The reason for all the different zero points is that all those places that are "neighborhoods" now used to be all separate towns, and they all eventually merged into the size and shape of Duluth as we know it today.

...This is also why Lakeside folks got all bent out of shape about the liquor vote.  When the town of Lakeside was originally annexed to Duluth, it came with the stipulation that it would remain dry in perpetuity. (something which later became null & void due to a change in state law)

...And also why folks get bent out of shape about the "west end" vs "West Duluth" thing, 'cause it used to be the city of West Duluth, and the west end of Duluth was just that.

Where are you from?

Large cities in the West have logic. Take Albuquerque - everywhere is NW, SW, NE, and it's all on a grid.

Cities like Duluth grew much more organically and yes, each road has it's own scale and numbers. Or take downtown St. Paul, which in the words of Jesse Ventura, seems to have been laid out by drunk Irishmen.
 
You want logic, stay far, far away from the East Coast, by the way  - you ain't seen NOTHIN' yet as far as bizarre layouts.

St. Paul's streets are hella confusing. I finally had to ask a cabbie (cabbies are a wealth of info on the subject of streets) about it.

As I recall, it took him 10 minutes to explain everything in an understandable fashion after reaching our destination.

To answer one of your questions, WildGoose, London Road was originally called London Avenue, changing in the 1890s. There was property there that was bought by a "London Syndicate" for about a million dollars in 1889. In 1906, the Lakeside Club had a big meeting where John Jenswold Jr. and other neighbors complained that motorists were ruining London Road with their speedy, reckless ways. (teehee)

"'The greatest civic demonstration in the history of the city' was the Exposition of Progress and Iron Ore Golden Jubilee, held July 20-25, 1925. Arches, pylons, and statues lined London Road, John Philip Sousa's band was here, and the Great Lakes fleet of the United States Navy. The National Guard Armory, Curling Club and Amphitheatre were used for exhibits and entertainment." (MacDonald, 215)

Fact Check!  The lake of liquor in Lakeside is still part of state law and has not become null and void, hence the current lack of liquor in Lakeside and the vote last November.

Somebody told me that Superior Street does not end behind the Lighthouse for the Blind, as I stated earlier. Michigan Street does. When I checked it out, I found this to be true. Michigan Street ends at 46th Avenue West, behind the Lighthouse. So where does Superior Street end? 

Traveling the frontage roads eastward, it turns out that Superior Street ends by Wade Stadium, where it magically turns into Michigan Street.

Two comments on this thread are linked... by one of the most overlooked streets in town.

Superior Street curves and becomes Michigan Street by Wade Stadium (there is another short segment of Superior Street farther west).

That little curve, which ducks under a railroad bridge and is a block long at the very most, is actually its own street, according to signs there: Jenswold Street.

I trust that's somehow connected to the John Jenswold Jr. of London Road complaint fame (see comment above).

It has no houses, no businesses, pretty much nothing on it... a street with no addresses.

I've always kind of felt sorry for it.