Sayilgoh Street (Broadway)

Sayilgoh Street, nicknamed Broadway, is a pedestrian promenade in the centre of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, running through the Yunusobod District just a two-minute walk from Amir Timur Square. The street is lined with cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, galleries and ice cream stands, and fills with portrait artists, caricaturists, street musicians and sellers of paintings and crafts. Benches, lamp posts and small fountains give it a relaxed boulevard feel, and it is a favourite place for locals to stroll in the evening. Visitors spend about an hour here, usually combining a walk with a coffee, a snack and a look at the souvenirs. The street is open all hours and free to walk, while shops generally operate from about 10:00 to 21:00. Late afternoon is a good time to arrive, as the light softens, artists set up their easels and cafe terraces begin to fill. Weekend evenings are the busiest and liveliest, whereas mornings are calm and shops are mostly closed. Prices for portraits and souvenirs are negotiable, and it is wise to agree a price before a portrait is started. The best photo angles are along the length of the street at dusk, when the lamps come on, and near the painters' stalls. Amir Temur Xiyoboni metro station is close by, and the street leads naturally on to the monuments and avenues of the centre. It is a convenient spot for dinner after the nearby museums, with a mix of Uzbek, Russian and international menus, and cafe prices are moderate by Western standards.