The only trouble I ever had with navigating in cities or country was after taking the subway in DC when I came back up from traveling underground I would sometimes head in the wrong direction but in DC if you go a block, and know how DC is laid out, you know if your direction is wrong. As soon as I re-calibrated my internal compass I was fine.
Yes. I love the line in the movie "The Day The Earth Stood Still" : "He's traveling west on 15th." If you know DC, you know he's just crossing the street somewhere.