Grandest Canyon (Broadway at Times Square)
Broadway -- especially the part in Times Square, as it refers to theaters -- has many nicknames. Broadway columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) frequently called it "the Grandest Canyon."…
Great Bright Way (Broadway)
"Great Bright Way" (Great White Way + bright) was proposed in 2020 as a new nickname for the Broadway theater district in New York City. "White" is potentially perceived by some…
Great Dark Way (Broadway, during theater closures)
"Great Dark Way" (Great White Way + dark) is a Broadway nickname that was used during the 2020-21 coronavirus outbreak, when theaters were forced to go dark (shut down). "The Great…
Great Walk Way (Broadway without vehicular traffic)
Broadway has long been nicknamed the "Great White Way." In May 2009, vehicular traffic was restricted in Times Square and Herald Square. A February 26, 2009 article in the New York (NY)…
Great White Way (Broadway)
"Great White Way" has been the most popular nickname for the Broadway theater district in New York City. "The Great White Way" was originally the title of a 1901 book by Albert…
Gridlock
"Gridlock" is "grid" + "lock." The Oxford English Dictionary has: "Apparently coined by two U.S. transport engineers, Roy Cottam and Sam Schwartz ('Gridlock…
Haircut Street (Pell Street)
I couldn't find historical citations for "Haircut Street," but if our tourism website says it's so, then it must be. http://www.nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey=1195Pell…
Harlem’s Beale Street (West 133rd Street)
"Harlem's Beale Street" was West 133rd Street in Harlem, between Lenox Avenue and Seventh Avenue. Many night clubs, speakeasies and fried chicken restaurants were located there.…
Harlem’s Main Street, or the Buckle of Harlem’s Black Belt (125th Street)
125th Street (Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard) has long been known as "Harlem's Main Street." Other terms used less often include "the buckle of Harlem's black…
Harmony Row (Park Avenue, between 58th and 59th Streets)
New York City has had two different places that went by the name of "Harmony Row." "Harmony Row" was the name for the music publishers assembled on West 28th Street, between…
Harmony Row (West 28th Street)
New York City has had two different places that went by the name of "Harmony Row." "Harmony Row" was the name for the music publishers assembled on West 28th Street, between…
Heroin Highway (Eighth Avenue; Long Island Expressway)
A "heroin highway" is any street where heroin is either transported or sold. Hastings Street in Vancouver, British Columbia, was called a "heroin highway" in 1955. The U.S.…
Hobowery (hobo + Bowery)
The Bowery (both the name of a street and a neighborhood) in Manhattan was a depressed area for much of the 1900s. Syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) called the place…
Hope Island (Broadway and West 47th Street, outside Palace Theatre)
New York's Palace Theatre at 1564 Broadway (at West 47th Street) was the biggest vaudeville venue. Performers (often waiting for auditions and calls) could be found on the sidewalk in front of…
Houston Street (Texas “Hew-ston/Heuston” or New York City “House-ton/Howston”)
Houston is the name of the most populated city in Texas, named after Sam Houston in 1836. it is pronounced "Hew-ston" or "Heuston." Houston Street in New York City is named (by…
Hungarian Boulevard or Hungarian Broadway (East 79th Street in Yorkville)
Both "Little Hungary" and "Little Germany" used to be located in Manhattan's lower east side. Gradually, both communities moved uptown to Yorkville. Yorkville's East…
Incandescent District (Broadway)
Broadway's bright lights gave it the nickname "Incandescent District." The term "Incandescent District" has been cited in print since at least 1905. Broadway columnist…
Iron Pipeline (I-95)
Interstate-95 is called the "Iron Pipeline" because it's used to smuggle guns into New York City from the South. It's believed that the term originated in Georgia. 11 October…
Jacobs Beach (West 49th Street and Eighth Avenue)
"Jacobs Beach" (or "Jacobs' Beach") was named after Mike Jacobs (1880-1953), New York City's leading boxing promoter from the mid-1930s until he retired in 1946.…
Jungle Alley (West 133rd Street)
"Jungle Alley" was West 133rd Street in Harlem, between Lenox Avenue and Seventh Avenue. Many night clubs, speakeasies and fried chicken restaurants were located there. "Jungle…