[cimmanom]

Even if you're not traveling from one end to another. It's great to be able to figure out where you're going without a map. I may never have been to 90th St. and 3rd Ave in Manhattan, but I know exactly where it is and how to get there from anywhere else in the grid.

[kazen44]

as someone who lives on the other end of the continent, this system was utterly confusing to me because streets are very long in US cities.

Like, alright, ending up at 90th street is relatively easy, except that i ended up at the wrong end of this street, and the walk to the correct house is 2 kilometer...

[Ruthalas]

The parent comment specified "90th and 3rd" which would give you both axes needed to avoid the mistake you describe- The specification of 3rd street helps you avoid being at the wrong end of 90th.

[cimmanom]

Sure, but if you already know the city just a little bit, you'll know which end 3rd ave is close to. You don't have to memorize the location of a zillion randomly named streets (where is the intersection of Grove Lane and Daffodil St?) You just have to know which direction streets increase in, which avenues increase in, and roughly how far between each. That's the benefit of the grid.