Cleveland is a quirky city with a dialect that’s uniquely its own. This fun city features places, streets, and parks with unusual names, and neither local lore nor local history necessarily provide an explanation as to where the stranger names come from. That’s especially true when it comes to street names, as many have ambiguous origins. How many of these odd streets do you recognize?
- Avenue of Peace, Linndale
Google Maps Avenue of Peace almost sounds like a nonprofit organization in the making, but this lovely little stretch of road is just a quiet residential street.
- Marlboro Road, Cleveland Heights
Google Maps “Yeah, gimme a pack of Marlboro Roads.” It almost sounds like a slip of the tongue you might hear in a gas station.
- Kosciuszko Avenue, Cleveland
Google Maps Most streets have fairly simple and straightforward names, names that even elementary-aged residents can pronounce. Kosciuszko, as you may imagine, is pronounced something like Kos-choo-shch-ko. Click here to hear this Polish name pronounced.
- Indian Mound Drive, Valley View
Google Maps An Indian Mound? As in, a Native American burial site… in Greater Cleveland? It may sound outrageous, but there were once several burial mounds in and around Cleveland. They have been destroyed over the years, but local lore hasn’t forgotten. There are still several sites of archaeological significance in the area, including the Cleveland Metroparks earthworks.
- Otter Avenue, Cleveland
Google Maps Otters… in Cleveland? Believe it or not, otters were native to Ohio once upon a time. They were wiped out by the early 1900s, but were reintroduced to our state in the mid-1980s. Since then, they’ve been seen in nearly two-thirds of Ohio’s counties. Perhaps this street was named to celebrate the legacy of this adorable, spunky species and its determination to thrive.
- Twinkie Lane, Cleveland
Google Maps The Twinkie was invented in 1930, and Americans have been hooked ever since.
- Schwab Drive, Parma
Google Maps We can’t help but think of this moment from the TV show Zoey 101…
- Waco Court, Cleveland
Google Maps This tiny street is truly wacko in terms of its width. It feels like more of an alley than a street!
- Johnnycake Ridge Road, Painesville
Google Maps A johnnycake, if you did not know, is a cornmeal pancake and was a common tavern food back in the day. Just as barber’s shops have that colorful pole and pawn shops have a scale to represent their business, the symbol of a johnnycake once alluded to an inn or tavern. Some historians believe an old tavern on this road contributed to its unusual name.
These unusual street names reflect the eccentricities of life in The Land. Did you grow up on an unusually-named street in Greater Cleveland? Let us know in the comments below!
Google Maps
Avenue of Peace almost sounds like a nonprofit organization in the making, but this lovely little stretch of road is just a quiet residential street.
“Yeah, gimme a pack of Marlboro Roads.” It almost sounds like a slip of the tongue you might hear in a gas station.
Most streets have fairly simple and straightforward names, names that even elementary-aged residents can pronounce. Kosciuszko, as you may imagine, is pronounced something like Kos-choo-shch-ko. Click here to hear this Polish name pronounced.
An Indian Mound? As in, a Native American burial site… in Greater Cleveland? It may sound outrageous, but there were once several burial mounds in and around Cleveland. They have been destroyed over the years, but local lore hasn’t forgotten. There are still several sites of archaeological significance in the area, including the Cleveland Metroparks earthworks.
Otters… in Cleveland? Believe it or not, otters were native to Ohio once upon a time. They were wiped out by the early 1900s, but were reintroduced to our state in the mid-1980s. Since then, they’ve been seen in nearly two-thirds of Ohio’s counties. Perhaps this street was named to celebrate the legacy of this adorable, spunky species and its determination to thrive.
The Twinkie was invented in 1930, and Americans have been hooked ever since.
We can’t help but think of this moment from the TV show Zoey 101…
This tiny street is truly wacko in terms of its width. It feels like more of an alley than a street!
A johnnycake, if you did not know, is a cornmeal pancake and was a common tavern food back in the day. Just as barber’s shops have that colorful pole and pawn shops have a scale to represent their business, the symbol of a johnnycake once alluded to an inn or tavern. Some historians believe an old tavern on this road contributed to its unusual name.
If these unusual names baffled you, just wait until you hear these weird Cleveland words.
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