What Street Is Broadway On in New York City? | Know The Grid

Broadway is its own street in Manhattan, not a numbered street; it cuts diagonally across the city grid.

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A map search for what street is Broadway on in New York City usually leads to one answer: Broadway is the street. It is not on Fifth Avenue, Seventh Avenue, 42nd Street, or any single numbered cross street.

The confusion makes sense. Broadway is both a long New York City street and a shorthand for the Theater District around Times Square. The tourist version sits around Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and the low 40s, but the actual street runs far beyond the theater blocks.

Is Broadway A Street Or An Avenue?

Broadway is a street in New York City, and in Manhattan it works like a major avenue. The name is not attached to one cross street because Broadway is the road itself.

Most Manhattan avenues run fairly straight north to south. Broadway is older than the numbered grid, so it slices across that grid at an angle in Lower Manhattan and Midtown before lining up more closely with the Upper West Side. That diagonal path is why Broadway creates famous intersections such as Herald Square, Times Square, and Columbus Circle.

For a traveler, the useful rule is simple: an address on Broadway needs a building number or a nearby cross street. “Broadway” alone could mean Lower Manhattan, SoHo, Union Square, Midtown, the Upper West Side, Washington Heights, the Bronx, or a theater near Times Square.

Broadway In New York City: How The Street Fits The Grid

Broadway in New York City crosses many numbered streets instead of belonging to just one of them. The street starts in Lower Manhattan and continues north through Manhattan before crossing into the Bronx.

Manhattan’s numbered grid is easiest uptown: streets run east-west, avenues run north-south. Broadway breaks that pattern through much of Manhattan. A hotel, theater, subway stop, or restaurant may be “on Broadway,” but the cross street tells you which part of Broadway you need.

Where Does Broadway Run In Manhattan?

Broadway runs from Lower Manhattan north through Manhattan, then crosses the Harlem River into the Bronx. In everyday visitor planning, the most searched section is Midtown near Times Square.

New York City’s official Times Square materials place the pedestrian plazas on Broadway between 41st and 47th streets, which is the clearest official landmark for the tourist core of Broadway. The city describes those plazas on NYC’s Times Square plaza page.

That does not mean Broadway exists only there. A Broadway address in the 700s is downtown. A Broadway address in the 1500s is around Times Square. A Broadway address above the 2000s is uptown. New York addresses are not perfectly intuitive, so pair the street name with the cross street before you leave.

Simple map rule: search the exact place name plus “Broadway” and the cross street, such as “Broadway and 44th Street,” instead of searching for Broadway by itself.

If You Mean Broadway Shows, Go To The Theater District

Broadway shows are concentrated in the Theater District, not along every mile of Broadway. The practical target for most visitors is the area around Times Square, roughly the low 40s through the low 50s on the west side of Midtown.

Several Broadway theaters are not physically on Broadway. Many sit on side streets near Broadway and Seventh Avenue, especially West 44th Street, West 45th Street, and West 46th Street. That is why a show address might say “West 45th Street” even when the production is a Broadway show.

• For Times Square photos: aim for Broadway and 42nd Street or Broadway and 47th Street.
• For a theater arrival: use the theater’s exact street address, not just “Broadway.”
• For subway access: Times Sq-42 St is the main station for the busiest Broadway show area.
• For less crowd pressure: Bryant Park, Hell’s Kitchen, and the southern Upper West Side keep you close without sleeping right on Times Square.

Map Search Terms That Work In New York City

Map searches work better when Broadway is paired with a cross street or a landmark. Broadway is too long for one clean pin.

Use one of these search phrases based on what you need:

1. “Broadway and 42nd Street” for Times Square and the main subway hub.
2. “Broadway and 47th Street” for the northern end of the Times Square pedestrian area.
3. “Theater District NYC” for Broadway shows and nearby restaurants.
4. “Broadway and 34th Street” for Herald Square and Macy’s.
5. “Broadway and 72nd Street” for the Upper West Side.
6. The exact theater or venue name for show nights, since many theaters sit on nearby side streets.

Rideshare drop-offs can be slow around Times Square because parts of Broadway are pedestrianized and traffic is dense. A drop-off one avenue west or east can be easier than trying to stop right on Broadway near the plazas.

Where To Stay Near Broadway Without Overpaying

New York City visitors who want Broadway theaters should stay near Times Square, Bryant Park, Hell’s Kitchen, or the southern Upper West Side. Those areas keep subway rides short while giving you more hotel choices than one tiny Times Square radius.

If your trip is built around shows, choose a hotel based on walking time to the theater’s exact address. If your trip mixes museums, Central Park, downtown sights, and one show, the Upper West Side or Bryant Park can feel calmer while still staying connected.

Use the map below to compare hotel locations around the Broadway and Times Square area before locking in a room:

The Simple Answer For First-Timers

First-timers should treat Broadway as a long diagonal street, not a side street with one cross-street address. The exact part of Broadway depends on why you are going there.

• For the literal street: Broadway is its own street in New York City.
• For Times Square: go to Broadway around 42nd to 47th streets.
• For Broadway shows: go to the Theater District and check the exact theater address.
• For hotels: compare Times Square, Bryant Park, Hell’s Kitchen, and the southern Upper West Side.
• For directions: use “Broadway and” plus the cross street, not just Broadway.

The clean answer is that Broadway is not on another street. Broadway is the street, and in New York City it intersects many streets as it runs through Manhattan and beyond.