I think it's the same meaning as "like～" and "～風に". ～の方に .....I guess you mean to say "あっちの方に郵便局があります" as "There is a post office OVER THERE."? If I was misunderstand about that your question, I am sorry about that.

It is quite difficult to make real feeling to ours. Even between Japanese and japanese make it understanding actual feeling. We use many meterphor or similitude. It need to read Japanese novels and litlerature. It helps understanding feeling. Translating is depend on each person's sence and own thing. It is never make standerds. If it is able to make it that became one book or long sentence so We use similitude. Need many vocaburay. but time by time you might get one sence. Need image training. Even SAKURA is can express many thing so not need to try hard but think naturally and silently then start express feeling many help to more understand your sence to others. Look many thing and feel many thing it cure you more.