Agree with your sentiments Taz, but can't see any harm in saying, for example, West End off Byres Road; City Centre, near the Square, South Side, near Cessnock subway, etc.
Probably a bit different for smaller places, like yesterday when somebody mentioned flats in Holytown - bear in mind, though that the WG herslef had advertised as 'New Stevenston', which is not exactly an enormous place.