▁H ast ings - On - H ud son , ▁Dob bs ▁Fer ry , ▁Ir ving ton , ▁and ▁Tar ry town , ▁and ▁termin ating ▁north ▁of ▁S leep y ▁H ollow ▁in ▁West chester ▁County . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁north – s outh ▁main ▁thorough fare ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁with ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁current ▁street ▁beginning ▁as ▁the ▁W ick qu as ge ck ▁trail ▁before ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁Europe ans . ▁▁ ▁This ▁formed ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁primary ▁thorough f ares ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁New ▁Amsterdam ▁col ony , ▁which ▁continued ▁under ▁British ▁rule , ▁although ▁most ▁of ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁bear ▁its ▁current ▁name ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Broadway ▁in ▁Manh attan ▁is ▁known ▁widely ▁as ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁commercial ▁the atr ical ▁industry , ▁and ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁met onym ▁for ▁it , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁alternative ▁the atr ical ▁vent ures ▁such ▁as ▁Off - B road way ▁and ▁Off - Off - B road way . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Broadway ▁was ▁originally ▁the ▁W ick qu as ge ck ▁trail , ▁car ved ▁into ▁the ▁br ush ▁of ▁Manh attan ▁by ▁its ▁Native ▁American ▁inhabitants . ▁This ▁trail ▁originally ▁sn aked ▁through ▁sw amps ▁and ▁rocks ▁along ▁the ▁length ▁of ▁Manh attan ▁Island . ▁ ▁Upon ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch , ▁the ▁trail ▁was ▁w iden ed ▁and ▁soon ▁became ▁the ▁main ▁road ▁through