London comedian and mathematician Matt Parker recently visited the City and made this interesting video which plotted Broadway against our street grid to determine a linear equation for the street.
While in New York City I walked along Broadway with graph paper and plotted where it crosses the street and avenues. Most of Manhattan is horizontal streets and vertical avenues, but the road Broadway cuts across on an angle. Using the grid system of roads in NYC I could calculate the liner equation of Broadway. I had some fun with places like Union Square and the Flatiron Building along the way.
Turns out the equation for Broadway is STREET = 9.975 × AVENUE - 26.5 with a surprisingly accurate linear approximation.
If you can look past the Englishman's incorrect pronunciation of "Houston Street" and other tourist faux pas, it's a pretty funny video.
Matt Coneybeare
Editor in Chief
Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.
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