2. Union Square
The first officially created square in Manhattan was Union Square at 14th street. Usually associated with union activity and parades, Union Square was actually so named because it was the point at which Broadway and the other major road of the 1800s, the Bowery, formed a union. Originally the center for the entertainment industry, with hotels, boarding houses, offices, and theaters bordering the square, it later became a retail center. It is probably best known today for its farmers’ market on the weekend.