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DC (crew)
By Michael Petrella on July 31, 2008 12:20 AM | Permalink | 7 Comments
Which way is North?
I've never claimed to be good with directions. In fact, I'll be the first to admit that I'm directionally challenged. With this fascinating tidbit of my personal life in mind, I would like you to imagine someone like myself attempting to get around Washington, D.C.
I'm sure D.C. isn't all that tricky when you live there or have spent a nice chunk of time there, but for someone like me - shall we say, "compass-ly deficient" - it was a nightmare.
A good friend told me that the roads are designed in such a way to make it difficult for an invading army to reach the Capitol. I don't know if that's true, but it's totally awesome, so I'm going to go with it. Surprisingly, I took no solace in this intriguing fact as I drove aimlessly around looking for Rhode Island Avenue NW or Massachusetts Avenue SE.
I do however know the alphabet and how to count. So the grid part of the city wasn't so bad. I could get from P and 17th to U and 11th, no problem. But when you start throwing in so many diagonal streets, some traffic circles (sorry, U.K., "roundabouts"), and state names that don't seem to go in any discernable order - yeah, its official, I'm lost.
It would have been neat if they had the state avenues in order of their addition into the union (hey hey, history lesson!) - or alphabetical - or ANYTHING other than totally random. The only real pattern I could find is that New York and New Jersey intersect at some point. Just like real life!
Other things I've learned while studying the map are that Montana and West Virginia are not near one another; neither are Massachusetts and Louisiana. YET, you'll find a very lovely train terminal called Union Station at the intersection of the latter.
Luckily, we had a local production assistant and a GPS unit to get us around our shoot. However, the morning after our final shoot day, I was on my own. Instead of flying with all of our gear, I figured it'd be easier to just drive from - and back to - New York. After all, Google told me it's only four hours. Not so with Mini Magellan at the steering wheel. It took me two hours to get out of the city. Don't ask how, because I don't remember. All I know is I passed the same liquor store three times before figuring out that circular isn't the fastest way to Maryland, and subsequently Delaware and Jersey. Even if those states converge by the Library of Congress.
7 Comments
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Oh dude, so sorry. At least you didn't seem to head into Arlington. That makes DC look like a NYC-type neat grid.
I'm a DC native, and can empathize a visitor's confusion about the quadrants (NW, NE, SW and SE), letters, numbers and names of States, among other random names that are the streets of DC. Just remember that the numbers head north and south out of the city, letters run east and west. Just stay on any numbered street and you'll eventually hit I-95 N or South (or signs directing you to), depending on which direction you're heading.
It can be a real maze. After working on a project with the Architect of the Capitol (the agency responsible for maintaining all the government buildings), I found that the numbers and letter progress out from the capital building in all 4 directions. So, First, Second, Third don't always mean you're heading west!
I've spent a good deal of time in DC, even living in far NW, and it's still a nightmare. Even staying on a street heading one way, you run into buildings in the middle for no reason, and have to find a one way going the right way to get around it. Good for keeping out invading armies,bad for everyone else.
Oh boy,
never been in DC, but I found all american cities I've ever visitied very "easy to navigate" - ever seen one of those century old european towny? Boy o boy ... that's a mace!
huh...you never said if you ever got to your destination?
well.. it's like I said!