Streets of New York

 

The streets of New York can be very confusing. At least they are in the Forest Hills section of Queens where my wife and I own a studio apartment. For example, our apartment is located on 113 Street. While some cities feel the need to add a “th” to make it 113^th Street, Forest Hills, economically reduces it to a simple 113. Simplicity is rather commendable after all, but that simplicity goes up in smoke when observing other street signs as one walks around the neighborhood.

Our apartment is a short walk from where our 7-year-old grandson lives. Sometimes, I meet him at the end of the school day and walk him home. The school is at the intersection of 69 and 110 Streets. His home is at 72 Drive and 112 Street. Logically, that would be a 5-block stroll – two blocks from 110 to 112 and three blocks from 69 to 72.

But logic has no place in the reality of Forest Hills streets. First of all, there is no 111 Street between 110 and 112. Maybe 111 exists somewhere in Forest Hills, but not in the neighborhood of the school. So, the walk just got shorter, right? Five blocks minus one equals four. That’s elementary mathematics.

From the school, we walk along 69 Street from 110 to 112. We make a right turn at 112 and walk another block, expecting to cross 70 Street. Well, as the saying goes, “expect the unexpected,” because the next street is 69 Road! A second sign on the sign pole informs us that 69 Road is also known as Harry Van Arsdale, Jr. Avenue. Aside from wondering who the heck is Harry Van Arsdale, Jr. (a New York City labor and community leader), one is also left to wonder how a road also can be an avenue? But let’s keep walking and wondering what street, road or avenue we might cross next. Another 69? Or do we finally get to 70?

Neither. We arrive at Jewel Avenue. Maybe we’re done with numbers and have moved to minerals? We keep walking and next come to – wait for it – 70 Avenue. We’re back to numbers. Hiking onward, we contemplate: will the next intersection be 71 or remain at 70? It’s 70, but it’s 70 Road.

Striding ever forward, next comes 71 Avenue, then 71 Road. I detect a pattern. So, I am not surprised when we reach 72 Avenue and then 72 Road. At this point I believe I have solved the mystery of Forest Hills street names – first an Avenue, then a Road, then move to the next number. Wrong again! But I’m relieved to be wrong, because the next street is 72 Drive, where my grandson lives. So, what initially looked like a four-block jaunt turned out to be a nine-block journey.

Like 69 Road, 72 Drive also has an alias: Walter Becker Way. Walter Becker was the co-founder of the musical group, Steely Dan. The band’s 1974 album, titled "Pretzel Logic” contains the song, “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number.” Is there a more fitting way to describe the naming of these streets of New York?