Gay Street (Greenwich Village)
The term "Gay Greenwich Village" and the name "Gay Street" have both contributed to the understanding -- or misunderstanding -- of the word "gay." GAY GREENWICH…
Gay White Way (Broadway)
Broadway has been called "The Great White Way" since 1902. On October 7, 1907 -- after performances in Philadelphia -- the musical The Gay White Way opened at the Casino Theatre. The term…
Genius Row (Washington Square South)
Entry in progress -- B.P. The New York Preservation Archive ProjectHouse of GeniusAlso known as Red Row and Genius RowGreenwich Village’s House of Genius was the iconic home of many writers and…
German Broadway or German Boulevard (East 86th Street in Yorkville)
"Little Germany" (Kleindeutschland) was originally located on Manhattan's lower east side. The German community there was devasted by the 1904 Slocum ship tragedy; gradually,…
Gland Canyon (Broadway at Times Square)
Broadway -- New York City's theatrical center -- was briefly called the "Gland Canyon" (gland + Grand Canyon) in the late 1920s and early 1930s. "Gland Canyon" was printed…
Glory Road (Eighth Avenue, between 42nd and 44th Streets)
Syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) wrote in a column in March 1949: "Sights You Never See on the New York Map: 'Glory Road' (8th Avenue between 42nd and 44th)…
God’s Row (White Plains Road, Wakefield)
"God's Row" was the title of a March 2, 2008 New York Times story about the many churches in the Wakefield section of the Bronx. On White Plains Road, between 240th Street and East…
Golden Edge (110th Street); Hollywood Heights (St. Nicholas Place)
"The Golden Edge" is 110th Street, the northern border of Central Park. The name is historical, from the 1930s. The following 1934 article also explains "Hollywood Heights" (St.…
Goulash Alley or Goulash Avenue (Second Avenue, between 79th and 86th Streets)
"Goulash Avenue" in the 1890 and early 1900s was located in Manhattan's East Village, around East Houston Street and Second Avenue. “Goulash avenue, a name under which the lower…
Goulash Avenue (Houston Street)
Manhattan's East Village had a large Hungarian population by 1900. "Goulasch Avenue, by the way, is the local title for the Hungarian part of East Houston Street," wrote the New York…
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…