In Oakland if you travel along, let's say Fruitvale Avenue you will come across the cross streets East 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and so on.
When you get to what should be East 14th Street you will notice International Boulevard. East 14th was renamed to reflect the political correctness movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s. International Boulevard was thought to better reflect the different neighborhoods the street past through.
So Viola, East 14th Street became International Boulevard. Did this move increase business along the corridor? Just by looking at the vacant businesses up and down International Boulevard, my guess is that the name change did absolutely nothing except spend millions of dollars of city and private money to change all the addresses of the businesses and residences along the entire route.
At the San Leandro city limit when you cross over Durant Avenue, the name East 14th remains and stays strong and vibrant until you get the the San Lorenzo - Hayward borders. East 14th Street then becomes Mission Boulevard through parts of San Lorenzo, Hayward, Union City and into Fremont.
It's quite ironic and I find extremely funny, is that the city that has all the East 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and so on streets does not have the East 14th anymore and the city that never had the East 1-2-3s retains their East 14th Street.
San Leandro does retain some of the numbered Avenue Streets. 138th Avenue near San Leando high school is one of the recognizable streets. 150th Avenue that goes into the Bayfair Mall area is also a better known numbered street. 164th Avenue is an exit off of Interstate 580. The last of the numbered streets is 173rd Avenue is tucked up against Interstate 238 at the San Lorenzo - San Leandro - unincorporated Ashland district.
San Leandro has a weird naming convention near the Marina District and Mulford Gardens. The numbered Streets are preceded by a West or W then the Avenue designation comes in, so in that part of town you will have some W Ave 133rd, W Ave 134th, and so on.
So like the song "Istanbul not Constantinople" goes
Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul...
The same can be said for East 14th
Every gal on East 14th Street
Lives on International Boulevard, not East 14th Street
So if you've a date on East 14th Street
She'll be waiting on International Boulevard...
"Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way"
So If you're looking for East 14th Street just come to San Leandro we still have ours!
