At 07:18 AM 11/26/2003 +1100, you wrote: >Talking of block sizes and maps, I am always intrigued by USA >street addresses, where the property number is often in four >digits, for example 1358 Smith Street. > >Is there a 3 Smith Street? >Is Smith Street really that long that it has over 1,358 houses in >it, or is your numbering system based on some other principle!
Hi, In my town, there is no '3'. The numbering system starts at a point in or near the center of town and numbers outward with 100 numbers alloted to each block. Our numbers start (north-south) with 1st Street. The first block out from 1st each way has numbers starting with 100, the second block numbers start with 200, as so forth. Addresses within the block as assigned per the proportional distance down the block -- with 101, 125, 135, 149, etc instead of 101, 103, 105 etc. This allows new construction, or dividing of a building with a sequence address available without disturbing other addresses. Oh, west side of the street has odd numbers and east side has even numbers (110,120, etc.) The section of town that has numbered streets make a good guideline to finding how far out from the center an address is. 2700 numbers are past 27th Street, and so forth. Where the streets are just named, we have to count out from the dividing street -- or check addresses as we go to see how far we need to go. My address is 1139. It is between 11th and 12th Streets. The house numbers in the block are 105, 121, 131, 137, 139. Don't ask me why. The block is so short, it didn't need to use a full 100 numbers. The other side of the block has 1124 and 1138. There's only two houses facing the street. The large city of Portland has mailing address numbering from the center of Portland clear out to the far suburbs. You can find addresses like 11852 West XXXXXXX because it is outward from 118th Street. Smaller towns do not have streets numbering that far out so most of the addresses are four digits, or maybe three near the center of town. A street does not have to start in the center of town and extend all the way to the edge. It can be just a block long. The houses will be numbered according to where the street is located on the town grid. A house can be the only place on a short street and have the number of 2753 or whatever. Each city can determine its own numbering system. The starting point and address increments can change from town to town. (If you want to be mind-boggled, go to a town in Utah, USA. Almost every address has double directionals. My address there was 325 East 6th South. I'm not going to try to explain that one now.) Something to remember if you are in the USA -- most phone books contain a map of the local area. There should be a book in every hotel/motel room. It's a handy thing to check out when in a strange town. If everyone did things the same, it would be a dull world. Happy lacing, Alice in Oregon - Happy Thanksgiving to all USA lacemakers!! Oregon Country Lacemakers Arachne Secret Pal Administrator Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
