Times Square, the most bustling square of New York is
known for its many Broadway theatres, cinemas and electronic
billboards. It is one of those places that make New York a city that
never sleeps.
History
Times Square
At the end of the 19th century, New York City had
expanded up to 42nd street and the area was becoming the center of the
city's social scene. In 1904, the New York Times built the Times Tower
on 43rd street just off Broadway to replace its downtown premises. The
square in front of the building was called Longacre square, but was soon
renamed Times Square. The name is now used for the area between 40th
and 53rd street and 6th and 9th avenue.
New York Times Headquarters
The inauguration of the New York Times' new
headquarters at 1 Times Square was celebrated with a fireworks display,
starting a New Year's Eve tradition which still continues today.
Billboards
Theater District and Billboards
At the start of the First World War, Times Square
was the center of the Theater District and attracted a large number of
visitors. This made the square an ideal place for billboards. In 1917
the first large electric display billboard was installed. Eleven years
later, the first running electric sign was lit for the first time, to
announce Herbert Hoover's victory in the Presidential elections. The
billboards have become such a tourist attraction for the area, that the
zoning now requires the buildings to be covered with billboards!
Decline
Times Square at night
In the thirties, the Great Depression led to a
sharp decline in theater attendance. Many businesses had to close down,
and they were quickly replaced by strip teases and and peep shows. The
area continued to attract visitors though and after the Second World
War, the Theater District was booming again. At the end of the sixties,
the area started to go downhill and by the mid-seventies, tourists
avoided Times square, which had become a seedy, crime-ridden and
drug-infested place.
Disneyfication
In the 1980s redevelopment proposals were
submitted, with little result. This changed a decade later, when the
Walt Disney Company opened a Disney store on Times Square. This
attracted more family-friendly businesses to the area, leading to a
so-called 'Disneyfication'. The area was now - like most of New York
City - a lot safer than in the early nineties and Times Square once
again became a magnet for tourists and a center of New York's social
scene.
Times Square Today
Today Times Square is a constantly buzzing tourist magnet; the square is even one of the most visited places in the world.
Pedestrianization
Pedestrianized area
For most of its existence Times Square wasn't much more than a large
traffic intersection, but it is now being redeveloped into a
pedestrian-friendly square with large car-free plazas replacing much of
the asphalt. The redevelopment project - dubbed Times Square
Transformation - started in 2012 and is expected to be completed in
2016.
Entertainment
Many people come to Times Square for the ambiance and the billboards
spectacle, but there are also many restaurants and shops - well over
100 - in the area including some crowd-pullers such as the Disney Store
and a large Toys"R"Us. But Times Square is best known for its
entertainment, and plenty of visitors come here to attend a Broadway
show. Times Square is also home to MTV's headquarters and ABC's 'Good
Morning America' is broadcast in front of a live audience from its
office at 44th and Broadway.
Paramount Building and Visitors Center
Paramount Building
The most famous building at the square is undoubtedly the iconic
Paramount Building. The building was home to the Paramount theater where
stars such as Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra performed in
their heyday. Unfortunately the theater was demolished and the Paramount
building is now merely an office tower.
Another former theater, the Embassy Theater, is now the home of Times Square's own visitors center. Here you can get information about events and Broadway shows. There's also a small museum that tells the history of Times Square.
Another former theater, the Embassy Theater, is now the home of Times Square's own visitors center. Here you can get information about events and Broadway shows. There's also a small museum that tells the history of Times Square.
