Broadway is the New York City street that runs diagonally across Manhattan and is famous for its theaters. Unlike most Manhattan streets and avenues, Broadway follows an older route that existed before the Commissioners’ Plan of 1811 imposed the island’s familiar street grid.
The street runs from Lower Manhattan through Union Square, Madison Square, Times Square, and into Upper Manhattan. Its diagonal path creates distinctive intersections and public spaces, including Herald Square, Madison Square, and Columbus Circle. Broadway crosses Fifth Avenue near the Flatiron Building, producing one of the city’s best-known urban compositions.
The name is also closely associated with American theater, especially the professional theater district around Times Square. “Broadway” in that context refers to the city’s major theater industry as well as the street itself; many Broadway theaters are actually located on nearby side streets. Times Square is a famous landmark along Broadway, but it is a public square rather than the street’s name. Fifth Avenue and Wall Street are separate Manhattan streets with different histories and roles.