New-York tribune., 1901-12-27
IS IT TO BE PARK L4NE2
THE SUGGESTED CHANGE IN THE NAME OF
EAST SEVENTY -sECOND-sT.

President Coogan of the Borough OF Manhattan
is TO give public hearing to-day on the petluon
which has been presented for the change OF the
name of East seventy-second-st.. from Fifth-ave-
to Lexingtor-ave.. TO Park Lane The Tribune mas
always opposed the tendency to change the names
of streets except when reasons of unusual force
could be shown. and in this case there seems 10 De
n particularly notable absence of good reasons
About the only which has been presented Is the
desire for pretty name. This reason would. OF
course apply with equal force 10 every huiHOei9u
street OF avenue In this city
The glory of the New-York system OF naming GOT
numbering streets is it's simplicity ana lIS coH-
veuience-the fact that il makes the city us own
directory The bestowing any numbered street
Of a name in place OF its number is. as far as IL
qoas an injury to this system n dimnution OF It's
great usefulness and the addition of difhcul'y IN
the finding Of addresses. To rename all the num-
bcred streets would be merely going further IN tue
same direction The incalcuable inconvenience
which +; would involve would differ from that
threatened bv the present plan only in degree not
in kind Although those who desire the chanse
are Doubtless moved by the best intentions yet II
s understood that many or more dweheFs III
the street seriously opposed TO the chahse. anu
II should he remembered. moreover, that all New
Workers as we'll as strangers visiting the city nave
an interest In keeping the name as 1t Is because II
involves the integrity Of the system winch 'i'e
city has 50 wisely adopted
- 60 mistake also to give two names 10 the
a,.e and Seventy-second-s east of it there Wouid
be two streets whore there should De oLtS IN, ne
Cra9t Inconvenience is caused by changes OF hatle
in what is in every other respect continuous
r-..u.r ,,.o 80 m ex-
Park-ave grated upon Fourth-aTe, IS an dhie eH-
+to11 Eveu If il were found desirable TO change
he name of this street all. the one proposed Is
moi a good name for it, because there are aIready
TOO many thoroughfares in the city with the & Wor!'
.DorK'' J in their names. They already contus-
ing Besides Park-ave, there are in Manh455aR Nan pd n
psrL-st Park Place. Park Row. central faI y
Wnst and Centra! Park South. In the Borough Gt
The Bronx there are Park-ave Park-s{,. TH f2Ek
L-iev. Place Park View Terrace and harkSlte
Pia"e In Brooklyn there are Park-ave.. Park-s'-'
Park Place and Park Alley -, -
There have been before. as has often been u, re
MARKED i'm these columns. too many changes anu
rrnnosaIs of changes in the names of the city
streets Indeed 1t might almost be said tRAt any
are roo manv Such were the changes OF Ihdl-
Lsrn-st to Park Row those of the uptown avenues;
wing them more or less confusing names. instead
Of their simple numbers: The proposal to cnanee
T'Ino-st into DeWey-aVe. Whitehali-st INTO Sout \
Prnadvav and so on Changes are confusing ana
destructive of old lines and records; they impair
Tho value and the clearness of maps. conVeyances
deeds descriptions and histories ana they are
almost always unnecessary. In this case the
change proposed is particularly needless.