So if you couldn’t guess the proposed street names for the Alameda Landing residential project are all kinds of yawn worthy. Here they are in list form (and alphabetical order):
- Ardent Lane
- Bennington Lane
- Cheyenne Lane
- Constellation Street
- Freedom Lane
- Hartford Lane
- Langley Lane
- Lassen Street
- Mason Lane
- Mercy Lane
- Mitchell Avenue*
- Mosley Avenue**
- Olympia Lane
- Patriot Lane
- Porter Lane
- Princeton Lane
- Randolph Lane
- Rushmore Lane
- Shiloh Lane
- Singleton Avenue*
- Yorktown Lane
* These are existing streets so the names are fixed
** This is an existing street on the maps, however, there is a Mosley Avenue already in Bayport that has been used since Bayport’s inception, so probably best to change this one.
While loads better than the clunky attempt to name the streets after bodies of water (literally Lake Wobegon Avenue and such) it’s not a whole lot better. Via Facebook and his website, John Knox White is asking people for inspirational Alamedans to name these streets after that would be loads better than this hodgepodge of names that resemble a cross between popular hipster baby names and flag waving patriotic jumbles.
But forget about naming after inspirational Alamedans, we should go beyond that trope. Instead I would humbly suggest that since the units that are going to be sold — with all the additional taxes that will be levied on top of the base price — are going to be super duper expensive, might as well appeal to the people that will be able to afford to live there: geeky techies.
And what geeky techie wouldn’t want to live on a street named after a beloved book series: Song of Fire and Ice. I propose to name the streets after all the houses in George RR Martin’s series. Instead of Ardent Lane, try Lannister Lane. Lassen Street can be Tyrell Street instead. Or to make it even more real, name the major streets after the major houses and all the lanes after their sworn houses.
Like so…
Or…
Yes I realize that “Sand” is not an official minor house name, but the Sand Snakes really deserve some recognition.
Anyway, the street names will be before the Planning Board on Monday. Other alternatives are:
- Shakespeare characters
- Comic Book heroes
- Seriously anything else
Blogging Bayport Alameda 
I’d say we definitely need a “Borax Smith Way” in Alameda.
Smith commissioned America’s first Reinforced Concrete building, the Pacific Coast Borax Company refinery, in Alameda, California in 1893. The architect was Ernest L. Ransome (Wikipedia article on W. T. “Borax” Smith).
Comment by Tom Schweich — April 23, 2014 @ 6:29 am
Aaaack! It was F. M. “Borax” Smith. The “W. T.” is for W. T. Coleman, for whom a form of borax, colemanite, was named.
Comment by Tom Schweich — April 23, 2014 @ 6:31 am
So many streets in older parts of the Bay Area, SF, Alameda and others, are named for mid-19th century politicians: Clay, Jackson, Fillmore, Grant, Lincoln, Harrison, Webster, the list goes on.
However hipsterish the above list is, it beats the hell out of Gingrich Lane, Clinton Ave, Obama Rd, Bush St, Pelosi Place, Nixon Alley, or Reagan Rd.
Comment by dave — April 23, 2014 @ 7:21 am
Star Wars:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/1894/
Game of Thrones: (for the people of West-Enderos?)
http://io9.com/5959910/learn-the-abcs-of-each-death-from-game-of-thrones-drawn-edward-gorey-style
Harry Potter:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/learn-the-alphabet-with-expletive-laced-harry-potter-flash-c
Just a few to get started. The proposed list really is a bore.
Seth
Comment by confirefirefighter — April 23, 2014 @ 7:23 am
All I have to say is keep the names simple. Who wants to spell out Robert Lewis Stevenson Ave on all their mail and directions or Ralph Appenzzo Memorial Way. Keep it simple.
Comment by Joseph — April 23, 2014 @ 7:24 am
Wow, these existing names sound like the roster of a country club or the guest list at an Exeter reunion party. (Though I see “Randolph” it looks like it’s missing “Mortimer.”)
I don’t recognize Lauren’s cheeky literary references, but they would certainly be better than what’s on the table. But seriously, JKW’s list is collecting some great alternative names — real people with ties to Alameda, who had interesting lives, and who mostly *weren’t* rich white country-club types.
Comment by Dan Wood — April 23, 2014 @ 7:36 am
It’s a proud tradition in American real estate to name things after whatever you destroyed in the process (for example, Candlestick Park, named after the stone formation they bulldozed, and ironic atrocities like “Shellmound Street,” “Twelve Oaks Mall,” “John Muir Freeway,” things named after now-defunct Native American tribes, and so on).
I hate the bland generic names proposed. They sound like they’re from a planned in Kansas. Wouldn’t it be better to name the streets as a nod to the associated buildings and functions of its historic days before being turned into Genericville? Seaplane, Hangar, Bachelor Quarters, China Clipper, Control Tower, Transcontinental Railroad, Least Tern Parking Lot….
Comment by Jack Mingo — April 23, 2014 @ 7:47 am
Make it So!
Comment by Matt Parker — April 23, 2014 @ 8:34 am
There are at least as many famous people who have lived in Alameda as there are streets to be named. Jim Morrison & Phyllis Diller come to mind. Would be educational, too!
Comment by vigi — April 23, 2014 @ 10:52 am
“Light My Fire Drive’; “Love Her Madly Way” ? But I like Mingo’s idea , too.
Comment by vigi — April 23, 2014 @ 11:08 am
Ironically, some of the Alameda Pointe residential streets are already named for popular songs, and even feature street signs with musical notes on them. The songs are from the 1940s, sure, but I think that’s charming, and points back to its WWII heyday. Stardust Place, Moonlight Terrace, Serenade Place — there are worse ways to honor the place’s rich history than naming streets after evocative Big Band songs….
Comment by Jack Mingo — April 23, 2014 @ 12:40 pm
Jim Morrison only lived here for a couple of years, Phyllis Diller is hardly famous….what did each of them do to make Alameda a better place to live. One was an alcoholic/drug user and died because of that and the other got her start in Oakland. One of my neighbors whose last name is Law…if highly involved in community projects (mostly Bayport but I sure it will extent to Alameda Landing) If you are going to name streets after people how about the person who did research to get Alameda the Beltway…or some of the volunteers who work endless hours at schools…someone who spends hours helping homeless. Or Gilmore…maybe she would buy a house over here. Besides us who are getting older…who knows who Jim Morrison or Phyllis Diller are. Tinker was suppose to be a famous person in the Navy and they changed the name of his street to Stargell Way. They changed the name of Atlantic to Ralph….way…and then it becomes Atlantic again. We personally just say take a right on Atlantic by Alameda College…because I can’t spell his last name and it is to long. They didn’t ask the people who live along the road…if it was okay…the just did it.
Comment by Joseph — April 23, 2014 @ 2:39 pm
Just joking but maybe they should have a street called Pennsylvania Ave which all the houses have to be painted white…with columns. 🙂
Comment by Joseph — April 23, 2014 @ 2:51 pm
I know I posted a lot on this topic, but what is the difference between a Street, Avenue, Lane, Way…I know at Bayport most alleys are called Lanes but why don’t they just call them alley’s. or the private streets name them private streets? There are 4 public streets in Bayport so why not just call them Neptune Gardens private st. The city only wanted 4 public streets at Bayport so the HOA would have to maintain all the private streets. If you are turning onto Austin after you drop your kids off at school you are actually on a private street. The only public streets are Coral Sea, Jack London Ave, Robert Stevenson Ave, Mosley, so if you don’t live here those are the only streets you should be driving on. So unless you are visiting someone on Bryant St., you have no business being there. Hopefully it won’t be the same at the Point, or Alameda Landing…we take care of your streets you should help take care of ours.
Comment by Joseph — April 23, 2014 @ 3:14 pm
Damn Joseph, your as bad as those “East Enders” telling us we can’t even drive on your streets, you can drive on mine anytime you want to. How about if I go for a walk on your sidewalks.? just joking.
Comment by John P. — April 23, 2014 @ 3:44 pm
Actually Neptune Gardens is a public street, essentially anything that connects to another public Alameda street is public and Neptune Gardens connects to 5th.
Comment by Lauren Do — April 23, 2014 @ 3:48 pm
#10 You missed the obvious. “Love Street”
Comment by frank M — April 23, 2014 @ 6:28 pm
Actually John P. it wasn’t our decision but everyone else’s decision to make our streets private…it happened before we moved here. Actually I would vote to make them public streets but if you are willing Alameda Bayport is 90% private because those who lived here decided it should be. If something goes wrong here who pays…we do…if something goes wrong on your streets we still pay. I am just hopefully hoping that the point and Alameda Landing doesn’t end up in the same situation as we should be a community. So unless you make our street public you are not allowed to drive or park o them. Somehow people decided to make us outsiders and not relevant to others in Alameda.
Comment by Joseph — April 23, 2014 @ 6:57 pm
Excuse me, but Phyllis Diller may have first been broadcast from Oakland, but she got her start entertaining the ladies at Edison PTA, at least according to the obit in the Alameda Sun http://www.alamedasun.com/local-and-hometown/10676-local-deaths-phyllis-diller
Comment by Kevis Brownson — April 23, 2014 @ 6:59 pm
As well as notable Alamedans, I like the suggestions in #4. Another idea, why not honor all the Native American tribes– there are more than enough of them– here’s a list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_tribes_of_California
Comment by Kevis Brownson — April 23, 2014 @ 7:03 pm
How about naming some of the streets after Alameda Firefighters/Police Officers who died in the line of duty?
Comment by dc — April 23, 2014 @ 9:19 pm
Kevis, they were lucky, they didn’t even have to worry about street names.
Comment by John P. — April 23, 2014 @ 9:23 pm
If have said a little to much but why don’t you John and everyone in Alameda welcome into the cast instead of making us fill like outcast. some of us have lived here 10 or more years and you still make us as outcast. My Sister lived here for 2 years while my brother in law was in the Coast Guard. ..What people don’t realize to keep the people in you have to grow outside Alameda may become a big place but it is more important to keep our farm lands protected. .
Comment by Joseph — April 23, 2014 @ 10:54 pm
Here’s an idea: name the streets after ships that were built in Alameda. There’s a really long list that would give us plenty of options to select good ones:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_built_in_Alameda,_California
Some examples: White Sands Way, Ardent Avenue, Buckthorne Terrace, Competent Court, Sentinel Street, Starling Street, Rescuer Way, Devastator Drive, Ebony Avenue, Pawnee Place (the last one doubles as a Parks and Recreation nod, and as an aside that Parks and Recreation is always a hot button issue in Alameda).
Using the names of the ships would not only honor the men and women who served aboard them but those who built them, mostly Alameda residents as well. It is also a little more subtle than Diller Drive and London Lane and a helluva lot more interesting than that sorry ass list they’ve got going.
Comment by Denise Shelton — April 24, 2014 @ 8:41 am
Hmm, given Denise’s latest post, I think that the list of names proposed by the developer are names of ships, not specifically built in Alameda, but in general. I wonder if that changes people’s opinions on the list. I found most of the names here.
Comment by Lauren Do — April 24, 2014 @ 8:50 am
I think the problem is that they’re really generic-sounding subdivision-sounding names, whether once plastered onto a ship at some point or not. They don’t add any concrete, historic and geographic grounding to the place. A sense of place instead of anytown USA is what makes Alameda different. Even naming some streets after former local businesses or rides at the once-famous amusement park or something that starts discussion of where the names come from and why this place resonates through time.
Comment by Jack Mingo — April 24, 2014 @ 9:00 am
@17: I didn’t miss it; like you say, it is obvious. Thanks for pointing it out. @12: “Phyllis Diller is hardly famous”? You must be very young. She was an hilarious Alameda housewife…just like Lauren Do….@Mingo: Alameda used to be more creative with naming streets. Barbers Point Rd used to be Tongue Point Rd., after the naval base in Oregon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongue_Point_Naval_Air_Station.
When the base was decommissioned, some of the more constipated stakeholders in town thought Tongue Point sounded too nasty–just like the names of the “Head Houses” were changed to “Ship Ways”, and so the names were replaced. Alameda seems to have lost its traditional sense of humor. Bring back Tongue Point!
We could memorialize some of the recent & enduring history with: Redevelopment Avenue, BRAC Boulevard, Radioactive Way, RAB Road, Cleanup Court, & of course, SunCalSucks Street.
Comment by vigi — April 24, 2014 @ 10:51 am
PS: Barbers Point is a NAS, too…in Hawaii. But the map of the area it surrounds at AlPo does look like a tongue…
Comment by vigi — April 24, 2014 @ 11:02 am
how about naming them after alameda bloggers… Lauren Do Way, Michelle Ellson Plaza, Don Roberts Place, David Howard Avenue
Comment by E — April 27, 2014 @ 2:06 pm
Or maybe name a few Courts for former city officials who sued the city and lost.
Comment by Tom Schweich — April 27, 2014 @ 2:23 pm