The addresses in Lima are kind of fun (well, one has to have some fun while in traffic!). Just take a moment and enjoy the name of the street in the photo. For a non-native Castilliano (Peruvian Spanish is “castillion”) speaker, this is a challenge… sip-ee-own-yown-a?
Jiron (jr.) is a small street. Sort of like a junior street.
Calle (ca.) is a street.
Callejon is an alley.
Avenida (av.) is an avenue and normally a long street.
Pasaje: is a cul-de-sac.
Paseo: is a street for a walk like a boardwalk. Streets like Arequipa that are divided with a sidewalk and trees in the middle are meant for these “walks”.
Prolongacion (prol.) is a an extension of a street.
Cuadra (or cdra) is a block.
Ovalo is a traffic circle/roundabout.
Sin numero (s/n) means that the house has no number.
Solar: is an alleyway in a fancy neighborhood.
Alta means that it’s at the top of the street or block.
Manzana means an apple but in this context it means a block. The term most likely originates from the feudal system (and not as I hoped that it was the amount of space that an apple tree spreads its roots). The use of “manzana” and “lote” or lot is predominant in some of the “conos” or northern, southern, and eastern districts of Lima. These are mainly lower socio-economic areas.
And related to this, an apartment is a “departamento” or “depa” and the first floor is the ground floor here.