An avenue is something that is known to move from the north side to the south side. There are instances when avenues can be used interchangeably, depending on the direction where you are coming from. A lane is known to be smaller than an avenue. In fact, the lane is known to be narrow and short. There are times when residential homes are located in lanes, or there may be some small stores that can be found there. Most of the lanes that you will see now are located in rural areas because most urban areas have more streets and avenues as compared to lanes.