The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-22
DUPLICATE STREET WAVES.


Mow our U.isve-tivs Aiser-es Repeat
Dow.-towu Ns-es IN the Up-tovr Districts.
The choice Of names for the various streets
and avenues OF New York is one Of the duties
and prcrogatives still left the Board Of Alder
men without invasion by the Legislature. The
Aldermen can still. bv vote, designate officially
the names and numbers Of the streets of New
York, but II must be confessed by all well-in-
formed New Workers that the work In the past
has not generally been done on a very practical,
picturesque, or attractive plan. The streets and
avenues down town bear, II is true, the names
Of many persons connected with the early his
tory Of the city. but about the time that Houston
street was reached the supply Of available names
seems 10 have given out, for recourse was had to
numbers.
These numbers, a most prosaic form Of
street nomenclature. served very well every
Official purpose, but apparently the numbers
gave out, too, when the annexed district be-
came part Of the city. for then the Board Of AL
dcrmen fell back again on names, but without
much novelty or originality. for they took not
new names. but in many cases repeated the old
names used further down town.
A first. before the laying out OF many OF the
uptown streets in the annexed district, this re-
peating Of names was a less serious evil. but Of
late 1t has come to be remarked that there are a
IL VI uhllliNdNN SNiNNNo ." hoNhs
which foreshadow in the future much confusion
and a condition Of affairs which may ultimately
necessitate a complete overhsultng of street
names IN New YORK by some oinclal power bet;
Boards of Aldermen have showed themselves
to be.
In town. one running from New Bowery to
South street in the Fourth ward and the other
running from Webster avenue to the South
boulevard in the Twenty-fourth ward. There
are two Orchard streets, in town, one running
ton, and the other from Birch street to Ander-
son avenue. There are two Grove streets, two
Rose streets, two Cedar streets, two Church
streets, two John streets, two Manhattan
streets. two Devoe streets, two jefferson streets.
and. worst OF all las II there could be two; two
Broadways. the second OF spurious Broadway
runnins from Riverdale avenue to Downs's
place.
Fortunately for the good repute Of New York
the Board OF Aldermen have not laid their
heavy iconoclastic hands on the Bowery. There
could only one Bowery In New York in fact.
though there might be two Boweries In name.
Up TO date there is only one Bowery, officially.
There are, however, two Sherman avenues,
both In the annexed district, and two Vanderbilt
avenues. and as the business of street naming
goes on uninterruptedly and monotonously like
the laying Of sidewalks, curbstones, or cross
walks; IT may not De @ very long before BE- Other I.
nave duplicates further north.
Very little ingenuity has been shown in tho
choice OF street names n y IN 1he upper part on ,hs
the thoroughfares OF the seventh ward. The
name was abandoned. but now there Is q Wal
nut street in the annexed district and a Walnut
avenue too, though for what reason no one
knows.
The lack Of euphony or picturesqueness in the
streets OF New York, while a defect, Is not q Sc
rious one. but the practice into which the Board
OF Aldermen has fallen Of duplicating names is
serious when IL is considered that there is no
legal way OF discriminating between the two
yet provided by the Post ONCE, which has no
Jurisdiction over the Board OF Aldermen.