays its bypassed by a freeway so I don't go up 'Pretty Sally' much anymore.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 07:48 AM

MATTAWOMAN-BEAN-TOWN ROAD. actual major street in Waldorf Maryland.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 08:09 AM

No-Name Lane in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire Salubrious Passage in Swansea

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: jeffp
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 08:49 AM

Columbia, Maryland is locally famous (notorious?) for stupid or strange street names. For example, to get to my house, you take the exit to Broken Land Pkwy, turn on Cradlerock Way, a right on Winter Rose Path, and left onto Lasting Light Way. Isn't it just too, too melodious? We also have Carved Stone. Not Carved Stone Road, or Way, or Lane, or anything, just Carved Stone. When I tell someone my address, they just roll their eyes and say, (Columbia, right?"

jeffp

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: GUEST,Rana
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 09:55 AM

Always have found amusing going into Hamilton, Ontario and seeing the bus going to "Upper Paradise"

Rana

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: GUEST,nic waulker
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 10:41 AM

There's a 'Tak-Ma-Doon Road' ( a narrow steep lane over the Campsie Fells near Stirling Scotland, where, as it happens, we scattered my parents ashes a few years ago)

And in a small village over Bethesda, North Wales, the rows of terraced houses running off the main hill are numbered 1>... thus a friend of mine used to have '10-4 Hill Street' as his address!

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: GUEST,nic waulker
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 10:50 AM

oh yes... the new millenium...

'Afon' is Welsh for 'River' and a few weeks ago we passed a new (aaggh) 'executive housing development' by the name of 'Afon Gardens' - wonder if they spotted the irony?

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: RWilhelm
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 10:51 AM

I used to go by Featherbed Lane in Wilmington, Deleware. I liked the name so much I put it in a song.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: clansfolk
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 10:57 AM

I have walked down Every Street in Nelson Lancashire and and even photographed Every Street - but that's all I'll admit to....

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Peg
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 10:57 AM

I am moving to Line Street; so named because it marks the Cambridge/Somerville line. I will be living on the Cambridge side, ooh la la.

In Northampton there was a Dryads Green (no street, avenue, etc. ) which I thought was lovely.

Dorchester has a group of streets with names like Druid, Greenwood, and Oakhill.

My favorite street name in my hometown was Partridge Street, for some reason.

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 11:01 AM

In Hamilton, Lanarkshire there is a Bent Road in which there is a park. this is called the Bent Recreation Area, which conjures up some very weird mental pictures

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: GUEST,Charmion
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 11:20 AM

In Ottawa, Ontario we have Elvis Lives Lane and, for the redundancy-minded, Parkway Drive. The Minas Basin of Nova Scotia boasts villages named Economy and Paradise. And, of course, everyone knows about Dildo, Newfoundland ... don't they? It's just down the coast from Heart's Desire!

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Allan C.
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 12:51 PM

Related thread

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: mousethief
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 12:58 PM

In Cook County, just east of Evanston, ILL, there is a Harms Road. I always wished it were Harms Way, but alas it's just Harms Road.

My college Hebrew teacher told us of a street in Tubigen, Germany back when he was in college, called Keltergrabenstrasse. Nobody knew why it was called Keltergrabenstrasse, and no historic sites were located anywhere along it. But when they were digging for the foundation of a new apartment building, lo and behold! they discovered graves, and indeed they were Celtic. This story was trotted out to support his theory that place names remember things longer than the people who live there.

Alex

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: GUEST,Claymore
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 02:08 PM

One of the most evocative names for a road is located in the Maryland portion of the Harpers Ferry area, where WV, VA and MD come together; Keep Tryst Lane

Subject: RE: BS: Unusual Street/Road Names
From: Dan Keding
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 02:10 PM

In Carefree, Arizona there is a corner where Ho and Hum streets meet - no joke! Dan