Every city I’ve been to has been the same. Not by how it looks, but by what you will find there. Police stations, fire stations, hospitals, restaurant chains (though these may vary by state), etc. However, there is one thing that you will always notice no matter what city you’re in: street names are always similar.
From urban to suburban areas, from bustling metropolitan cities to quieter college towns, streets are often called high, main, locust, sycamore, university, Martin Luther King/MLK Jr., central and maple.
Along with the street names above, there are also the typical numbered streets (first, second, third, etc.), and I know at least three cities bearing the street names of front and court.
I have also been to many cities with a Broad Street, including Middletown, Columbus, Cleveland and Indianapolis. Two of the cities I frequent in my area also have a River Road and a Mill Road.
I have always wondered why many cities have the same street names as other cities. I believe that this coincidence has to do with population, whether or not the city is urban or suburban, and its overall history in general. While different cities have streets bearing the same name, not all have the same suffix after it (drive, avenue, street, boulevard, etc.).
I have visited many cities (back when I could still travel easily) and have seen many different sites and landmarks unique to that city, but the street names always seem to repeat.
The only city with this exception is my hometown of Fairfield, Ohio. It seems to be unique when it comes to street names. However, I now live in Hamilton, and about 90% of the street names there are the same as the ones in Oxford. I address many envelopes both for leisure purposes with my address and as part of my student position. I always have to stop and think when I get to the city and zip code part, and I’ve messed up more than once. I know that I am not the only one.
GPS systems have taken people to the completely wrong city because of the same factor. Cities bearing the same street names are another way life is made as confusing as possible. While we will probably never know the reason behind this, it is definitely something to ponder over.
Whitney Wilson-Harris is a Junior double-majoring in Journalism and Commerce, with minors in English and Health Behavior. She is part of the Miami Student’s Design Team and occasionally writes articles for other sections.
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