I'm having fun with MapQuest while I research college graduate programs. I'm looking at Chicago right now. The layout of this city is strange. I have questions.
1) Why is there such a small area of East streets in the city? There are like 4 or 5 blocks of E Ohio St, E Chicago Ave, E Superior St. The west side spreads out for miles. W Chicago Ave for instance. Where does that sucker end? How do you know if you live on the west side of town? Where does it start? The first block of West Chicago Ave? You are practically in the lake there.
2) I must have some aspects of an adolescent boy. Why am I so amused at the streets named Wacker Drive? There are lots of them. Well, it is one street but the name changes with the location. S Upper Wacker Dr., S Lower Wacker Dr., W Wacker Dr., W Lower Wacker Dr., (I am getting more amused as I type this) E Lower Wacker Dr., E Upper Wacker Dr. and E Wacker Dr. Oh, and I just notice E Wacker Place.
3) And speaking of street names, I see E Upper South Water Street. What’s up with that? How in the hell do you people get your pizzas delivered?
Moving Along, but Adrift
11 years ago
14 comments:
LOL! The streets you have named are in the Loop, "spaghetti-bowl" and you can't judge the streets of Chicago by them. ( that is the heart of downtown. )
The city is set up on a grid pattern with a few streets running diagonally, (e.g. Milwaukee street, Lincoln street. ) and the rest running north or south. It is a very simple system once you are out of the Loop or ( spaghetti bowl ). It got that name by one looking at the expressway from a heliocopter during rush hour, or a map. Roads are going in and out, entering and exiting the expressways from this part of the city that it is such a mess to see from the air or the tall buildings.
When we moved there quite a few years ago, one could find out where a restaurant, building or someone's home was by finding out how many "hundred-north or south" and how many "hundred-west or east" the block was. Once you get used to 40-hundred north (Irving Park, I think )and 40-hundred west (Pulaski ) you knew exactly how far you needed to go to get there.
The Loop (downtown) is a bit different. I hope I haven't confused you more than I am now confusing myself! ;-) It's been quite awhile since we lived there and one forgets street names. We use to live in the Logan Square area, which was going west from the "Lake," and north from the Loop.
...and east and west. I forgot to put that in the second paragraph, sorry.
but Butch, Wacker Drive??? That's just funny!
The grid system makes a lot of sense. Gainesville, FL is set up like that, only the streets are numbered instead of named. The city is very easy to navigate. Note that I said navigate and not drive. Two different things!
Urg, listening to this makes me just want to go live in some place like Elijay, GA, or maybe even more remote. When you're one of 20 cars, the traffic can't be that bad.
...and yes, "Wacker" is a hilarious street name, especially so many times.
Thistle Incarnates.
Greetings, my friend. I will lose the foreground soon so I wanted to visit before Indigo returns. I think of you often and think positive thoughts. I hope you are well. I hope you will always be blessed. It is time to rest, but we can talk again later. It is always nice to talk with you.
There are very few streets East in the Loop because if they went any further east, they would be submerged in Lake Michigan.
lower wacker/upper wacker have to do with a bi-level roadway. and wacker was someone's name java- let's not be juvie about this. although i must admit when i lived there, i never thought of the "wacker" thing.
i lived in chicago for a couple years before moving to nyc. i went to school there. loved it! i miss it. if i ever settle down, decide to have kids, i will raise them there. MOVE THERE!!!!
Java: "but Butch, Wacker Drive??? That's just funny!"
==================================
Most likely named after some notable person. Upper Wacker Drive is actually on the second floor of the buildings that inhabit it. Most of the deliveries, etc., are done on the lower level of Wacker Drive which keeps the upper level scenic and less congestion from the huge trucks which are not allowed on the upper level.
We lived in Chicago for 10 years and have been away from it for about 17 or 18 years. ( I love the Pacific Northwest. )
Chicago street numbers start at State Street and Madison Street which is downtown (Loop). That being said, that is why you don't find many "east" addresses. As Gregory said above, you'd be going into Lake Michigan. ;-) The same holds true here as well which is why we rarely make reference to West Washington Street or East Washington Street. The North/South street addressing is paramount here.
I work half a block away from Wacker. Wacker, Wacker, Wacker.
It is kind of funny now that you remind of it. :)
There probably aren't a lot of East anythings there because you'd end up in Lake Michigan...that would be my guess. Otherwise, it's a most fantabulous city! Have you ever been?
Hey Java, forget Mapquest and download your free copy of Google Earth. I spend HOURS and HOURS on that thing going all over the world...from the slums of Caracas to the slums of Cleveland...to the glory of Dubai and the vibrance of Shanghai. Mapquest is O-V-E-R. Get Google Earth!!!
I know someone here in Indiana whose last name is Wacker. He says the Chicago streets are named for someone in his family (but I can't remember why).
I've driven in Chicago. I don't ever want to do it again.
Post a Comment