Happy Anniversary

Every day a million and a half people walk its streets, enough to make it one of the largest cities in America. Five hundred thousand people brave the cold every New Year’s Eve to watch the ball drop there. It is corporate home to 1,500 businesses including MTV, Morgan Stanley, The Shubert Organization and the company for which it is named, The New York Times.

One hundred years ago, it was called Long Acre Square, the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue. Then as now it was a busy commercial district, but it was also one of the city’s fancier neighborhoods and home to more than a few brothels.

In 1903, the Times decided to build its headquarters there and on April 8, 1904 convinced the city to change the area’s name to Times Square. In December of that year the building officially opened and played host to the first New Year’s Eve celebration, a tradition that continues to this day.

The official Times Square area stretches from West 40th Street to West 53rd Street, just west of Sixth Avenue to both sides of 8th Avenue and all the way to Ninth Avenue on West 46th Street. Inside its borders are the largest concentration of live theaters--40, including all 22 landmark Broadway theaters--50 supersigns, including a large NBC tv screen, stock and news tickers and the Coca-Cola sign at Two Times Square.

The New York Times actually moved its offices to W. 43rd Street, but the designation remains.

Over the years, its bright lights have always held a certain sex appeal, and sex has been one of its major trades. Prostitution has always found a home there since the beginning, along with burlesque houses, porno shops and peep shows. That image of the edgy, drug and hooker-infested Times Square, particularly during New York’s financial troubles in the 1970’s, became a symbol of all that was wrong with big cities.

I can remember as a kid, when my parents would bring us into the city to see the circus or a play or a ball game, if we passed through the area, our eyes would widen at the sight of all those X-rated movie marquees. Even today, with a cleaner, safer, more tourist-friendly Times Square, the popular perception of the neighborhood as a place to find action remains.

Personally, I avoid the place whenever possible now. Especially on the weekends. I think most New Yorkers do. There are just too many tourists, all walking with their mouths open and their heads up gawking at the bright lights, to make navigating the streets easy.

But despite my feelings, Times Square is a true symbol of what makes this city special. It is the crossroads of the country. Even in the worst of times, you can easily go there and get a lift just people watching, taking the pulse of the crowd and admiring all the lights.

Happy anniversary Times Square!

Got a favorite memory or story to tell about Times Square? Leave a comment.

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My favorite radio station, the greatest jazz radio station in the country, WBGO 88.3 FM celebrates its 25th anniversary on Friday, April 9. It is one of a small handful of full-time jazz stations left, and without them I couldn’t get up in the morning.

Posted by bernie at April 8, 2004 11:34 PM | TrackBack