Buzzing with a million unseen stories, this bowtie-shaped plaza pulses beneath our feet. This is Times Square. Once known as Longacre Square, it was a carriage-making district. It was even nicknamed Thieves Lair for its rollicking reputation. But Times Square transformed in 1904.
The New York Times moved its headquarters here. Publisher Adolph S. Ochs convinced the mayor to build a subway station. Longacre Square was renamed Times Square. The newspaper moved to another building in 1913. The old Times Building became One Times Square.
Look up! Digital billboards surround us. Advertisements flash day and night. Times Square is one of the world’s busiest pedestrian areas. About 330,000 people pass through here daily. On its busiest days, over 460,000 pedestrians walk through Times Square.
But Times Square wasn’t always this dazzling. In the mid-20th century, it became seedy. Crime and adult entertainment took over. The city declined.
Then came the revitalization. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani led the clean-up effort in the 1990s. Pornographic theaters closed. Tourist-friendly attractions opened. The Walt Disney Company bought the New Amsterdam Theatre. Times Square was reborn.
The intersection of Broadway and 42nd Street marks the eastern terminus of the Lincoln Highway. This was the first road across the United States. Times Square is called “the Crossroads of the World”. It is also known as “the heart of the Great White Way”.
Notice the two triangles forming Times Square. The southern triangle is Times Square. The northern triangle is Duffy Square. It honors Father Francis P. Duffy, a World War I chaplain. You can see a statue of him there. There is also a statue of composer George M. Cohan.
Times Square is home to the New Year’s Eve ball drop. It started on December 31, 1907. Over one million visitors gather here every year. A billion more watch on digital media. The original New Year’s Eve ball was made of iron and wood. Today, the ball is covered in Waterford Crystal.
Times Square is an art and commerce hub. Zoning ordinances require buildings to display illuminated signs. The density of signs rivals Las Vegas. The largest signs are called “jumbotrons.”
But look closer. There is also public art. Listen for a humming sound from a steam vent. It’s part of Max Neuhaus’s sound art piece called Times Square.
Times Square has seen its share of incidents. There have been bombings and vehicle attacks. But it has also hosted celebrations. Crowds gathered here to celebrate the end of World War II.
Times Square is more than flashing lights. It is more than the New Year’s Eve ball drop. It is a place of constant change. It is a place where millions of stories intersect.