Named after the myrtle that once grew plentifully here.
Myrtle Avenue, a major thoroughfare since the early 19th century, takes its name from the myrtle that was plentiful in the area. Most likely it began in Queens as a plank road that charged a toll, and an old road called Myrtle Avenue and Jamaica Plank Road is now part of it. The avenue runs 8.1 miles from Downtown Brooklyn to Richmond Hill, crossing Broadway here.