Broadway

Broadway started out as an Indian trail and was named the Wickquasgeck Road. The Wick­quasgeck trail was “carved into the brush of Manhattan by its Native American inhabitants.” ¹ The word Wickquasgeck means birch bark country. ²

Due to its raised position, the Dutch called it Heere Straat (High Street). “One of several other names it was known by was the Broad Wagon Way, which presumably was the origin of its present appellation.” ³

Broadway is 33 miles (53 kilometers) long and therefore known as the longest street across the word, with forty-one theaters lined up all the way to Albany. However, most theaters are based around the Lincoln Center as well as the Theater District. Around 1750, theaters became very popular in New York. Today, Broadway primarily presents musical shows. ⁴