The Streets In This American Suburb Are Named After London Tube Stations

Harry Rosehill
By Harry Rosehill Last edited 79 months ago
The Streets In This American Suburb Are Named After London Tube Stations
© Google Maps

Deep in American suburbia lies an homage to our beloved London Underground.

Victoria Station Drive, Turnham Green Court, Willesden Junction Terrace and more; The neighbourhood of Sterling, Virginia, has streets named after London tube stations; Turnham Green, Ruislip Manor, Regents Park. Even the Overground makes an appearance with Brondesbury Park Terrace and Willesden Junction Terrace.

© Google Maps

Our favourite has to be Mornington Cresent Terrace, not just because of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue but also the spelling error. That's a big mistake by whoever named the streets — or perhaps it's a 21st century version of a trap street?

Nearby, Holborn, Temple, Brixton and Poplar all make appearances in close proximity to each other.

Who exactly did name the streets, we hear you cry? Well... we don't know. We'd like to think the town planner for this part of the world is a London-obsessive but it looks more likely that they were a train obsessive in general; the next estate over from the London-centric one above is home to Caboose Terrace, Iron Horse Terrace, Locomotive Terrace and Golden Spike Terrace, all of which refer to the history of the American railroads. Grand Central Square is presumably a nod to New York City's famous Grand Central Station, and Guilford Station is a regional rail station in Connecticut.

© Google Maps

We can understand names alluding to America's own railway heritage, but those linked to London's tube stations are harder to fathom. We've asked both TfL and officials in Virginia, and neither could help.

That's why we're opening this challenge up to you, our readers. If you're a bit of an amateur sleuth, please help us discover why these streets are named after tube stops. Is it a case of someone who really loves the tube? Is this a bizarre twist on twinning where both sides have forgotten the relationship exists? Or something even stranger?

As an aside, Sterling is also home to Shagbark Terrace — nothing to do with railways, and most likely a nod to the local greenery, but it did make us snigger like naughty school children. The local equivalent of Cockfosters, perhaps, albeit one that locals aren't aware of ('shag' doesn't have the same colloquial meaning in American English).

Let us know what you find in the comments below.

Last Updated 01 August 2017