Friday, May 10, 2002 | 8:58 a.m.
In 1977 "Star Wars" took audiences to "a galaxy far, far away."
In 1978 a small, now-defunct Las Vegas developer, Sproul Homes, brought that galaxy much closer to home, specifically east off East Russell Road, just past Mountain Vista Street.
There one can find what is best described as a "Star Wars" neighborhood.
It is not that the homes look much different than those in many older Las Vegas communities.
On the outskirts of the city when it was built, the neighborhood is mostly blue collar, with one-story, three-to-four-bedroom homes. An occasional two-story house breaks the monotony.
The yards are primarily grass, with some homeowners electing to go a less-maintenance route with rock gardens.
Averaging about $55,000 when they were first purchased, a typical home in the neighborhood now sells for nearly triple that amount.
But it is neither the homes nor their value that make the neighborhood stand out from others. It is the street signs specifically, the street names, several of which pay homage to characters from 1977's "Star Wars" movie (now titled "Episode IV A New Hope").
There is Skywalker Avenue and Leia Street, named for the film's hero and heroine, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.
There are Vader and Tarkin Avenues, after the film's villains, Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.
There is Kinobe Avenue, named for Luke's wise mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi. (The street name, oddly enough, is spelled differently than the movie character.)
There is even Lucas Avenue, named for the film's creator and director, George Lucas.
For some residents, the street names are as popular as the films themselves.
"It's cool," said Baron Bybee, 11, who lives on Skywa- lker Avenue. "I like to live here, I'm on the good guys' side. I've got all good (action figures), like Luke and Yoda."
Living on Skywalker Avenue can also be a point of jealously among friends, Bybee said, especially with the latest film in the "Star Wars" saga "Episode II Attack of the Clones" opening nationwide Thursday.
"I really don't talk about it too much" with friends at school, he said. "But now with the new movie coming out, they'll probably be, 'Awwwwww, that's so cool.'"
Baron's mother, Jennifer, 42, is also a "Star Wars" fan and remembers when she and her husband, Shane, bought their home in 1978 shortly after it was built when the "Star Wars" craze was at a fever pitch.
"We moved in when it was all hot," she said of the movie. "I think we all thought it was kind of neat. It was kind of fun, people remembered your street name."
Living on Skywalker Avenue, however, does have its disadvantages, Bybee said.
When giving directions, for example, she is almost always asked the same question when she mentions her street's name: " 'Skywalker? As in Luke Skywalker?' " Bybee said. "Or, they'll ask, 'Is that one word or two?' I say, 'As in Luke.' "
As it turned out, when most of the homes in the subdivision were sold, the street names had not yet been announced, so Bybee had no idea she would spend nearly 25 years living on Skywalker Avenue.
"I'm glad we are on Skywalker," she said. "It's a better (name) association. It beats living on Vader."
Spoken like a true Skywalker.
The dark side
Of course, those on Vader Avenue beg to differ.
"We've got the best street," insists Greg Ford, 42.
Ford is a big enough fan of the "Star Wars" movies. As a joke, his wife, Nancy, bought him various Darth Vader action figures, which he keeps as part of a small Vader shrine in a back room of their three-bedroom, one-story home.
The couple also had a Vader cookie jar on display in a front window for several years, and even had "Star Wars" bank checks at one point.
But, Ford assures, he is not a member of a "Star Wars" fan club.
"I like the movies," he said. And, "I like Vader. He's my favorite character."
Aaron Voorhees concurs.
Voorhees, 23, who lives on Vader Avenue, a few houses down from the Fords, said Vader is also his favorite character. As a child, he dressed as the Dark Lord of the Sith (as Vader is sometimes called) for Halloween. Not surprisingly, he prefers his street's name over the other "Star Wars" streets.
"Of all the 'Star Wars' streets to live on, I'd rather live here," Voorhees said. "Besides, it's better than living on Leia."
And what of the residents of Leia Street? How do they feel about living on a street named after the only main female character in the first three films?
"She's the queen, right?" Michael Garrow, 55, said.
Actually, a princess. But who's being picky?
Name games
As to how the "Star Wars" street names came about, it was -- and remains -- a rather simple process, said Viola Goodwin, planning supervisor for the City of Las Vegas.
The housing developer submits the street names for approval by the Fire District, which tries to prevent street names from sounding too similar, so it is clear where a caller lives in case of emergency, Goodwin said.
Once the developer receives the Fire District's approval, the street names are submitted to the city, along with a final map of the development.
While Tarkin, Kinobe, Vader and the rest may seem odd for street names, the fact that there are a several blocks named after movie characters is not that unusual, Goodwin said.
"Almost all subdivisions will have a theme, and ('Star Wars') is one theme," she said. "There are cities where 'Alice in Wonderland' will be a theme, so you'll have the Mad Hatter, and all those other things.
"It's not uncommon, particularly in a community that's growing as fast as Las Vegas. It's become more and more challenging for developers to think of an original name."
But not everyone is impressed with their streets' names.
Certainly not Sylvia Camarena, 25, who has lived on Kinobe Avenue for seven years with her mother and younger brother.
It was not until several months ago that she discovered she lived in a neighborhood with themed street names.
"It didn't mean anything to me ... until my little brother mentioned the streets were named after 'Star Wars' characters," Camarena said. "I'm the kind of person who doesn't pay much attention ... I'm in my own little world."
It does not help matters when you have not seen the movies, as Camarena acknowledged.
"I'm not a big fan," she said.
Which also explains why Camarena was not aware her street name is misspelled, at least according to the Lucas spelling of "Kenobi."
"Really? I had no idea. Whenever I say 'Kinobe' (people) misspell it, so I have to spell it out," she said. "They usually spell it out 'K-e-n-o-b-i.' "
And before the "Star Wars" fans cry blasphemy, it gets worse.
Vorhees' grandmother, Barbara Brown, 69, has lived on Vader Avenue for 10 years. She once made the error of confusing the "Star Wars" streets with another popular space-themed cultural phenomenon.
"I didn't notice (the street names) until a year or two after I moved in. I thought it was 'Star Trek,' not 'Star Wars.' I couldn't find Spock (Street) because (it) wasn't here."
And, similar to Camarena, Brown is also not a "Star Wars" fan.
"I watch 'Star Trek' on TV, but I don't watch 'Star Wars,' " she said. However, she acknowledged, "I will tell you something, it does make it easier to tell people where you live."
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