Broadway

Images of America: New York

by Michelle Young

From its origins as a Native American trail to its iconic status in global culture today, Broadway tells the story of New York as it grew from a Dutch colony into a world-class city. Broadway has been the site of many firsts and many the first subway line in the city, the tallest buildings, and one of the longest streets in the world. Beginning along the winding streets of the original settlements amid the skyscrapers of the Financial District, Broadway heads north through the neighborhoods of SoHo and Greenwich Village. It then traverses some of the city's most famous plazas, including Flatiron, Herald Square, Times Square, and Columbus Circle, before entering Upper Manhattan and passing institutions like Lincoln Center, Columbia University, and City College. Today, Broadway continues to be at the forefront of New York City's urban developments.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 2015

About the author

Michelle Young is an award-winning journalist, author, and professor whose writing and photography has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Hyperallergic, The Forward, and Narratively. She is a graduate of Harvard College in the History of Art and Architecture and holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, where she is a Professor of Architecture. She is the founder of the publication Untapped New York. She divides her time between New York City and Paris.

Reviews

[Allyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

With no prior experience with the "Images of America" series or Broadway's history, I didn't know what to expect. While the written captions felt inconsistent to one another in terms of details shared - like where the building stands now or the depth of trivia included - I was charmed over by the impressive imagery & introduction to new knowledge.

This would be a great piece to breeze through if you're planning a trip to the city or want to uncover fun facts about the area. They do an excellent job of displaying "hidden gems" of Broadway. Now, I have excitement to visit several of these destinations in the future!

My main criticism is I wish they provided more context on what was being shown. My understanding of the city remains "broad." The beginning delves into Broadway's origin story but as the book progresses, the imagery felt a bit disjointed as someone who is less familiar with borough geography & history. I was left unsure whether the book covered most of the sites in Broadway or a selection of the most prominent. This may have all been limited by which photos were available from the Library of Congress. Regardless, I wish there was more clarification.

As a note to those reading this digitally, the images are beautiful quality, black & white, but very tiny! That could very well be the free library app I used to view the book though.

[M.J. Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broadway in a new light!

In this book, author Michelle Young takes the reader up Broadway, from its starting point at Bowling Green, through Times Square, past Harlem and Columbia University and ending in the Bronx at Van Cortlandt Park. Anyone who is a fan of Manhattan history will like this book!

[Jeff J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A photographic history of the most famous thoroughfare in Manhattan. I particularly enjoyed seeing the many ticker tape parades down the street.

[Nick Vantangoli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splendid

A look back at the New York that was. I've often thought that if you cM just imagine the pAst, the world comes stronger in focus. This book helps that journey along.

[Addy Canzano · Rating 3 out of 5]

the strand! yay!