Hard to Navigate Around These Cities

Bert Sperling, who has been compiling information for almost two decades about the best places in the country, has developed a list of the most difficult cities to navigate. Sperling used Avis's mobile-phone assisted navigation, Avis Assist, and Motorola to figure out where people are most navigationally challenged, using factors like street layouts (grids, diagonals, windiness, one-way streets), congestion, bodies of water, and complexity of directions from city to airport. The top ten most difficult to navigate cities are:

1. Boston, MA
2. Washington, DC
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Baltimore, MD
5. New York, NY-Northeastern NJ
6. Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood-Pompano Beach, FL
7. Los Angeles, CA
8. Seattle-Everett, WA
9. Providence, Pawtucket RI-MA
10. Norfolk-Newport News-Virginia Beach, VA

While the study is geared towards business travellers, especially ones who drive, Gothamist still felt it was interesting. Our perspective is from the pedestrian's point of view, and the city can be easy to get around, if you're in Manhattan's grid and have a basic knowledge of how the streets and avenues work. But if you stuck us in the West Village, we're wandering around the same tree-lined block for ages. And in Queens - forget it - it's like 46th Street or 46th Road or 46th Avenue or 46th Boulevard. Which is why Gothamist loves the subways, buses, our cellphones, and all the kind people who give us directions when we're trying to get somewhere. [Via CNN]

Brace yourself for out-of-towners during next week's convention. And do you find yourself giving people directions on a regular basis because you have that look about you? Or are you so sure of your direction-savvy that you insert yourself into tourists' conversations? Gothamist thinks this is an interesting, untapped area for discussion.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on August 24, 2004 12:12 PM

Comments [rss]

Erin

I have "the look" too, although I also get mistaken for a tourist around my office often enough by people trying to get me to come to their spa or comedy club. So who knows?

One particularly brilliant directions-giving moment: I was standing on the corner of 42nd and 6th waiting for the light to change, and a woman came up to me and asked for directions to Times Square. I pointed west and said, "You see those lights?" She was like, "Yeah, so?"

oh give me a break

I think a lot of you people are flattering yourselves about having "the look"...lost people tend to ask closest person that looks reasonable (a.k.a. non-threatening). It's pretty random--you aren't special (or have a "look").

Think about the laundromat most people use... people tend to use the closest one that seems reasonable. Is there something extra special about that laundromat?

FAB

That's ridiculous. I just moved to Atlanta from New York (having also lived in Paris and DC and travelled lots of other places), and I can safely say that Atlanta is the most ridiculous place to try and get around. For some reason, they never bothered with urban planners.

debnyc

I have that "look" everyone comes up to me and ask for directions and that was pretty tricky when I first moved here 5 years ago. But the city is really easy to figure out well at least Manhattan but put me in the boroughs and I am one lost puppy. I have been known to go up to people who have that lost looking at the map stare and ask if they need help. But people even ask me about restaurant suggestions, I will be smoking outside and they will ask whether it is good or could I recommend one. One guy said you must have been born here you know the city so well. I lived most of my life in LA and no one asks for directions there.

stephanie

PS: when in Queens, just remember this little poem written by Borough Engineer Charles U. Powell, in collaboration with Ellis

Parker Bulter to prevent getting lost:

In Queens to Find Locations Best

Avenues, Roads and Drives Run West

But Ways to North or South 'Tis Plain

Are Streets or Place or Even Lane;

While Even Numbers You Will Meet

Upon the West or South of Street

And the first number of the street address indicates the cross street (i.e. 64-35 is on a street taht crosses with 64th).

Or just navigate your way back to Queens Plaza by looking in the sky for the Citibank Building.

stephanie

PS next time you are lost in Queens just remember this little poem written by Borough Engineer Charles U. Powell, in collabortation with Ellis

Parker Bulter at some time around 1930 when the renaming/numbering of the borough took place:

In Queens to Find Locations Best

Avenues, Roads and Drives Run West

But Ways to North or South 'Tis Plain

Are Streets or Place or Even Lane;

While Even Numbers You Will Meet

Upon the West or South of Street

Or just look for the Citibank tower.

Andy

Apparently I have "the look" -- in Paris.

Which is funny, because I'm Asian American.

stella

I definitely don't have the look. No one ever comes up to me, I think because I either look really lost or I am actually really lost - even in Manhattan - where I've lived for plus many years.

But put me somewhere in Paris with a cigarette in one hand and everyone comes up to me asking for directions... even the French!

joe

I'm not greatly familiar with getting around the West Village, but there was one time when I was approached by a pair of tourists at 6th Ave and Greenwich St. They wanted to know how to get to 6th Ave. They weren't happy when I told them they were on 6th Ave (maybe the Ave of the Americas thing confused them) and insisted the avenue must be someplace else. I pointed up Greenwich toward 7th Ave and said "oh, you're right. Go up a couple blocks that way." They walked away happy. What was I to do?

Yojimbot

getting around nyc by public transport is so easy...its a grid for christsakes...driving around the 5 boros? well that's a whole different story. i've lived here 30 yrs and i still dont know the difference between the cross island expressway and jehrico turnpike...yeesh! or howsabout the damn throgs neck/whitestone interchange?

thirdparty

I'm of the latter group who is so sure of my direction-savvy (even in the west village) that I will go up to any tourist looking at a map and ask if they need directions. Usually they appreciate the help, since they're often looking at a subway map while trying to get from, say, Union Square to the corner of W. 4th and W. 10th (if ever an intersection defined the west village, that's the one).

May I suggest, if we come across any perplexed GOP delegates who need directional help next week, that we all "insert ourselves" into their conversations and give them the most appropriate directions possible. I hear the best way to get from Washington Square to Madison Square Garden, for instance, is to take the PATH. :)

thirdparty

I'm of the latter group who is so sure of my direction-savvy (even in the west village) that I will go up to any tourist looking at a map and ask if they need directions. Usually they appreciate the help, since they're often looking at a subway map while trying to get from, say, Union Square to the corner of W. 4th and W. 10th (if ever an intersection defined the west village, that's the one).

May I suggest, if we come across any perplexed GOP delegates who need directional help next week, that we all "insert ourselves" into their conversations and give them the most appropriate directions possible. I hear the best way to get from Washington Square to Madison Square Garden, for instance, is to take the PATH. :)

jenny

i have the look in Lower Manhattan -- if by look you mean "work clothes" which make the tourists assume you're permanent. The B'way-Nassau AC always confuses people -- downtown is for Brooklyn and Queens -- so there are always a few tourists who look scared about the prospect of leaving Manhattan.

Ixtayul

My Con Ed vehicle is a magnet for lost souls in the City and surrounding areas. But I find that I must have developed the look because even when I'm in a civilian vehicle or clothes I get asked at least once a day for directions. I even get strangers calling me on the phone for directions because someone recommended asking me.

Ever notice W 4 St. crosses W 10,W 11 and W 12 St.?

Peter

I have "that look" too.. even when I'm not in nyc.. I've had people in boston, dc, philly, austin, and london stop me on the street.. the look must mean something though, as I can usually help.

Peter

sam

I discovered a while ago that I have "the look" - apparently "new yorkish" enough for people to assume I know where I'm going (and hence can direct them) but also not scary, since they clearly assume I'm approachable. When I'm in a bad mood, or clearly in a hurry, or get asked a horrendously stupid question, I amuse myself by snapping at people(because they clearly don't expect it), but I usually include the correct answer anyway.

Drew

I'm one of those people with "that look," I guess. People always ask me directions, and if I'm with a group of people and someone approaches to try to sell something they always talk to me. I must have that "naive yet directionally knowledgeable" look.

Drew