A map has appeared that tells about the people after whom New York streets are named

New York City is unveiling an interactive map that reveals the stories behind nearly 2500 streets and intersections named after famous city residents, reports Gothamist.

The city has launched an interactive, mobile-friendly online map. It acts as a directory of places, each named after someone who has been important to the city's history.

The map, available on both computers and mobile devices, contains detailed biographical and historical information about each person. The project was developed by the city's Department of Records and Information Services and uses software from the Office of Technology and Innovation. The map can be viewed here.

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The tool was created after the passage of a bill introduced by Manhattan City Councilman Gale Brewer.

“Our city’s history is long and deep. We need tools to remember those who came before us, whether their name is on a building or a street sign, and why they are being honored,” Brewer said. “Think of it as a Wikipedia for street names.”

What can be found on the map

With 2496 entries map includes 1610 intersections and 886 streets. More than 400 streets are dedicated to rescue workers who died in the September 11 terrorist attacks, although biographical information for some individuals remains unavailable.

Users can perform Search by individual names, postcodes, and more general terms like "fireman" and "policeman." This way, you can learn more about the people behind the honorary place names.

Abby Suckle, president of the nonprofit cultureNOW, praised the initiative.

“New York City is in many ways a small city masquerading as a big city,” she said. “With the new street map, I will be able to learn who these people are and what they did. I look forward to spending many enjoyable hours learning about their history.”

"Our" names

Many streets in New York also honor the achievements of immigrants and Russian-speaking people. For example, Ukrainian Way.

The map states that the location is at the intersection of Brighton Beach Avenue and Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. This name was given to the place in 2022 in recognition of the victims of military brutality in Ukraine. The map also shows the location's zip code.

Or, for example, Sergei Dovlatov Way. The street is located at the intersection of 63rd Drive and 108th Street.

The map shows a historical background. The street was named after the writer Sergei Dovlatov in 2014. The writer was originally from the Soviet Union. He immigrated to the United States in 1979 after being persecuted by the Soviet authorities. Dovlatov lived in Forest Hills, Queens. He became a journalist in the late 1960s. His attempts to publish his works in the Soviet Union were met with resistance from publishers. He faced increasing persecution from the authorities as his involvement in dissident literary circles grew. However, after glasnost, the writer’s novels were published in the Soviet Union and became extremely popular. The New Yorker magazine published several of his short stories. From 1980 to 1982, Dovlatov edited the weekly magazine The New American.

At the intersection of West 1st Street and Seabreeze Avenue you can find Boris Tales Way. Here we also read the historical background. Boris Tales came to the United States with his family in 1989 from Odessa, Ukraine. He built a career here as a talented writer, journalist, TV and radio host, successful businessman, athlete and coach. Tales contributed to the community as a member of Community Board 13 and executive director of the Brighton Business District Association, and was also a member of the Feeding America Foundation.

One of his many passions was involving teenagers in various activities as part of the Get Our Kids Off the Streets program. He was often seen at the Asser Levy Park playground, coaching children and organizing competitions. A street was named after him in 2022.