The Add in the Address

It’s not just the choking chockablock streets chockfull of cars and coupés that clog when it becomes just too crowded. There is more. Even more than the honking horns, sold-out theatres in advanced bookings, jam-packed malls that have too many jammers in too little packing, long waiting lists, busy tones, etc. When people are busy making more people, space runs out. Literally. 

There was a time when our homes and offices and all those restaurants and clubs had small-sized, compact addresses. But ever since that baby boom that took place in the 1900’s and still going on today, we are in need of bigger boards to address our address. We need landmarks. Today, hotels, schools, complexes, roads, pharmacists, dry cleaner’s, bakeries, florists all serve two purposes: 1. their own and 2. directing people to our home. 

Compared to the sweet-sized address plates that existed years ago like:

120 W 23^rd Street

New York

New York

10125

We now have addresses that read:

Mr. and Mrs. Holmes

Opp. Bank of America, Near Sweet Bakery,

Cross Avenue

120 West, 23^rd Street

New York

10125

And then there are those houses that have two address plates: one of the old address on top of one of the new address. The neighborhood really must have turned inside out the last decade. No wonder the mailmen have been getting grumpier.

No longer do we follow the original simplified format of: Street Address, City, State and Zip. Instead our addresses have become non-amusing limericks with lines that read: opp to, near to, next to. What’s next? Behind, on top of, under? Perhaps we may even need an “in between” someday when it becomes just too congested.