Broadway Theater District

Broadway Theater District is along Broadway and Seventh Ave. between 41st and 53rd sts. Oscar Hammerstein shaped the future of The Great White Way in 1895 with a first-class entertainment palace featuring three theaters and a rooftop garden. By 1915 there were some 40 theaters lighting up Broadway. During the Great Depression the number declined to less than 10, and although Broadway never went completely dark, the glitzy Times Square neighborhood faded as adult movie houses, seedy entertainment and crime took hold.

Reclamation efforts begun in the late 1970s brought Times Square and The Great White Way full circle. Theater restoration and commercial development have contributed to Broadway's resurgence, and once again there are nearly 40 venues offering Broadway and off-Broadway shows. Among the restored historical theaters are the New Victory, built in 1900; the 1902 New Amsterdam, now owned by the Disney organization; the 1907 Belasco; and the Booth, Palace and Schubert, all built in 1913.