New York's Broadway is synonymous with theater. In fact, there are 41 professional theaters located in and around the Big Apple's Theater District. But the city did not have a significant theater presence until about 1750.
In 1836, 42nd Street was opened and the area around it soon started to attract theaters and restaurants. The curtain had been raised over Broadway theater!
Click through the following gallery for a brief history of how a thoroughfare in mid-Manhattan became the stage for one of the greatest entertainment neighborhoods in the world.