The United States is home to a variety of famous streets that have played significant roles throughout history. Today, many combine their rich heritage with exciting modern-day additions, complemented by vibrant atmospheres and lasting-legacy institutions. From Rodeo Drive's countryside beginnings to Times Square's carriage-making industry, read on to discover how these iconic US streets have evolved over the years.
Click through the gallery to see how much America's most famous streets have changed...
This picture dates to the early 1900s and shows City Hall located at the end of North Broad Street. Over the decades, grand mansions, Victorian brownstones and turn-of-the-century industrialist headquarters have been constructed along this famous street in Philadelphia, which leads towards the Grand Hall. The Grand Hall, visible in this image, was – at 548 feet (167m) – the state’s tallest building until 1987.
North Broad Street has retained its heritage with notably modern touches; take City Hall, for example, whose modern-day open-air observation deck provides incredible city views. The rest of North Broad Street is complemented by the likes of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the elevated Rail Park, renowned theatres and bustling neighbourhoods. Throw in luxury living spaces and outstanding dining options, and it’s clear to see how this street charms locals and tourists alike.
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Pennsylvania Avenue isn’t just one of the nation’s most famous streets, it’s also one of the state’s earliest streets. City planners called it ‘the broad one’ until Thomas Jefferson referred to it by its now more widely known name in the 18th century. Pictured here is the Capitol Building under construction in 1860. While Pennsylvania Avenue runs for 5.8 miles (9.3km) in Washington DC, the most iconic section on it – the part that connects the White House to the Capitol Building – stretches for 1.2 miles (1.9km).
Needless to say, this famous road has hosted numerous significant events over the past 200 years, including presidential inaugurations, state funerals and protests. Today Pennsylvania Avenue is nicknamed ‘America’s Main Street’. From memorials and art galleries to dedicated bike lanes, there's plenty for tourists to see and do here. The 1.2 mile (1.93km) stretch forms its central artery and is a designated National Historic Site.
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This image shows soon-to-be-called Times Square around 1900. Grown out of a tiny hamlet known for carriage making, the area developed as the centre of New York’s horse carriage industry in the late 1800s. It was originally called Longacre Square (named after Long Acre in London) but gained its modern name in 1904 when The New York Times newspaper took up residence in one of its main buildings.
Times Square couldn’t look any more different today. This bustling mega-street has grown into a world-renowned hub for theatres, dance halls and upscale hotels, and is a major tourist attraction. It’s also the centre of New York’s New Year celebrations and where Good Morning America is broadcast, live from ABC’s Times Square Studios.
Not many people realise that glamorous Miami was once a sleepy swampland. Things swiftly changed though when the nation’s railroads were extended to the area in the late 19th century. By the early 20th century, Miami had become a burgeoning city. There was no better time than the 1920s for Ocean Drive to come into play. It was an era that marked an influx of Art Deco hotels, restaurants and entertainment; one that put this vibrant street on the map.
When you picture Miami today, you likely think of pastel-hued hotels, vibrant nightlife and lines upon lines of palm trees. The beating heart of Miami, Ocean Drive has long been loved for its unrivalled beachside location and proximity to the Art Deco District. It’s no longer just a destination for the rich and famous either. From walking tours at the Art Deco Welcome Center to renting a bike and simply taking in that Miami heat, there's something for everyone here.
Once upon a time, Prospect Street was nothing more than a dusty lane running through the Cahuenga Valley countryside. Then, the settlement of Hollywood arrived in 1899 bringing change with it. Electric railcars were swiftly installed, and the carriage road was extended from 20 feet (6m) to a 100-foot (30m) boulevard that stretched on for two miles (3.2km). A few years later, Prospect Street was renamed Hollywood Boulevard.
Between 1915 to 1935, Hollywood Boulevard transformed from a residential street of Victorian-style houses to a bustling commercial centre. Today it’s become one of the ultimate tourist destinations in Los Angeles, with the Walk of Fame, Dolby Theatre and Hollywood Wax Museum adding to its popularity. It welcomes more visitors than Disneyland, with a whopping 38 million tourists coming here every year.
Pictured here is Fremont Street in the 1950s, clogged with cars driving past its winking neon signs. This street in Downtown Las Vegas was built in 1905 and developed further during the 1920s. After gambling was decriminalised in 1931, Fremont Street thrived as the place to be, and in the 1940s became better known as Glitter Gulch thanks to its endless stream of illuminated signs.
Today, Las Vegas may be all about The Strip, but Fremont Street still shines with superlatives. It's home to Slotzilla, the world's largest slot machine, the Fremont Street Experience, which has the world's largest canopy screen (Viva Vision), and the Sportsbook at the Circa Hotel, which is the world's largest sports betting entertainment venue.
It may not be your typical street, but Atlantic City’s beachside boardwalk has long been a prime East Coast attraction. The famous wooden pathway was constructed in the 1870s and is thought to be the first boardwalk of its kind in the US. Pictured here are vacationers strolling along the seaside boulevard in the summer of 1915. You can also see ‘rolling chairs’ in this photo; neat and compact, they were a symbol of privilege and luxury, and became a popular way to travel the boardwalk from the 1880s.
The boardwalk – and its rolling chairs, although they look slightly different today – remains popular among locals and tourists alike. Visitors flock to the Atlantic City Boardwalk for its numerous piers, towering resort hotels and casinos that line the waterfront promenade. It stretches on for four miles (6.4km) along the Atlantic Ocean coastline and is the world's longest boardwalk.
Main Street’s history dates back to Houston's early development in the 19th century. The street took shape in 1836 when the Allen brothers, Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen, founded the city of Houston. They laid out the street grid for the new town and Main Street was one of the primary thoroughfares. Main Street ran perpendicular to Buffalo Bayou and in line with White Oak Bayou. By the 1960s, the street had extended further south. Pictured here is President John F Kennedy riding in a presidential limousine down Main Street, en route to Rice University, on 12 September 1962.
Main Street has evolved alongside the growing city and today it's a key street for transportation, commerce and culture. You can still see signs of its history, with 19th and 20th century architecture between Commerce and Texas Streets, including churches, Main Street Viaduct, parks and universities, museums and hotels.
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Much of Boston's street pattern dates from the 17th century, and Washington Street (pictured here in 1905) was the main road in colonial Boston. It was originally called Orange Street before being renamed to Washington Street in 1824 to honour George Washington. The street stretches on for a whopping 60 miles (96.5km), starting in downtown Boston and running all the way to the Rhode Island border.
In 1872, a devastating fire destroyed over 500 buildings. Miraculously, however, the fire stopped at Washington Street. A few 'pre-fire' buildings can still be seen today, such as Old South Meeting House. More snippets of Boston's rich heritage can also be spotted in its cobblestone ways and centuries-old architecture, as well as its cultural centres like the Boston Opera House. It's not all old news here, though. In 2024, the WNDR Museum – with its offer of a multi-sensory experience – opened its doors.
The origins of Wall Street date to the 17th century, when Dutch settlers built a wall (de Waal Straat) around their settlement of New Amsterdam (New York) before English settlers renamed it Wall Street. Between 1711-1762, Wall Street was the city’s slave market location, but the Buttonwood Agreement (named after a buttonwood tree on Wall Street, where 18th-century traders met) laid the foundations for what Wall Street would go on to become.
Running for six blocks near the southern tip of Manhattan, today Wall Street is one of the most important financial centres in the world. On this infamous street you’ll find the New York Stock Exchange and several major banks. It’s also inspired cinematic blockbusters from The Wall (1987) to The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).
Pictured here is the foot of North Michigan Avenue in 1951. While you might recognise a few of the skyscrapers, this famous Illinois street got off to a rocky start. In 1871, a huge fire swept through the city, and the Chicago Water Tower – today a historical landmark – was one of the few buildings to survive. In 1909, the ‘Chicago Plan’ was introduced to transform Michigan Avenue into a major commercial boulevard. A few years later, in 1912, the Magnificent Mile Association started promoting the development of this simple thoroughfare into a world-class destination.
This photograph shows the same section of 'Magnificent Mile' with a few more skyscrapers punctuating the skyline. These mighty structures add to North Michigan Avenue's fame, and the historic water tower is now home to the City Gallery. Tourists today can discover a hub of waterfront and cultural offerings here, including the nation’s top galleries, theatres and museums. In 2023, North Michigan Avenue saw the most annual foot traffic compared to other high streets in the US. It received over 20 million visitors.
Pictured here is the train shed next to Union Station on Broadway Street in Nashville. Union Station opened as a train station on Broadway in the 19th century but was later converted into a luxury hotel that's still open today. Broadway was originally called Broad Street and was later known as Auto Row due to the number of car dealerships that lined the street. As the music scene hit Nashville in the 1930s, Broadway became better known as Honky Tonk Highway.
Broadway is Nashville's place to be for all things live music and electric nightlife. Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, opened in 1960, has launched the careers of Willie Nelson and several other stars, and is essentially the ultimate honky tonk bar. Its distinctive façade was painted purple by accident. Today, it's a key landmark on Nashville's most thriving street.
In 1906, investors bought land on the former Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas (pictured). The land became known as Beverly Hills and the main street named Rodeo Drive. During the following decades, it was a quiet suburban street with beauty shops, hardware stores and gas stations. From the 1950s, high-end stores started opening for the wealthy Hollywood set. It became the place to be for quality suits, luxury boutiques and Parisian jewellers.
Over the decades, more high-end stores opened, including Gucci in 1968. Rodeo Drive is one of the most expensive and exclusive shopping destinations in the world. If you can't afford the price tags, check out the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style. Its plaques honour icons in fashion and style, with visitors here often congregating around the famous Torso sculpture at its centre. Other key features of Rodeo Drive include its endless stream of palm trees and the expensive cars that cruise its tarmac.
Bourbon Street dates back to 1718, when New Orleans was founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville (a Canadian naval officer and governor of French Louisiana), while Louisiana was under French rule. It was named after the royal French House of Bourbon. In 1721, engineer Adrien de Pauger designed the city’s street layout, and by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Bourbon Street started developing into an entertainment strip. This picture dates to late 1963 or early 1964.
Bourbon Street has become synonymous with the city’s best party life. Today it’s characterised with its bright lights, the perpetual sound of jazz music and wrought-iron balconies that stretch along 13 blocks through New Orleans’ French Quarter. Time your trip for Mardi Gras in February and you'll find the famed balconies here strung with decorations and the street alive with parades.
This 1895 photograph shows a section of Broadway near the modern-day Banksy Museum. When New Amsterdam (New York) came under English rule in 1664, the English named the street Broadway, due to its unusual width. As one of the oldest streets in the US, Broadway existed long before the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, and is one of the few streets that doesn’t follow the city’s grid system. Broadway has had a theatre presence since the mid-1700s; the first Broadway show was The Black Crook, which played in 1866.
This photograph was taken around the same area of Broadway, near Canal Street. Most of Broadway's theatres date to the early 1900s, including the Hudson, Lyceum and New Amsterdam and today Broadway is the all-singing, all-dancing heart of America’s commercial theatrical world. Watch the likes of Chicago, Hamilton and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in between checking out some of the city’s top museums, observation decks and restaurants.
This image, dated to 1895, shows horse and carriages rolling along Fifth Avenue and the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. But 18th-century illustrations are barely recognisable from how we know Fifth Avenue today. Frail wooden shacks covered ‘Millionaire’s Row’, and one part of Fifth Avenue was known as Shanty Town until the late 1860s. The first section of Fifth Avenue was laid in 1824, and by the end of the century it had become a high-value destination, with expensive private residences owned by the likes of Vanderbilt, Astor and Carnegie lining the street. Buses were introduced to Fifth Avenue in 1907.
Luxury and high-end brands have flourished over the decades, such as Saks Fifth Avenue, which opened in 1924 and Tiffany & Co, which opened in 1940. With its central location, Fifth Avenue remains one of the world's most famous streets and retail destinations. Beyond shopping, the street is also known for its iconic landmarks and cultural institutions such as the Empire State Building, St. Patrick's Cathedral and the African Art Museum.
If the walls and pavements of Historic 25th Street in Ogden, Utah, could talk, you might be shocked by what they told you. To say this once-infamous stretch of tarmac in Weber County has a colourful past is an understatement. Notorious 1920s crime boss Al Capone supposedly once even commented that Ogden was too wild a town, even for him. From 1869, when the first locomotive steamed into town behind Union Pacific track layers, to the late 1940s and early 1950s, when a cleanup operation took place, 25th Street was rife with gambling, prostitution, narcotics, robbery, rape and murder. Pictured here, a local garage in 1938.
Remember that 25th Street garage we just showed you? Well, it's now The Monarch – a collaborative environment for artists, makers and creative businesses to connect in the heart of Ogden's Nine Rails Creative District. Yes, it's fair to say this corner of Utah has gone through something of a transformation. Leaving its days of lawlessness behind it, the area once nicknamed Junction City in the early 1900s, as it was the transfer point between the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads, is now home to cool clothing shops, trendy coffee spots and fancy restaurants. The City Club, up on 25th Street, is home to a million-dollar Beatles museum and restaurant that's open 'eight days a week'.
Snaking its way down a steep hillside in San Francisco, this portion of Lombard Street can claim to be one of the most recognisable thoroughfares in the world. Originally built in 1922 with a 27% gradient, which made it difficult for cars to navigate, it fell to city engineer Clyde Healy to redesign the street with eight switchbacks and a 16% grade. His solution made it more accessible to automobiles and raised property value. Remarkably, this narrow and crooked section was a two-way affair until 1939. It's pictured here, circa 1945.
Despite being known as 'the crookedest street in the world', Lombard Street isn't even the most crooked street in San Francisco. This honour falls to Vermont Street. Such technicalities haven't stopped Lombard Street, which appeared in the 1993 film Mrs Doubtfire, from attracting over two million visitors per year and establishing itself as one of the city's most visited tourist attractions though. Planted in the 1930s by a resident named Carl Henry, the street's famous hydrangeas have also turned it into a popular spot for wedding photography.
Often referred to as the oldest continuously inhabited street in America, we simply couldn't do a gallery about the most famous streets in the US and not include Elfreth's Alley. Found in Philadelphia's Old City, an area which is known around the world as the birthplace of American independence, the street itself dates back to 1703 with most of the structures on it built between 1720 and 1836. Pictured here, circa 1955, two children can be seen sitting on the front steps of a historic property.
Named after blacksmith and property owner Jerimiah Elfreth, the now-iconic cobblestone alley was once the home of 18th-century artisans and tradespeople. These days, despite most of the properties being privately owned residences, it's a designated National Historic Landmark that pulls in over 300,000 annual visitors. Tourists often make for two adjacent houses, built in 1755, that now serve as a museum and gift shop. Explore the alleyway on your own or join a 45-minute guided tour, it's up to you.