The Origin of Broadway's Winding Path Through Manhattan

Broadway, Manhattan's most famous thoroughfare, began as a Native American trail known as the Wickquasgeck Trail. Dutch colonists later used it as a cow path to drive livestock to market. As the city grew, the path was widened and officially named "Broad Way" in 1807 because it led to the broad way (wide road) toward the Hudson River.

Its signature contorted, diagonal course—cutting across the later-imposed grid plan—exists because the original trail followed the island's natural topography: valleys, ridges, and the path of least resistance. When the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 imposed a rigid street grid north of Houston Street, Broadway was allowed to retain its historic, meandering route, creating the distinctive "bow-tie" intersections at Times Square, Herald Square, and Madison Square.