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Theater District, Manhattan: From Longacre Square to the Great White Way

Theater District, New York

Pictures from Theater District

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Times Square at Night TKTS Red Steps Lyceum Theatre Shubert Theatre from Shubert Alley

Longacre Square, named for London's carriage-trade district, became Times Square on April 8, 1904, when The New York Times moved into a new tower there — but the theater district around it had already taken shape two decades earlier, after the Metropolitan Opera House relocated to West 39th Street in 1883 and Oscar Hammerstein I opened his Victoria Theatre on 42nd Street in 1899. Electric arc lamps installed in the 1880s gave Broadway its nickname, "The Great White Way," as the district moved uptown. The first New Year's Eve ball drop took place December 31, 1907, and has continued nearly every year since, save 1942 and 1943, when wartime lighting restrictions suspended it. After a decline into adult entertainment in the 1970s, 1990s revitalization brought back the crowds; the Lyceum Theatre became the first landmarked Broadway theater in 1974, and 28 theaters held landmark status by 1988.

  1. Broadway's car-free plazas, permanent since 2010 and redesigned in granite in 2016.

  2. The discount ticket booth that's sold same-day Broadway tickets since 1973.

  3. The 1903 Ziegfeld Follies house, restored by Disney and now home to Aladdin.

  4. Broadway's oldest continually operating theatre and its first landmarked house.

  5. A five-floor wax museum with over 200 figures on West 42nd Street.

  6. A Restaurant Row fixture for pre- and post-theater dining since 1965.

  7. Family-style Southern Italian platters on West 44th Street.

  8. Coal-fired pizza inside a restored 19th-century church.

  9. The Brooklyn cheesecake original's Times Square outpost.

  10. A 1931 hotel where Thomas Edison turned on the lights at opening.

  11. A Generator-operated hotel with a Broadway Tuesdays live series in the lobby.

From Longacre Square to the Great White Way

The area was Longacre Square, named after London's horse-and-carriage district, until it was renamed Times Square on April 8, 1904, when publisher Adolph S. Ochs moved The New York Times into a new tower there (now One Times Square). The theater district itself had begun taking shape two decades earlier: the Metropolitan Opera House moved to West 39th Street in 1883, drawing theaters and restaurants uptown, and Oscar Hammerstein I opened his Victoria Theatre on 42nd Street in 1899, the same era the subway's first line was under construction (it opened in 1904). Broadway's "Great White Way" nickname dates to 1880s electric arc-lamp illumination and stuck as the district moved uptown. After decades of decline into adult entertainment through the 1970s, the district was revitalized in the 1990s: preservation campaigns made the Lyceum Theatre the first landmarked Broadway theater in 1974, and 28 theaters had landmark status by 1988.

A Pedestrian Times Square

Broadway's traffic lanes through Times Square, between 42nd and 47th Streets, were closed to cars in a 2009 trial under Mayor Bloomberg and made a permanent pedestrian plaza in February 2010, with a granite-paver redesign completed just before New Year's Eve 2016. The move transformed the crossroads long associated with December 31 ball drops — a tradition dating to 1907, suspended only in 1942 and 1943 for wartime lighting restrictions — into a year-round pedestrian stage for performers, vendors, and Times Square Alliance programming.

Getting there by subway

The district centers on two of the system's busiest hubs: Times Sq-42 St, served by the 1/2/3, 7, N/Q/R/W, and the 42nd Street shuttle (S), and 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal, served by the A/C/E, connected to Times Square by an underground passage. Note that the W runs weekdays only, and the R and the S shuttle skip late nights.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to the Theater District by subway?
Times Sq-42 St is served by the 1/2/3, 7, N/Q/R/W, and the 42nd Street shuttle (S); 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal is served by the A/C/E and connects to Times Square by an underground passage. The W runs weekdays only, and the R and S shuttle skip late nights.
When did Times Square get its name?
The area was originally Longacre Square, named after London's carriage-trade district. It was renamed Times Square on April 8, 1904, after publisher Adolph S. Ochs moved The New York Times into a new tower there.
Where can I get discount Broadway tickets?
The TKTS booth in Duffy Square, at Broadway and West 47th Street, has sold same-day discount tickets since June 1973. Hours vary by day: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 a.m., Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from 3 p.m., all until 8 p.m.
How long has the Times Square ball drop been happening?
The first ball drop took place December 31, 1907, and has continued nearly every year since, with the exception of 1942 and 1943, when wartime lighting restrictions suspended it.
Where can I stay in the Theater District?
Hotel Edison, a 1931 hotel where Thomas Edison himself turned on the lights at opening, and Paramount Times Square - A Generator Hotel, with its Broadway Tuesdays live-events series, are both verified in-neighborhood options.

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