Broadway is a principal street running 20.6 miles (33.2 km) through New York City. Unlike most of the orthogonal layout of the Manhattan street grid, Broadway cuts across it diagonally, preserving a path that predates the grid. From lower Manhattan the road continues northward through the Bronx and beyond the city limits, becoming U.S. Route 9 on its way to Albany in New York State.
Entertainment and theatre district
The intersection of Broadway with Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street at Times Square is an international hub of entertainment. This area is particularly known for its concentration of Broadway theatres and for hosting major stage plays and musicals that attract visitors from around the world.
Transit under Broadway
Several rapid transit lines serve the corridor beneath Broadway in Manhattan. One branch of the New York City Subway, the BMT Broadway Line, runs under Broadway south of Times Square. North of Times Square the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line follows a route beneath Broadway, providing local and express subway service along the avenue.