In almost every city you can find a street that is considered the "face of the city". It can be a busy main road or a quiet pedestrian boulevard; an ultramodern avenue or an embankment built up several centuries ago … Some of these streets are becoming incredibly popular, and millions of tourists from all over the world dream of walking along their sidewalks. Let's take a virtual walk along the streets that have become legendary.
Broadway, New York
The most famous street in New York is 25 kilometers long and is the longest in the city. It crosses Manhattan, the Bronx, suburbs and runs to Albany, the state capital of New York. This is one of the oldest local thoroughfares. Broadway was continued by the New Netherlanders as early as the era of the first settlers. The street name literally translated from the Dutch language means "Broad Way" ("breed weg"). Broadway has long been considered the pinnacle of sophistication and luxury throughout the New World. It is here that the Theater District and the Metropolitan Opera are located, which has made Broadway a symbol of American theatrical art, the personification of "high class" and commercial success. The most prestigious exhibitions are also held here.
Champs Elysées, Paris
The romantic name of France's most iconic street comes from Greek myths. Elysium is the place where heroes, chosen by the gods, end up after death and where they endlessly indulge in blissful rest. And the street tries to live up to its name, which symbolizes heavenly life. The boulevard, considered one of the most beautiful places in Europe, is one of the main thoroughfares of Paris. It starts at the Place de la Concorde and stretches to the Place Charles de Gaulle, where one of the city's "business cards" is located - the Arc de Triomphe. The Champs Elysees is relatively short - only about two kilometers. The boulevard is divided into two parts. The first is a promenade surrounded by parks. The second is a shopping center, where, in addition to shops, there are cinemas, restaurants, offices, and so on. This is the most prestigious and expensive place in Paris. On the Champs Elysees, social life is raging; festivals, military parades and many other significant events are held here. It is here that the last stage of the famous Cycling Race Tour la France finishes.
Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem
A narrow winding street with a length of about 600 meters is located in the Old Town and leads to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Its name literally translates as "The Way of Sorrow". It is believed that it was along this route that Jesus Christ carried his cross, following to the place of the crucifixion. True, the city's layout has changed a lot since then - and archaeologists are inclined to believe that the path of Christ still took place in a different place. However, Via Dolorosa invariably attracts many pilgrims seeking to follow in the footsteps of Jesus; temples of different confessions are located on it.
Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles
The main attraction of Hollywood Boulevard is the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the sidewalk there are “personalized” copper stars that have immortalized the names of the most famous figures in the entertainment industry: “star” actors and musicians, famous producers, theater and film directors, and so on. The installation of such stars, symbolizing recognition, began in 1958. Since then, more than 2500 of them have been installed here. The Walk of Fame is located on both sides of the street, stretching for 15 blocks. This "Star Trek" attracts about 10 million visitors to Hollywood Boulevard every year.
Abbey Road, London
This seemingly unremarkable street located in the north of the capital of Great Britain gained worldwide fame in 1969. It was then that the legendary group The Beatles released the album "Abbey Road", which at that time became the most commercially successful album in the world. On the cover of the record, the Liverpool Four crosses the street. Photographer Ian McMillan had only 10 minutes to take this famous picture: the traffic on Abbey Road was very busy, and the street had to be closed for the photo shoot. Now tourists from all over the world flock here to repeat the legendary photo with themselves in the lead role. As a result, due to the large number of people wishing to cross the street (and strictly in the same place), the movement of cars on Abbey Road became extremely difficult.
Canal Grande, Venice
The role of streets in Venice is played by canals, the most famous of which is the Grand Canal, which is often called the "canal-palace". The most luxurious and tallest buildings stand on its banks, and, traveling along the Grand Canal, you can see more than a hundred magnificent palaces built on stilts, with separate exits to the water. The Grand Canal stretches for 3800 meters. It runs through the entire city and, despite its "ceremonial" appearance, is not only a tourist attraction, but also the most important transport artery of the city on the water. The width of the "canal-palace" varies, in the narrowest places it is about 30 meters, in the widest - it reaches 70.
Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas
The "postcard" symbol of the gambling capital of the world, oddly enough, is legally located not in Las Vegas, but in its suburbs - Paradise and Winchester. And this fact has its own explanation: the fact is that at the beginning of the 20th century, casinos in Las Vegas could legally be located on only one street in the city center. This was disadvantageous for those who wanted to open a new establishment. And in order to circumvent this restriction, but at the same time observe the "letter of the law", starting in 1941, casinos began to open on the lands of the nearest suburbs, near the city limits. First, an establishment called El Rancho Vegas appeared, then others "pulled up" - and this is how the Las Vegas Strip was formed. Now there are giant entertainment complexes, luxury hotels, famous casinos, and the street has become the real face of the city.
Wall Street, New York
This small (1100 meters) narrow street has the status of the financial capital of the world and is considered a symbol of the entire stock market of the United States of America. The name Wall Street is a memory of the wall that Dutch settlers once erected here to protect themselves from Indian attacks. At first it was a fence made of boards, then a stronger palisade appeared, then a four-meter wall of earth and logs. Over time, a path was trodden along the fortification, which the locals began to call "the street of the wall" - Wall Street. Subsequently, the wall was destroyed, but the name remained. By the end of the 18th century, the plane tree growing by the road became a place where speculation in securities took place. And it was this "unauthorized market" that became the forerunner of the New York Stock Exchange, built where the plane tree once grew. Now the massive building with columns remains the main monument of the city's Financial District. But not the only one - here, on Wall Street, is the Federation Hall, where the Bill of Rights was adopted and the presidential inauguration ceremony was held for the first time.
