Sixth Avenue (Manhattan)
The Avenue of the Americas in the district of Manhattan in New York City is one of the most famous streets of the city. She wore until 1945 the name of Sixth Avenue. In everyday use, the road is still referred to by their old names, so were erected in 1980 street signs with the names. The old name is also included in the name of the subway line under the street.
Course
The road runs like all Avenues in Manhattan in the north-south direction, branches off to the south of Church Street and ends in the north at Central Park. The road leads past the Greenwich Village. At Herald Square is the headquarters of the department store chain Macy's. Across the street from Bryant Park is the third tallest building in New York, Bank of America Tower. In the upper section of the road there is the built in the years 1929-1933, and the GE Building opened in 1932, Radio City Music Hall, both of which belong to Rockefeller Center. Opposite Rockefeller Center are those built in the 1960s and in the 1970s, high-rise buildings in the International Style.
At the northern end of the street near the intersection with 59th Street are bronze statues of Simón Bolívar and José Martí.
Traffic
The Avenue of the Americas is a one way street that can only be driven to the north. Taking the road the line of the New York subway IND Sixth Avenue Line runs.
History
The construction of the Sixth Avenue was decided in the Commissioner's plan of 1811. The original end of the street was in the meeting with the Carmine Street in Greenwich Village. In the mid- 1860s were discussed tentative plans to extend the road to the south. The southern expansion was finally executed in the 1920s and should bring relief to the downtown New York traffic.
1945, the name of Sixth Avenue was officially changed to Avenue of the Americas. The name change was done in honor of the Organization of American States. At the lanterns along the Avenue street signs were installed, showing the coats of arms of all the States represented at the OAS. Today, most of these signs have disappeared or been destroyed.