NYC Historic Alleyway Walk Planner: Pre-Show Shubert Alley

Shubert Alley is a private pedestrian lane that cuts through the block between West 44th and West 45th Streets in the Theater District, and it is the best place to spend the 45 minutes before a Broadway matinee. The alley opened in 1913 alongside the Shubert and Booth Theatres, and for more than a century it has been the Theater District's shortcut, meeting point and unofficial lobby. This historic alleyway walk links it with the stage-door rows on 44th and 45th and the plazas of Times Square, then delivers you to your seat with time to spare.

When the Shubert and Booth Theatres were built side by side in 1913, the lane between them served as a passage and exit route for the two houses. The Shubert brothers, whose company became the largest theater owner on Broadway, kept it as a private alley rather than handing it to the street grid. Over the decades it turned into a gathering place: actors hung around it hoping to be noticed by producers, and the walls became a noticeboard of posters for current shows.

The alley is still owned by the Shubert Organization and still works as a cut-through for thousands of theatergoers every week. It is open to people on foot, and on a matinee day it fills with groups checking tickets and families meeting up. That makes it a very different kind of historic alleyway from the quiet mews downtown, but its history is woven into almost every show that has played this block.

Arrive at the Times Square–42nd Street station, which is served by the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W and S trains, or at 42nd Street–Port Authority on the A, C and E. Walk north through the pedestrian plazas on Broadway and Seventh Avenue, which have been closed to cars since 2009. Starting here means you approach the theaters the way generations of audiences did, from the lights of the square into the quieter side streets.

Stop briefly in Duffy Square, at the northern tip of Times Square between 46th and 47th Streets. The red glass steps there are a public seating area with a view straight down the square, and the statue of Father Francis Duffy, the World War I chaplain, gives the plaza its name. Five minutes on the steps is enough. In daylight the square is calmer than at night, which suits a matinee walk.

From Duffy Square, walk west along West 45th Street toward Eighth Avenue. This block holds a dense run of Broadway houses, including the Booth, the Gerald Schoenfeld, the Bernard B. Jacobs, the John Golden, the Music Box and the Imperial. Look at the facades as architecture rather than advertising: many date to the 1910s and 1920s and carry brick, terracotta and carved details above the modern marquees.

The stage doors on this block are usually at the sides of the buildings, marked by metal barricades. Before a matinee there is little to see, because cast members arrive well ahead of the house opening. Here is the honest advice: skip waiting at stage doors before your show. If you want an autograph, the time to come back is after the curtain, when crowds gather behind the barricades.

Enter Shubert Alley from West 45th Street, between the Booth and the tall One Astor Plaza office tower, and walk south toward West 44th. Take it slowly. The walls are lined with large posters for current productions, and the Shubert Theatre's side wall forms the western edge. The alley is short, about a block long, so this is a five-minute stop even at a crawl. Look up at the fire escapes and side doors that remind you this was built as a working passage.

Shubert Alley is also a meeting point. If you are seeing a show with friends arriving separately, set the alley as the meetup spot rather than the crowded sidewalk outside your theater. It is easy to describe, it has room to stand, and it is a two-minute walk from most houses on 44th and 45th.

Come out of the alley onto West 44th Street beside the Shubert Theatre. This block holds more historic houses, including the Broadhurst, the Majestic and the St. James. The Majestic and the St. James face each other across the street, and on matinee days the sidewalk between them is busy with lines forming for both. Walk the block from Broadway toward Eighth Avenue to see the facades in a single sweep.

Plan to be at your own theater's doors about 30 minutes before curtain. Bag checks at the door take time, and matinee crowds on Wednesday and weekend afternoons are large. If your theater is on another block, such as West 46th Street's Restaurant Row or around 48th, give yourself an extra five minutes for the walk.

For a 2pm curtain, start at Times Square around 12:45. That leaves 10 minutes for the square and Duffy Square, 10 for 45th Street, 5 for Shubert Alley, 10 for 44th Street, and a cushion of about 10 before you need to be inside. For an evening show, the same walk works, but expect much heavier crowds after about 6:30, and give yourself the full hour.

In bad weather, cut the route down to Shubert Alley and your own block. The plazas are exposed, and standing on wet glass steps is not much fun. If you are running late, skip the loop entirely and walk straight to your theater through the alley, which is often faster than fighting the Broadway sidewalk.

The full loop is about half a mile and on flat sidewalks, so it suits most walkers. Theaters do not allow large bags, so travel light. Shubert Alley is private property, so follow any instructions from security during busy periods and avoid blocking it with large groups. To fit the walk around your ticket, tell Karpo in the Karpo APP your theater and curtain time, and it will suggest when to start and which blocks to cover.