What is the address of Union Square in Manhattan?

Answer 1

Union Square runs south to north from 14th Street to 18th Street. East to west it covers only one avenue block, from Union Square West to Park Avenue South. See the Related Link below for a map of Union Square.

Note that, at 18th Street, it appears as though Broadway starts running down the west side of Union Square and turns into Union Square West, and then turns into University Place at 14th Street and continues heading straight south.

It also appears as though Park Avenue South runs down the east side of Union Square, and then turns into Broadway at 14th Street, at the southeast corner of Union Square. Also at 14th Street, at the southeast corner of the Square, it appears as though another avenue also branches off of Park Avenue South, and becomes 4th Avenue.

But here's what's actually happening: Broadway runs in a diagonal line north/south through the entire city. So, in effect, Broadway never starts running down the west side of Union Square at 18th Street. Instead, it basically cuts through the park diagonally in an imaginary line, from the northwest corner to the southeast corner, and then continues heading south and slightly east downtown.

Of course, Broadway doesn't actually cut diagonally through Union Square so that traffic can drive through. It cuts through Union Square in an imaginary line only.

So, while it appears as though Park Avenue South runs down the east side of the Park and then splits into Broadway and 4th Avenue, what's actually happening is that Park Avenue south is becoming 4th Avenue, and Broadway is picking up its interrupted path again and continuing on its diagonal course through the city. And University Place is just what Broadway WOULD have become if it veered off of its natural course and began to run straight south.

Also note that 4th Avenue is an extraordinarily short avenue: only 6 blocks long. At 9th Street it splits into two other avenues, Lafayette Street and the Bowery.