BROADWAY

Description

Essentials about Broadway in brief

It is the most famous street in New York City and its name is known all over the world: Broadway. With a length of more than 25 kilometers, Broadway is the longest and also the oldest north-south crossing of Manhattan. The southern end of Broadway is at The Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan. Broadway continues across the island to its northernmost tip, where it crosses the Harlem River by means of the Broadway Bridge, continues through the Bronx, and runs along the Hudson River into Westchester County until it finally becomes Albany Post Road at Sleepy Hollow after a total length of about 50 kilometers and follows U.S. Highway 9 to Albany, the capital of New York State. Broadway traverses some of New York City’s most interesting neighborhoods and is lined with some of the city’s most noteworthy buildings, plazas and parks.

The history and the course of Broadway

The original Broadway

When the first Dutch settlers settled on Manhattan Island and established the settlement of New Amsterdam, they adopted an existing Indian trail to travel from New Amsterdam in the south of the island to other locations in the north. The path’s routing deviates greatly from the later designed uniform plan street grid of Manhattan. The Dutch widened the southern portion of the path and developed it into a paved road. In 1677, a section was given the English name “Broadway,” but it was not adopted for the entire street until 1804. Despite its name, Broadway is not the widest street in New York City, with a width of 22 meters.

The course of today’s Broadway, however, no longer corresponds exactly to the original path or that of Dutch Street. Only as far as 23rd Street and north of Washington Heights does Broadway still follow its original course. Today’s starting point of the street was originally much closer to the coast, but due to several actions of land reclamation, the coastline of Lower Manhattan has steadily moved a bit further into the sea, so that Broadway starts quite a bit away from the water.

Financial District

A few blocks to the northeast, Broadway passes Trinity Church and City Hall Park. This section from the south end to City Hall is traditionally the route of the so-called “ticker-tape parades,” which used to be held much more often than today for special occasions and personalities. Between the office buildings of the Financial District, in close proximity to the new One World Trade Center and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, stands St. Paul’s Chapel. It is the oldest church still in use in the USA, having survived several city fires and the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

Tribeca and SoHo

West of Broadway, as far as Canal Street, was New York City’s genteel residential neighborhood was located until the early 19th century. Land reclamation efforts have substantially increased the area here as well, and the Hudson River waterfront now lies well beyond Tribeca and Battery Park City. Between Canal Street and Houston Street is the SoHo neighborhood, where many designer boutiques and art galleries are now located in former textile mills, warehouses, and commercial buildings with the famous late 19th century glass-and-cast-iron facades. Broadway is also lined with many stores in this area, especially for tourists to shop.

Greenwich Village, East Village and Union Square

Broadway marks the eastern boundary of Greenwich Village and also the western boundary of East Village, passing not far from Washington Square Park between New York University to the west and Astor Place and St. Mark’s Place to the east. Six blocks to the north, at Union Square, Broadway also begins its northward impact, where it is the only street to run diagonally through the rectangular grid of streets and avenues otherwise applied to all of Manhattan (north of 14th Street). 14th Street is considered the boundary between Downtown and Midtown Manhattan.

Madison Square

Where Broadway and an avenue intersect, lively and bustling squares with small parks and architecturally interesting buildings were created, such as the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue at 23rd Street (Madison Square), where Madison Square Park and the famous Flatiron Building are located.

Herald Square, Times Square and Theater District

Herald Square, the intersection of 6th Avenue and Broadway at 34th Street, is now home to Macy’s, the largest department store in the world, which occupies an entire city block. In world-famous Times Square, Broadway crosses the center of the Theater District, with its dozens of theaters between 41st and 53rd Streets. Broadway is also the name given to the spectacular musical productions that are now commonly referred to as “Broadway plays” due to its expensive location.

Columbus Circle and Central Park

The nearest intersection of Broadway with an avenue is at 59th Street with 8th Avenue. This square is called Columbus Circle after the discoverer of America. Columbus Circle forms the southwest corner of Central Park. From Columbus Circle northward, Broadway is also passable in both directions, which is possible southward only in the direction of downtown. It is now lined by a tree-covered green median similar to Park Avenue.

Lincoln Center

A little further north, Broadway crosses Columbus Avenue (Lincoln Square) and, at 64th/65th Street, also passes Lincoln Center, the city’s most important arts and cultural area, best known for the Metropolitan Opera. At 71st Street is the intersection of Broadway with Amsterdam Avenue (Sherman Square and Verdi Square), which in turn feature magnificent buildings from the so-called “Gilded Age”.

Upper West Side

Up to 107th Street, Broadway now runs relatively parallel to the other avenues through the more genteel Upper West Side, which is mainly characterized by large apartment buildings and, due to its comparatively quiet location, is now a coveted and thus expensive residential area where people of the upper middle class and upper class have settled.

Morningside Heights

At 107th Street, Broadway merges with West End Avenue and follows its line straight northeast through Morningside Heights past the Columbia University campus. From its intersection with the Trans-Manhattan Expressway at 178th/179th Street northward, Broadway is designated as U.S. Highway 9.