Explain what it is exactly that makes a street's Direction??

[CrayonOfDoom2]

N.E. 8th street

vs

S.E. 8th street....

What exactly determines the direction on the street's sign? Is there a rule that applies to every street in each state that I never really learned? I got lost on S.E. 8th street today thinking that the other end would be NorthEast 8th....
I never found NE by the way...

 

[BrothaBill]

Usually a city picks a major road and divides it as such given location.
It Portland, the major road going through downtown and the city is Burnside, everything south of that is Southeast or Southwest and Everything North of there is Northeast or Northwest.
The exact dividing like of east and west not sure of here. But should have some sense.
Conversely Vancouver across the Columbia River has streets and avenues, frequently across town. So if you confuse 41st street with 41st avenue, youll be in total different part of town. Complete retards who ever devised that system

 

[jerkbox]

2 perpendicular streets.

in Philly Broad St. divides East and West, Market St. divides North and South