It starts at the Astoria, the intersection with Little Boulevard in the Inner City and runs to east between VII.

"Road to Hatvan"), a medieval trading road, which ran from the eastern city gate of Pest (named Hatvani kapu, literally "gate to Hatvan", present day Astoria) to Northern Hungary.

The former road was rebuilt in eclectic style after the 1884 grand opening of Keleti Railway Station.

The first traffic light in Hungary was built at the intersection of Rákóczi Avenue and Grand Boulevard (Blaha Lujza tér) in 1926.

In the 1970s it was widened; the tram tracks were demolished in 1973 due to the grand opening of Metro Line 2 in 1972.