What’s up with that? North Boulevard and North Street

North Boulevard and North Street?

Both are downtown—within one mile of each other—causing countless “Now, where are y’all located again?” mishaps.

But as Ingolf A. Partenheimer, Chief Traffic Engineer with DPW explains it, the reasoning dates back to the very beginnings of Baton Rouge. “Beauregard Town was plotted in the year 1806 and bordered by North Boulevard, South Boulevard, East Boulevard and the Mississippi River to the West. Keep in mind that the Baton Rouge population was only 2,269 in 1840. North Street was added later as the City grew northward.”

I guess street names are harder to change than directions.