By Y.M. Lowy

Walk down 13th Avenue in Boro Park and you’ll see that part of the avenue is co-named Raoul Wallenberg Way, honoring the Swedish diplomat who saved tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust. Walk over to 15th Avenue and 48th Street, and you’ll find a sign for “Bobov Promenade,” leaving many wondering why and when these streets were named this way.

Now, a new interactive map from the New York City Department of Records and Information Services is giving residents the chance to discover stories like that all across the city.

The online tool highlights nearly 2,500 co-named streets throughout the five boroughs. Some honor world-famous figures. Others recognize teachers, activists, first responders, and everyday New Yorkers who left a mark on their communities. Each name has a story, and in many cases, it’s one that neighbors may not even realize is tied to their own block.

Users can zoom in on their neighborhood, click on a street, and read about the person behind the sign. It turns an ordinary walk down the avenue into a small history lesson.

For residents curious about the names they pass every day, the map offers a simple way to see New York’s history woven directly into its streets.