Silly Poll- Road names and home buying

[purpleowl]

If it were reeeeeeally bad, it might be a factor.  But this comes from someone who lived on Tobacco Road in high school, so, yeah.  

 

I admit that when we moved a year and a half ago, I was a bit disappointed that we ended up on a road with a "blah" name instead of one of the ones we'd looked at with pretty road names.  But with a house that is a good fit for our family in size, layout, condition, and cost, I was willing to take the "blah" road name.  (I'm also sad that our house number is a four-digit prime.  Our last house, the number was a four-digit perfect square.)  Our neighborhood has road names that are all the names of horses that have won the Kentucky Derby.

 

DH was once talking to someone who lives in a different city but has an aunt in our city.  This guy was telling DH that his aunt lived on a road with the most hilarious name, could barely get out the name without laughing: Ox Bottom Road.  Except that DH was like, "Huh.  That's just such a known road name in our city that I never thought about it sounding funny."  :laugh:

[The Girls' Mom]

Well, we live on My Last Name road..lol.  Our last house was on the most redneck sounding road ever.  The one before that was a word with a bizarre spelling and no one could ever get it right.  So, no street names don't bother me.

[Spy Car]

We had a famous local resident whose wife was really into astrology. She was very upset that the palatial home that wealthily supporters purchased for them upon the husband's retirement had a street address of 666.

 

It did not help the matter that the (now deceased) husband's name had 6 digits each in the first, middle, and last names. She was able to convince the City of Los Angeles to change the address to 668.

 

You've heard of them.

 

Bill

 

 

 

[Caroline]

I refused to buy a house in a subdivision named Mitsy Forest. Misty Forest would have been fine, but not Mitsy.

 

I grew up where all the streets were named after lines from Robinson Jeffer's poems. It was called Jeffer's Hill. The place where I took dance was called Stone House. There was also a High Tor Hill. That was cool.

 

(It might have something to do with the fact that one of my grandma's best friends had a dog named Mitsy. I didn't want to live in a neighborhood that in my mind would always be named after a dog.)

[Caroline]

We had a famous local resident whose wife was really into astrology. She was very upset that the palatial home that wealthily supporters purchased for them upon the husband's retirement had a street address of 666.

 

It did not help the matter that the (now deceased) husband's name had 6 digits each in the first, middle, and last names. She was able to convince the City of Los Angeles to change the address to 668.

 

You've hard of them.

 

Bill

No!!! That's too funny. (And I figured out who they are. I might have visited another house where they lived.)

[Mandamom]

I know someone whose dh is named "____" and they moved to a road  with the name of "____kil". Yes, there are a lot of jokes about it but it was the right house and location for them. I think they've been there for 5 years or so.

[candicane]

It's never really bothered me. We used to live on Name. St. and said name was my dad's name so he'd be like "Yeah I'm NAME on NAME.St" it was pretty funny, actually. Nope, never bothered me. We did live on a street that was really hard to spell but other than that, names don't matter.

[BigMamaBird]

Not at all, unless it was something horrible like Hitler Circle or Syphillus Lane.

[vonfirmath]

I would love to live on My Name Rd.  Too bad that particular road in my area is in a run down, not good part of town.  Other than that, I don't pay too much attention to road names.

 

Stefanie

 

I really WANTED to live in My Name Creek neighborhood.

 

BUT... we couldn't find the right house there so we live elsewhere instead

[creekland]

Normally I'd have said it wouldn't bother me at all.

 

Then I saw a house listed on Hooker St and changed my mind.

 

The street was named after a Civil War general, but seriously, is that what comes to mind when you hear it?  There's no way I'd live there.

[Sdel]

I really WANTED to live in My Name Creek neighborhood.

 

BUT... we couldn't find the right house there so we live elsewhere instead

 

My aunt has a neighborhood named after her.  That is where the streets named after me and my aunts/uncles/cousins are.  I've even found my name misspelled on a map.  But, like I said, it's not a good part of town anymore.

 

*sigh*

 

Stefanie

[Cinder]

My street has an easy to spell street name with an extra letter. So I have to tell everyone how to spell it. Which always leads to a discussion of why was it spelled like that and how odd, etc.

 

We used to live on Green but frequently got mail listing it as Greene. I guess it's too simple and plain without that extra e.

[Aspasia]

We built our house, so we picked our lot knowing the silly name of our culdesac. And it is ridiculous. We've been here for a year and a half and I still find myself feeling foolish when I tell people my address. It doesn't help the most people comment on what an unusual name it is.

 

BUT even with all that, I wouldn't change where we live. So no, I wouldn't let it be a factor in my decision.

[mom2jjka]

We used to live on Capitol Drive and it used to drive me nuts that when we received mail some people would spell it Capital, until I noticed that some of the street signs were actually spelled that way.   One or the other, people!!!  I was glad when we moved. 

 

 

[Miss Peregrine]

My BIL lived in a neighborhood with a street named, "Nubs." What the heck? Nubs? So dumb sounding.

 

Most of my town is named after places in Switzerland.

 

I think the coolest-sounding street name I've seen is "Spyglass."

[kiana]

Normally I'd have said it wouldn't bother me at all.

 

Then I saw a house listed on Hooker St and changed my mind.

 

The street was named after a Civil War general, but seriously, is that what comes to mind when you hear it?  There's no way I'd live there.

 

Just don't put a red light on your porch. :)

[QueenCat]

I refused to buy a house in a subdivision named Mitsy Forest. Misty Forest would have been fine, but not Mitsy.

 

I grew up where all the streets were named after lines from Robinson Jeffer's poems. It was called Jeffer's Hill. The place where I took dance was called Stone House. There was also a High Tor Hill. That was cool.

 

(It might have something to do with the fact that one of my grandma's best friends had a dog named Mitsy. I didn't want to live in a neighborhood that in my mind would always be named after a dog.)

 

I didn't know that's where Jeffer's Hill got it's name from........... what is making me really laugh is that MY junior year boyfriend lived in Jeffer's Hill.

[Northwoodsmama]

We are currently house hunting and DH and I have had this conversation several times! One of the homes I like is on "Dreamy Volga"...DH is an OB/GYN and said he could never live there- sounds too much like " Dreamy (similar sounding part of female anatomy"!

[Spy Car]

I refused to buy a house in a subdivision named Mitsy Forest. Misty Forest would have been fine, but not Mitsy.

 

I grew up where all the streets were named after lines from Robinson Jeffer's poems. It was called Jeffer's Hill. The place where I took dance was called Stone House. There was also a High Tor Hill. That was cool.{/b}

 

(It might have something to do with the fact that one of my grandma's best friends had a dog named Mitsy. I didn't want to live in a neighborhood that in my mind would always be named after a dog.)

 

I believe Robinson Jeffers is one of the one of the greatest figures in American literature, if not one of the greatest writers of all time, and I bet most people have never heard of him (much less read him). Which is a shame.

 

Where is the town?

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

No!!! That's too funny. (And I figured out who they are. I might have visited another house where they lived.)

 

Was it large and white? :D

 

Bill

[kiana]

We are currently house hunting and DH and I have had this conversation several times! One of the homes I like is on "Dreamy Volga"...DH is an OB/GYN and said he could never live there- sounds too much like " Dreamy (similar sounding part of female anatomy"!

 

Yeah, I had to get over this when I started driving a Volvo.

[HS Mom in NC]

Nope.  Doesn't factor in at all and I had no idea other people care about such things.

[Spy Car]

I used to live near Stoner Park here in LA.

 

Bill

[mellifera33]

My street name is ridiculous. It is a hodpodge of directions and types of streets, with no obvious name to it. Mapping apps and gps have trouble finding it, and our utility company insisted that we didn't exist, despite their meters being installed outide the house. I won't give the real name, because internet, but my address is something like 123 West North Boulevard Avenue.

[*Lulu*]

My BIL lived in a neighborhood with a street named, "Nubs." What the heck? Nubs? So dumb sounding.

 

Most of my town is named after places in Switzerland.

 

I think the coolest-sounding street name I've seen is "Spyglass."

DH would think it was awesome to live on Nubs. He's been trying to find a way to work that name into our lives since day one.

[Caroline]

Was it large and white? :D

 

Bill

And its street address only has one 6.

[Caroline]

I believe Robinson Jeffers is one of the one of the greatest figures in American literature, if not one of the greatest writers of all time, and I bet most people have never heard of him (much less read him). Which is a shame.

 

Where is the town?

 

Bill

Columbia, Maryland. All the street names in the city are from literature.

 

My older sister called me from Jeffer's Stone House in California. We were so excited that she actually got to the real one after spending hours and hours each week at ours.

[Caroline]

I didn't know that's where Jeffer's Hill got it's name from........... what is making me really laugh is that MY junior year boyfriend lived in Jeffer's Hill.

That is too funny! He probably went to Oakland Mills?

[mom2scouts]

I think the only one that I would NOT move to, would be Elm Street.  (LOL)

Hey, I lived on Elm Street for many years and was never attacked. LOL!

[MFG]

I would love to live on My Name Rd.

 

Stefanie

[kiana]

Hey, I lived on Elm Street for many years and was never attacked. LOL!

 

Because you NEVER SLEPT AGAIN.

 

[creekland]

There's a Hooker Way in Denver. Also named for the general. 

 

Ok, I'm crossing two streets off my list now, not just one.  Why did Denver name one after him?  It sort of makes sense here in Civil War country, but outside of it?  I wouldn't have used it even here, but it wasn't my decision.  I just decide whether or not to consider any house for sale on it.  At the very least they could have named it General Hooker rather than just Hooker!

[Home'scool]

_{I once lived in a town where there was a street called Roast Meat Hill. I don't think it would have stopped me from buying a house on that street but I imagine always having to deal with comments would get tiresome.}

 

_{When I was growing up we lived on street that had a long, two part name -- Kinda like "Bugle Fedora lane". It made no sense, the two words were unusual and didn't go together. The amount of times I had to spell it s-l-o-w-l-y for people made me nuts!}

[QueenCat]

That is too funny! He probably went to Oakland Mills?

 

Hammond............. I used to hang out at the Jeffers Hill pool :)

[aggie96]

We live on a street that is West XXX, four houses down is curves slightly and becomes North XXX for few houses, then is slightly curves back (broad horseshoe shape) and becomes East XXX.  Just this week we have a new mailman that has managed to deliver packages to all the wrong houses.  Neighbors have been switching packages this week.  It's a long name, also.  And one word is misspelled by half the population regularly.  And our last name is very hard to pronounce and spell and has a popular retail item that is the same name, spelled differently.  We are forever spelling things and having to make sure they get the "west" portion clear.  :)

 

We once lived on Alstone, which many people would spell Allstone.  When we moved there, our streets signs were spelled both ways for the first year.  :)

[Cafdog]

My husband will not even look at a house on a street he considers "embarrassing".  For real.  I have had to avoid looking at great houses due to his weirdness. And we're talking inoffensive places such as "Hoot Owl Court".  Yep, that was a deal-breaker for him.

 

I guess I wouldn't buy a house on "Adolph Hitler Drive", or something, but I'm not nearly as weird about it as he is.  Good grief.

[RebeccaS]

Normally I'd have said it wouldn't bother me at all.

 

Then I saw a house listed on Hooker St and changed my mind.

 

The street was named after a Civil War general, but seriously, is that what comes to mind when you hear it?  There's no way I'd live there.

 

I have a relative who used to live on Hooker Drive.  I always felt a little bit weird about it, and recently it came up in conversation that it's named after the general.  It seems that all the streets in her neighborhood are named after Civil War generals.  lol  I did not catch that.  (She was near to Lake Meade.)  I feel a bit better about it now that I know, but it's still a little bit weird.

 

Growing up, our address was just RR 1.  Along the line, it was decided that we needed a street name (to help with 911 and emergency stuff).  So, they named my road Mud Lick Rd.  That was the best they could do?  Yes, it was a dirt road and yes, it often became muddy after a rain, but, Mud Lick?  /sigh/

 

Even so, I haven't given street names much thought when purchasing a house.  

[creekland]

I have a relative who used to live on Hooker Drive.  I always felt a little bit weird about it, and recently it came up in conversation that it's named after the general.  It seems that all the streets in her neighborhood are named after Civil War generals.  lol  I did not catch that.  (She was near to Lake Meade.)  I feel a bit better about it now that I know, but it's still a little bit weird.

 

Growing up, our address was just RR 1.  Along the line, it was decided that we needed a street name (to help with 911 and emergency stuff).  So, they named my road Mud Lick Rd.  That was the best they could do?  Yes, it was a dirt road and yes, it often became muddy after a rain, but, Mud Lick?  /sigh/

 

Even so, I haven't given street names much thought when purchasing a house.  

 

Hooker Drive (Lake Meade) is what I was thinking of - I just had a brain lapse as to the Drive vs Street.

 

The road I grew up on also had a RR (2) mailing address.  It was named Five Mile Line Rd - very, very creative.   :tongue_smilie:  At least it was easier putting RR 2 on anything wanting our mailing address!

 

Now we live on a similarly named road - perhaps we're attracted to those "creative" names?  At least I'm not constantly explaining about a lesser known General from 150 years ago!

[Guest submarines]

There is a street in my town named Damien Drive. There was a house for sale on it for at lease two years. I never even thought about looking at it.

 

What's wrong with Damien Drive?

[Pamela H in Texas]

I would avoid certain streets.  Any with a version of "Chris" would definitely be out (don't ask).  I also won't do most that are religious, especially mainstream christian, in nature.  

 

I'd really like a cool one though.  I remember reading Anne of Green Gables (the series) thinking that I'd love a picturesque, romantic street name.  

[Pamela H in Texas]

We live on a street that is West XXX, four houses down is curves slightly and becomes North XXX for few houses, then is slightly curves back (broad horseshoe shape) and becomes East XXX. 

 

 

My mom's subdivision is like that.  She lives on Preston Place LANE which is off Preston Place Drive.  There is also Preston Place Court, Preston Place Street, and Preston Place Road.  The subdivision also has a few other streets: Prescott Place Drive, Prescott Place Lane, Prescott Place Circle, Prescott Place Court, and Prescott Place Road :)

 

It is a miracle anyone in that subdivision gets ANY mail correctly.  Our mail carrier can't even get the mail to the right house on our street with eight houses on it!

 

 

[KungFuPanda]

I refused to buy a house in a subdivision named Mitsy Forest. Misty Forest would have been fine, but not Mitsy.

 

I grew up where all the streets were named after lines from Robinson Jeffer's poems. It was called Jeffer's Hill. The place where I took dance was called Stone House. There was also a High Tor Hill. That was cool.

 

(It might have something to do with the fact that one of my grandma's best friends had a dog named Mitsy. I didn't want to live in a neighborhood that in my mind would always be named after a dog.)

My neighborhood is for Passos, Fitzgerald and Hemingway. Sure,a Gatsby Green us nice, but someone has to lve on Gay Topaz or Open Flower or Deep Cup. They don't even put Street, Court, or Way after most of them. You just get to tell people you live on Rising Moon.

 

It's a fun idea, but half the names sound like they got tired and just started to throw darts at the books.

[KungFuPanda]

My mom's subdivision is like that. She lives on Preston Place LANE which is off Preston Place Drive. There is also Preston Place Court, Preston Place Street, and Preston Place Road. The subdivision also has a few other streets: Prescott Place Drive, Prescott Place Lane, Prescott Place Circle, Prescott Place Court, and Prescott Place Road :)

 

It is a miracle anyone in that subdivision gets ANY mail correctly. Our mail carrier can't even get the mail to the right house on our street with eight houses on it!

If it's like our weird neighborhood, the postal person is only looking at the numbers.

[katilac]

What's wrong with Damien Drive?

 

Damien is the lead character in a horror movie. 

[Laura Corin]

My mom's subdivision is like that.  She lives on Preston Place LANE which is off Preston Place Drive.  There is also Preston Place Court, Preston Place Street, and Preston Place Road.  The subdivision also has a few other streets: Prescott Place Drive, Prescott Place Lane, Prescott Place Circle, Prescott Place Court, and Prescott Place Road :)

 

It is a miracle anyone in that subdivision gets ANY mail correctly.  Our mail carrier can't even get the mail to the right house on our street with eight houses on it!

 

You need more detailed postcodes.  In the UK, a postcode only covers about twelve or thirteen properties.  So each of the roads you mentioned would have its own postcode.  Everyone knows that letters without postcodes arrive much more slowly, so they are used almost universally.

 

There are 1.7 million 6 letter/digit postcodes in the UK - I'm no mathematician, but surely the code wouldn't have to be too long for the US.

 

Our format is two letters (which often relate to the nearest big city) then a number, which is the general area.  The second block of three narrows you down to twelve houses.  So a postcode in Bristol might be:

 

BS8 4DN

 

ETA: in theory, in Britain, all you would need to write on a letter is:

 

40

BS8 4DN

 

and the letter would arrive, because there should be only one '40' in that postcode.  In practice, people usually write the full address, just in case of problems.

[Guest submarines]

Damien is the lead character in a horror movie. 

 

Thanks! Didn't know it. There are two Damiens in our homeschooling group.

[texasmama]

I had a friend who lived on Satanwood Drive.  I always thought it was of the devil.

[QueenCat]

Columbia, Maryland. All the street names in the city are from literature.

 

 

 

I was just reminded of how many times my parents had to explain that they weren't describing the status of a window when giving people our address.................. I don't know how to describe the conversations but looking back, they were pretty funny.

[texasmama]

Columbia, Maryland. All the street names in the city are from literature.

 

 

I lived in Columbia, MD for five years.  Ironically, the street I mentioned above is in Columbia, MD.  I lived in Dorsey's Search on Bright Bay Way.  Good times.

[Caroline]

I lived in Columbia, MD for five years. Ironically, the street I mentioned above is in Columbia, MD. I lived in Dorsey's Search on Bright Bay Way. Good times.

It was an amazing place to grow up in the 70's and 80's.