Streets With Same Name Causing All Kinds Of Confusion In Long Island Town

AMITYVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- What's in a name?

A lot of confusion, apparently.

Two streets share the same name and zip code in one Long Island community and, as CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reported Thursday, it's not just deliverymen who are getting lost.

It's a tale of two Anitas: Anita Place in Amityville village and Anita Place in Amity Harbor.

The streets are two miles apart, with the same zip code and in some cases have the same house numbers.

"We've had the sheriff come with a warrant. We've had the police here thinking someone was climbing in my front window," a resident said.

"I got oil for nothing. It was supposed to go to the other Anita Place," another resident said.

A fresh steak delivery went to the wrong stoop.

"They were destroyed. They definitely were inedible," said Andrew D'Ambrosio of the Amity Harbor Civic Association.

Then there was Marie Consi, who said she had one mighty scare.

"A priest came to tell me my husband died. All of a sudden he realized he was in the wrong house," Consi said.

After decades of mix-ups, residents said having to use GPS is the last straw because no one asks for directions anymore.

Many streets nearby share the same name, including five streets named "Ireland," multiple named "Emerson," and two that go by "Coolidge." But when zip codes overlap, that confuses even the postman.

The U.S. Postal Service has no authority to change street names. That's up to the municipality, and Anita Place residents want a name change, but no one's volunteering.

"That means we would have to change our checking accounts, we have to change our addresses to everyone we know," D'Ambrosio said.

"I think they should change the other one," a resident added.

But what about a Solomon-esque solution like the streets changing their names to Anita East and Anita West, respectively?

"The addition of adding an 'E' or a 'W' would be rather benign," Amityville Village attorney Richard Handler said.

Residents agree on one thing: a change needs to be made before the driver who gets lost is coming to save a life or award a sweepstakes prize.

The Town of Babylon has scheduled a meeting of residents from both Anita Places for June 6 to discuss options, Gusoff reported.