9 replies to this topic

[Jrb986]

When I was in Atlanta last weekend, it seemed like almost every single road was named Peachtree! Do native Atlantans feel that this is somewhat irresponsible? It was very difficult to get around with every road having the same name. I wonder how many tourists have become lost over this? Why would city planners allow this?

Any thoughts or answers? I'm just curious.

Edited by Jrb986, 03 August 2007 - 09:31 AM.

[pksiv]

Jrb986, on Aug 3 2007, 10:29 AM, said:

When I was in Atlanta last weekend, it seemed like almost every single road was named Peachtree! Do native Atlantans feel that this is somewhat irresponsible? It was very difficult to get around with every road having the same name. I wonder how many tourists have become lost over this? Why would city planners allow this?

Any thoughts or answers? I'm just curious.

What native Atlantans ? </sarcasm>

I once heard that there were over 120 streets/roads with the word Peachtree in their name in the metro area and that emergency services had finally put a stop to new streets using Peachtree because they were having trouble dispatching fire/rescue services to the right location.

There's actually a reason the one main road named Peachtree actually has 3 names (Street, Road, Industrial  Blvd). Back in the day roads in town were named Street and Avenue and roads in the country were named Road. Thus from downtown Peachtree Street turns into Peachtree Road, towards Buckhead, and I think it eventually turns into Peachtree Industrial Blvd.  Piedmont Avenue downtown similarly turns into Piedmont Road as it approaches Buckhead.

[adelosky]

pksiv, on Aug 3 2007, 12:51 PM, said:

What native Atlantans ? </sarcasm>

I'm here!!!  It's funny that everyone always jokes about how there are no more Atlanta natives but I'm one and several of my friends have chosen to stay and grow their families here in Atlanta.  I guess it just takes one to know one?

pksiv, on Aug 3 2007, 12:51 PM, said:

There's actually a reason the one main road named Peachtree actually has 3 names (Street, Road, Industrial  Blvd). Back in the day roads in town were named Street and Avenue and roads in the country were named Road. Thus from downtown Peachtree Street turns into Peachtree Road, towards Buckhead, and I think it eventually turns into Peachtree Industrial Blvd.  Piedmont Avenue downtown similarly turns into Piedmont Road as it approaches Buckhead.

I can't explain the whole "Peachtree" thing other than it just being something that defines Atlanta and I guess the local government got overly excited about using it for street names over the last 100 or so years.  I actually heard that the reason streets changed names dates way back and had to do more with people wanting their neighborhood to stay separated from other neighborhoods (somewhat racially motivated).  For example, the "Clairmont" Road that crosses I-85 in the Druid Hills area is the exact same "Clairemonte" Road that runs through Decatur.  Same street, different neighborhoods, different spelling.  Now I can't say for a fact that is why Peachtree Street becomes Peachtree Road becomes Peachtree Industrial Blvd, this is just one reasoning that I've heard street names change so often throughout Atlanta.

[pksiv]

adelosky, on Aug 6 2007, 08:39 AM, said:

I'm here!!!  It's funny that everyone always jokes about how there are no more Atlanta natives but I'm one and several of my friends have chosen to stay and grow their families here in Atlanta.  I guess it just takes one to know one?
I can't explain the whole "Peachtree" thing other than it just being something that defines Atlanta and I guess the local government got overly excited about using it for street names over the last 100 or so years.  I actually heard that the reason streets changed names dates way back and had to do more with people wanting their neighborhood to stay separated from other neighborhoods (somewhat racially motivated).  For example, the "Clairmont" Road that crosses I-85 in the Druid Hills area is the exact same "Clairemonte" Road that runs through Decatur.  Same street, different neighborhoods, different spelling.  Now I can't say for a fact that is why Peachtree Street becomes Peachtree Road becomes Peachtree Industrial Blvd, this is just one reasoning that I've heard street names change so often throughout Atlanta.

I think the problem with the overuse of the word Peachtree in street names is that we're not just dealing with one "local government" we're dealing with dozens of them. There's no way for the City of Atlanta to keep developers in Gwinett County from naming a street "Peachtree XYZ"

[designspace]

Jrb986, on Aug 3 2007, 11:29 AM, said:

When I was in Atlanta last weekend, it seemed like almost every single road was named Peachtree! Do native Atlantans feel that this is somewhat irresponsible? It was very difficult to get around with every road having the same name. I wonder how many tourists have become lost over this? Why would city planners allow this?

Any thoughts or answers? I'm just curious.

I think the overuse of Peachtree is totally banal, and yes, the numerous peachtrees are likely a factor in tourists getting lost.  

Speaking of getting lost, however, I think this is a minor factor compared to the inconsistent (and sometimes lacking) street signage not to mention the multiple roads throughout the Fulton county that mysteriously change names (one ore more times) along the way.  It's beyond maddening.  As if the traffic is bad enough, these issues compound exponentially the problems with driving in Atlanta.

I suppose these are results of rapid growth and inconsistent standards, but IMO these factors are a huge problem for the non-natives (and there are plenty of them).  I thought my dad just liked to complain about the driving when he moved down last year, but now that I'm making Atlanta my second home I'm seeing first hand just how bad it is.

Sorry for getting off topic a bit, but I'm both surprised and frustrated that more isn't being done to address these issues, which would be a tremendous help as Atlanta continutes to grow.

[pksiv]

designspace, on Aug 23 2007, 06:16 PM, said:

I think the overuse of Peachtree is totally banal, and yes, the numerous peachtrees are likely a factor in tourists getting lost.  

Speaking of getting lost, however, I think this is a minor factor compared to the inconsistent (and sometimes lacking) street signage not to mention the multiple roads throughout the Fulton county that mysteriously change names (one ore more times) along the way.  It's beyond maddening.  As if the traffic is bad enough, these issues compound exponentially the problems with driving in Atlanta.

I suppose these are results of rapid growth and inconsistent standards, but IMO these factors are a huge problem for the non-natives (and there are plenty of them).  I thought my dad just liked to complain about the driving when he moved down last year, but now that I'm making Atlanta my second home I'm seeing first hand just how bad it is.

Sorry for getting off topic a bit, but I'm both surprised and frustrated that more isn't being done to address these issues, which would be a tremendous help as Atlanta continutes to grow.

I think as you spend more time here you'll find the fact that no roads, outside of midtown, go in a direction anything close to a straight line far more frustrating that a bunch of streets named Peachtree. I actually don't think it's all that bad - at least not inside the city limits.

[DigitalSky]

Channel 17 (WTBS) will detatch itself from the national cable version of TBS and become WPCH Peachtree TV

[ironchapman]

DigitalSky, on Sep 10 2007, 12:54 PM, said:

Channel 17 (WTBS) will detatch itself from the national cable version of TBS and become WPCH Peachtree TV

Wow, this is news. I'll have to read more about this.

And, it's yet another thing we can add to the "List of things named Peachtree in the Atlanta area".

[Spartan]

pksiv, on Aug 24 2007, 08:29 AM, said:

I think as you spend more time here you'll find the fact that no roads, outside of midtown, go in a direction anything close to a straight line far more frustrating that a bunch of streets named Peachtree. I actually don't think it's all that bad - at least not inside the city limits.

Thats a factor of geography and topography more than anything else. No city in the Piedmont region of the South has an extensive grid, and none of them can build straight roads.

[FriskyDingo]

Quote

When I was in Atlanta last weekend, it seemed like almost every single road was named Peachtree! Do native Atlantans feel that this is somewhat irresponsible? It was very difficult to get around with every road having the same name. I wonder how many tourists have become lost over this? Why would city planners allow this?

It's kind of Atlanta's thing...Peachtree is our title word and Atlanta is well-known for everything Peachtree. As far as the street names, there is only one Peachtree Street. If tourists or new residents would bother to READ the full name of the street, they would find that every street that uses the word Peachtree is different, and maybe they wouldn't get lost.

Peachtree Street is not the same as Peachtree Center Avenue is not the same as West Peachtree Street. That seems pretty simple to me...and I'm not an Atlanta native. I wouldn't go to another city and try to drive around without reading the full name of each street!

Edited by FriskyDingo, 17 October 2007 - 04:02 AM.