It's now Rosa Parks Way! I didn't hear a word about it.

It's all in the way you say it Semoochie, think Madonna

The problem I have with this is really simple, the street in question is a "boulevard", not a "way".

Someone needs to get a dictionary.

That would make it Rosa Parks way, no way Boulevard.

I've always wondered what distinguishes a street, an avenue, a boulevard, a way, etc....thank YOU for creating my obsession for the next 2 hours

I've noticed something in my 34 years of existence ... most every city and town of any size or substance has a MLK Boulevard ... many are now adding Rosa Parks Way, etc.

Why is it that they are ALWAYS in the crappiest parts of the city? ALWAYS! What kind of justice is that to these two pioneers who stood up to the hatred and tyranny us pasty-white folks threw at them? "Yeah we'll name a street after you, but we're going to put it in the ghetto."

It just seems WRONG to me.

Front Avenue was originally slated to be MLK, but there was a *lot* of protest about that. Supposedly because Front didn't pass through the African-American part of town, it was an inappropriate choice. So Union became MLK, and now Front is Naito Parkway.

I was disappointed to see Union changed. Sounds like a bland name, until you realize that it *is* our state motto, and that's why it was named Union. Wish these people would do their historical research.

It does seem silly to call any street "Portland" in the city of Portland, doesn't it? At least in the modern day. Also, I have no doubt that "Portland Boulevard" was a much more important street back in the days before freeways. Maybe it doesn't carry as much traffic anymore?

Plus we lost the intersection of union and division!

"If they moved Union up a block wouldn't that be Grand."
Can't use that joke anymore.

I think that after all the vitriolic nonsense that surrounded the Martin Luther King Jr. change, they did the right thing. The city kept it low key and on a neighborhood level. North Portland knew what was going on and signs have been up on some sections for almost two months. I like the name.

In my experience, it is still a busy street with traffic to and from industrial parks, recycling facilities, the railroad and the shipping terminals.

I feel more at ease in North and Northeast Portland than any of the suburbs, especially Vancouver. Call it what you wish, but I will take a living neighborhood full of real folks -- poor or not -- over strip malls and developments full of unfriendly zombies on dead end streets that all look the same.

We live in a city that the planners created in a segregated way and the effects will always be just below the surface. I don't think it is a simple dog bone to a specific community. She is my hero too.

"Kissed her on Union and thought it was Grand." Long live the old Portland jokes.

Littlesongs, I'm with you. I wish I still lived in NE PDX. My neighbors ended up being better family to me than my real family ever was.

Hollywood Farmers Market; Alberta Street; summer block parties; the dog walkers community in Grant Park; neighbors looking out for each others' kids; running into people you know everytime you go to Fred's. You could go around the corner from refined Alameda into earthy Sabin. The feel of a real city, but on a liveable scale.

You want confusing streets, I lived on St Croix for 3 years, there everything is based on the estate, IE old plantations. House numbers arent sequential on the streets, but based on when their built, IE the first house built in Estare Mon Bijou is #1 Mon Bijou, etc.

I worked with the office of emergency response trying to build a 911 program, so emergency responders could find addresses. It went against their culture to even consider renaming houses to a sequenetial order.

I lived in Mon Bijou, and i think my # was 47, house on one side was 123 on the other was 234 or something like that.