Broadway runs diagonally, crossing through the horizontal and vertical street grid of Manhattan laid down by the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, and that intersection creates the "bowtie" shape of Times Square. The southern triangle of Times Square has no specific name, but the northern triangle is officially Duffy Square.
In the first half of the 19th century, it became one of the prized possessions of John Jacob Astor, who made a second fortune selling off lots to hotels and other real estate concerns as the city rapidly spread uptown. By 1872, the area had become the center of New York's horse carriage industry.
According to Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898, "By the early 1890s this once sparsely settled stretch of Broadway was ablaze with electric light and thronged by crowds of middle- and upper-class theatre, restaurant and cafe patrons." ===1900s–1930s=== In 1904, New York Times publisher Adolph S.
According to Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898, "By the early 1890s this once sparsely settled stretch of Broadway was ablaze with electric light and thronged by crowds of middle- and upper-class theatre, restaurant and cafe patrons." ===1900s–1930s=== In 1904, New York Times publisher Adolph S.
Ochs moved the newspaper's operations to a new skyscraper on 42nd Street at Longacre Square, on the site of the former Pabst Hotel, which had existed on the site for less than a decade since it opened in November 1899.
Approximately 330,000 people pass through Times Square daily, many of them tourists, while over 460,000 pedestrians walk through Times Square on its busiest days. Formerly known as Longacre Square, Times Square was renamed in 1904 after The New York Times moved its headquarters to the then newly erected Times Building, now One Times Square.
According to Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898, "By the early 1890s this once sparsely settled stretch of Broadway was ablaze with electric light and thronged by crowds of middle- and upper-class theatre, restaurant and cafe patrons." ===1900s–1930s=== In 1904, New York Times publisher Adolph S.
to construct a subway station there, and the area was renamed "Times Square" on April 8, 1904.
It replaced a lavish fireworks display from the top of the building that was held from 1904 to 1906 but stopped by city officials because of the danger of fire.
It replaced a lavish fireworks display from the top of the building that was held from 1904 to 1906 but stopped by city officials because of the danger of fire.
It is the site of the annual New Year's Eve ball drop, which began on December 31, 1907, and continues to attract over a million visitors to Times Square every year. Times Square functions as a town square, but is not geometrically a square; it is closer in shape to a bowtie, with two triangles emanating roughly north and south from 45th Street, where Seventh Avenue intersects Broadway.
Beginning in 1908, and for more than eighty years thereafter, Times Square sign maker Artkraft Strauss was responsible for the ball-lowering.
In 1910, it became the Winter Garden Theatre. As more profitable commerce and industrialization of Lower Manhattan pushed homes, theaters, and prostitution northward from the Tenderloin District, Longacre Square became nicknamed the Thieves Lair for its rollicking reputation as a low entertainment district.
Fritz Lang, after seeing Times Square in 1923, used it as inspiration for his dark industrial film Metropolis. Entertainment icons such as Irving Berlin, Charlie Chaplin, and Fred Astaire were closely associated with Times Square in the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s.
The north end later became Duffy Square, and the former Horse Exchange became the Winter Garden Theatre, constructed in 1911. The New York Times moved to more spacious offices one block west of the square in 1913 and sold the building in 1961.
The north end later became Duffy Square, and the former Horse Exchange became the Winter Garden Theatre, constructed in 1911. The New York Times moved to more spacious offices one block west of the square in 1913 and sold the building in 1961.
Now known simply as One Times Square, it is famed for the Times Square Ball drop on its roof every New Year's Eve. In 1913, the Lincoln Highway Association, headed by entrepreneur Carl G.
It became a cultural hub full of theatres, music halls, and upscale hotels. Advertising also grew significantly in the 1920s, growing from $25 million to $85 million over the decade.
Fritz Lang, after seeing Times Square in 1923, used it as inspiration for his dark industrial film Metropolis. Entertainment icons such as Irving Berlin, Charlie Chaplin, and Fred Astaire were closely associated with Times Square in the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s.
Fritz Lang, after seeing Times Square in 1923, used it as inspiration for his dark industrial film Metropolis. Entertainment icons such as Irving Berlin, Charlie Chaplin, and Fred Astaire were closely associated with Times Square in the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s.
Fritz Lang, after seeing Times Square in 1923, used it as inspiration for his dark industrial film Metropolis. Entertainment icons such as Irving Berlin, Charlie Chaplin, and Fred Astaire were closely associated with Times Square in the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s.
However, it was also during this period that the area began to be besieged by crime and corruption, in the form of gambling and prostitution; one case that garnered huge attention was the arrest and subsequent execution of police officer Charles Becker. === 1930s–1950s === The general atmosphere of Times Square changed with the onset of the Great Depression in the early 1930s.
It was dedicated in 1937 to World War I chaplain Father Francis P.
The ball drop was placed on hiatus for New Year's Eve in 1942 and 1943 due to lighting restrictions during World War II.
The ball drop was placed on hiatus for New Year's Eve in 1942 and 1943 due to lighting restrictions during World War II.
Instead, a moment of silence was observed at midnight in Times Square, accompanied by the sound of chimes played from sound trucks. On May 8, 1945, a massive crowd celebrated Victory in Europe Day in Times Square; and on August 15, 1945, the largest crowd in the history of Times Square gathered to celebrate Victory over Japan Day.
Armed Forces. === 1960s–1980s === From the 1960s to the early 1990s, the seediness of the area, especially due to its go-go bars, sex shops, peep shows, and adult theaters, became an infamous symbol of the city's decline. As early as 1960, 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenue was described by The New York Times as "the 'worst' [block] in town".
The north end later became Duffy Square, and the former Horse Exchange became the Winter Garden Theatre, constructed in 1911. The New York Times moved to more spacious offices one block west of the square in 1913 and sold the building in 1961.
The old Times Building was later named the Allied Chemical Building in 1963.
Later that decade, Times Square was depicted in Midnight Cowboy as gritty, dark, and desperate, and conditions only worsened in the 1970s and 1980s, as did the crime in the rest of the city.
Later that decade, Times Square was depicted in Midnight Cowboy as gritty, dark, and desperate, and conditions only worsened in the 1970s and 1980s, as did the crime in the rest of the city.
The area was shown in the 1980 film Times Square, which featured a punk rock/new wave soundtrack.
By 1984, an unprecedented 2,300 annual crimes occurred on that single block, of which 460 were serious felonies such as murder and rape. At the time, police morale was low and petty criminals who committed misdemeanors were not being arrested.
Armed Forces. === 1960s–1980s === From the 1960s to the early 1990s, the seediness of the area, especially due to its go-go bars, sex shops, peep shows, and adult theaters, became an infamous symbol of the city's decline. As early as 1960, 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenue was described by The New York Times as "the 'worst' [block] in town".
This signage ordinance was implemented in accordance with guidelines set in a revitalization program that New York Governor Mario Cuomo implemented in 1993. Notable signage includes the Toshiba billboard directly under the NYE ball drop, the curved seven-story NASDAQ sign at the NASDAQ MarketSite at 4 Times Square on 43rd Street, and the curved Coca-Cola sign located underneath another large LED display owned and operated by Samsung.
William Bratton, who was appointed New York City Police Commissioner in 1994 and again in 2014, stated, "The [NYPD] didn't want high performance; it wanted to stay out of trouble, to avoid corruption scandals and conflicts in the community.
Security was high following the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, with more than 7,000 New York City police officers on duty in the Square, twice the number for an ordinary year. Times Square started hosting other major annual events in the 2000s.
The display will be 1,000 square feet larger than the Times Square Walgreens display and one of the largest video-capable screens in the world. ===2000s–present=== In 2002, New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani administered the oath of office to the city's next mayor, Michael Bloomberg, at Times Square after midnight on January 1 as part of the 2001–2002 New Year's celebration.
Security was high following the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, with more than 7,000 New York City police officers on duty in the Square, twice the number for an ordinary year. Times Square started hosting other major annual events in the 2000s.
The display will be 1,000 square feet larger than the Times Square Walgreens display and one of the largest video-capable screens in the world. ===2000s–present=== In 2002, New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani administered the oath of office to the city's next mayor, Michael Bloomberg, at Times Square after midnight on January 1 as part of the 2001–2002 New Year's celebration.
Since 2002, the summer solstice has been marked by "Mind over Madness", a mass yoga event involving up to 15,000 people.
It was also seen in the festival battle scene in the 2002 film Spider-Man, and a stand-off in the later film The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Films and TV shows have also employed the opposite tactic, depicting the typically bustling area as eerily still, such as in Vanilla Sky, as well as the post-apocalyptic I Am Legend, in which Will Smith and his dog go hunting for deer in the deserted urban canyon.
Times Square's first environmentally friendly billboard powered by wind and solar energy was first lit on December 4, 2008.
In June 2016, work started on "pedestrian flow zones" where no one was allowed to loiter, as well as "activity zones" where costumed characters were allowed to perform. === Incidents === There have been several incidents in Times Square: On the morning of March 6, 2008, a small bomb caused minor damage, but there were no reported injuries. On May 1, 2010, Times Square was evacuated from 43rd to 46th Streets following the discovery of a car bomb.
A new energy-efficient LED ball debuted for the arrival of 2008, which was the centennial of the Times Square ball drop.
The 2008–09 ball is larger and has become a permanent installation as a year-round attraction, being used for celebrations on days such as Valentine's Day and Halloween. The New Year's Day celebrations are usually overseen by thousands of police officers.
Architect Mark Foster Gage proposed and designed the original Times Square Valentine's Day heart in 2009.
The area was under increased security and saw over 400,000 people during the period. ====Pedestrian plaza==== On February 26, 2009, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that traffic lanes along Broadway from 42nd Street to 47th Street would be de-mapped starting Memorial Day 2009 and transformed into pedestrian plazas as a trial until at least the end of the year.
The original seats put out for pedestrians were inexpensive multicolored plastic lawn chairs, a source of amusement to many New Yorkers; they lasted from the onset of the plaza transformation until August 14, 2009, when they were ceremoniously bundled together in an installation christened Now You See It, Now You Don't by the artist Jason Peters, and shortly afterward were replaced by sturdier metal furniture.
On February 11, 2010, Bloomberg announced that the pedestrian plazas would become permanent. The city started rebuilding the plaza in 2010, hiring the design and landscaping firm Snøhetta to permanently replace Broadway's roadway with custom-made granite pavers and benches.
In June 2016, work started on "pedestrian flow zones" where no one was allowed to loiter, as well as "activity zones" where costumed characters were allowed to perform. === Incidents === There have been several incidents in Times Square: On the morning of March 6, 2008, a small bomb caused minor damage, but there were no reported injuries. On May 1, 2010, Times Square was evacuated from 43rd to 46th Streets following the discovery of a car bomb.
Since then, designing the heart has become an annual competition. In February 2011, Times Square became smoke-free as New York extended the outdoors smoking ban to the area.
It was also depicted in the 2011 movie New Year's Eve.
, it had a greater attendance than do each of the Disney theme parks worldwide, with 128,794,000 visitors between March 2012 and February 2013, versus 126,479,000 for the Walt Disney World theme parks in Bay Lake, Florida, in 2012. Even excluding residents from the visitor count, Times Square is the world's second most visited tourist attraction, behind the Las Vegas Strip.
By December 2013, the first phase of the Times Square pedestrian plaza had been completed at the southern end of the square in time for the Times Square Ball drop on New Year's Eve.
, it had a greater attendance than do each of the Disney theme parks worldwide, with 128,794,000 visitors between March 2012 and February 2013, versus 126,479,000 for the Walt Disney World theme parks in Bay Lake, Florida, in 2012. Even excluding residents from the visitor count, Times Square is the world's second most visited tourist attraction, behind the Las Vegas Strip.
William Bratton, who was appointed New York City Police Commissioner in 1994 and again in 2014, stated, "The [NYPD] didn't want high performance; it wanted to stay out of trouble, to avoid corruption scandals and conflicts in the community.
The measure imposed a $50 fine for any person caught smoking within the area. From January 29 to February 1, 2014, a "Super Bowl Boulevard" was held on Broadway, especially in Times Square, between 34th and 47th Streets, as part of Super Bowl XLVIII.
The project was originally intended to be completed by the end of 2015.
The pedestrian plaza became a source of controversy in the summer of 2015 because of a large number of complaints about the topless women and panhandling characters.
The entire project was finally completed just before New Year's Eve 2016.
In June 2016, work started on "pedestrian flow zones" where no one was allowed to loiter, as well as "activity zones" where costumed characters were allowed to perform. === Incidents === There have been several incidents in Times Square: On the morning of March 6, 2008, a small bomb caused minor damage, but there were no reported injuries. On May 1, 2010, Times Square was evacuated from 43rd to 46th Streets following the discovery of a car bomb.
After a fatal 2017 car crash, there were calls to install more bollards along Times Square. Times Square's pedestrian plaza is frequented by topless women (with painted breasts) called "desnudas", as well as costumed characters, who typically panhandle for tips.
The high level of pedestrian traffic has resulted in $4.8 billion in annual retail, entertainment, and hotel sales, with 22 cents out of every dollar spent by visitors in New York City being spent within Times Square. Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, a lot fewer people have been coming to Times Square.
Aluminum barriers are erected to accommodate spectators; for the 2020 celebration, attended by a million people, barriers were erected from 38th to 59th Street and from Sixth to Eighth Avenue.
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Page generated on 2021-08-05