Jump to content

Most inappropriately named street in metro GR

GrSportsGuy

By GrSportsGuy
in Grand Rapids Coffee House

Recommended Posts

tamias6 Town

tamias6

Posted
Posted

One of the quarks about the greater GR metro area I can't get over is how roads run out and then reappear elsewhere. Breton St. and 3 mile are examples. Going west bound on Breton St. one will find it ends just a couple of blocks west of Burlingame Ave. Then it picks back up in a small subdivision on the east side of I-196 then disappears again only to pick up once more in a rural neighborhood on the east side of Wilson Ave. Breton finally ends at the county line. Eastbound 3 mile drops away in a commercial area just east of Alpine Ave. and resumes east of the Grand River at Monroe Ave.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 65
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Sailor Whistle-Stop

Sailor

Posted
Posted
One of the quarks about the greater GR metro area I can't get over is how roads run out and then reappear elsewhere. Breton St. and 3 mile are examples. Going west bound on Breton St. one will find it ends just a couple of blocks west of Burlingame Ave. Then it picks back up in a small subdivision on the east side of I-196 then disappears again only to pick up once more in a rural neighborhood on the east side of Wilson Ave. Breton finally ends at the county line. Eastbound 3 mile drops away in a commercial area just east of Alpine Ave. and resumes east of the Grand River at Monroe Ave.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
suydam Hamlet

suydam

Posted
Posted

Ok, edited...all my points were already hashed over.

So here's my favorite in all of Michign....

Felch St. in Holland.

I'd heard the slang definition before I ever new there was a street...I literally sprayed milk out of my nose when I heard there was a street named "Felch St." in one of the most socially conservative towns in Michigan.

I had a link to the urban dictionary...but seriously, it's not even nice to send someone to a page defining this incredibly gross term....BUT naming a street after it? That's ok. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Veloise City

Veloise

Posted
Posted
...Felch St. in Holland.

I'd heard the slang definition before I ever new there was a street...I literally sprayed milk out of my nose when I heard there was a street named "Felch St." in one of the most socially conservative towns in Michigan.

I had a link to the urban dictionary...but seriously, it's not even nice to send someone to a page defining this incredibly gross term....BUT naming a street after it? That's ok. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GRGridGirl Hamlet

GRGridGirl

Posted
Posted

So many streets in Grand Rapids tell a story and teach us GR history.

Yes, Wealthy Street is named after a woman. Judge Jefferson Morrison, the first probate judge named the street in honor of his second wife.

Eastern at one time was just East.

Lake Drive is an old Indian trail, a shortcut from the Thornapple River to the Grand River and onward to Lake Michigan.

Fulton Street too, an old Indian trail connecting the Ada trading post to the Grand River. Since at one time we had to take steamboats to cross the Grand River, we named a street after Robert Fulton.

Where Lake Drive and Fulton intersect we have a "Union Ave".

Tslater, Division separated plat sections 11 & 12 I believe not only in GR, but along the plat lines south. So it makes sense that people refer to it by Division.

Of course then you have the Valley of the Kings (Charles, Henry, James) or the ABC Avenues (Auburn, Benjamin, Carlton) or a happy-rock is a Gladstone.

College, once upon a time this is where a college was going to be. Oh yeah, its where Davenport is, soon to be was.

I will give major kudos if anyone can tell me who, when, or why Diamond got its name. I've done extensive research on street names and haven't found this one yet. Go ahead call me a nerd, but I'll challenge anyone to a quiz bowl on GR History. I believe the naming of Diamond is noted somewhere in the 1916 City Commission files down at the Archives. It has to be related to the brickyards/quarries along the NE side.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NorthCoast Hamlet

NorthCoast

Posted
Posted
One of the quarks about the greater GR metro area I can't get over is how roads run out and then reappear elsewhere. Breton St. and 3 mile are examples. Going west bound on Breton St. one will find it ends just a couple of blocks west of Burlingame Ave. Then it picks back up in a small subdivision on the east side of I-196 then disappears again only to pick up once more in a rural neighborhood on the east side of Wilson Ave. Breton finally ends at the county line. Eastbound 3 mile drops away in a commercial area just east of Alpine Ave. and resumes east of the Grand River at Monroe Ave.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
chgrnative Unincorporated Area

chgrnative

Posted
Posted

Here is some family history that includes an "innapropriately" named street. There is a residential street on the west side called Gordon St. My great grandfather and 2 of his sons (one of which was my grandpa) built many of the houses on this street. According to my grandpa, my great grandpa named the street after his oldest son (Gordon) who was always his favorite. What is ironic is that Gordon was lazy and hardly contributed a thing to the construction of these houses. My grandpa who was the youngest, worked his tail off but didn't get any of the recognition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.