What can I say about Times Square that you don’t already know. Absolutely nothing! By that same token—unless you’ve spent all of your time there, you’re not going to know as much about it either. So, I thought to just offer my small visual history with the crossroads of the world/great white way/theater “theatre” district. “Great White Way” is reference to the time when electricity began to be used in lighting broadway’s sidewalks and streets, the theaters and marquees. Before that, open-flame gas torches or candles were used.
I was maybe fifteen years old when I first visited the area. I say “area” because “Times Square” is not where I traveled most of the time. 42nd Street from 7th to 8th Avenues is where we usually went to see movies. We knew it as “The Deuce,” not part of Times Square—though many others did. There’s been disagreements about where Times Square begins and ends through all the years, just as with other neighborhoods. For this story, I refer to it being 42nd to 47th Streets, on Broadway or 7th Avenue.
Not only are the 360,000 people that travel through Times Square daily who evoke varying degrees of energy and/or anxiety. The billboards and flickering digital displays add to them as well. One reason seasoned New Yorkers stay away.
Tourism is another reason many New Yorkers veer away at all costs, especially during holidays. New Year’s Eve being the main one. There’s not enough room there with all the mania. We’ll explore the busking mania in a future story.
One of the neighborhoods of New York City where your voice can figuratively and literally be heard boomingly—is Times Square! If you want to air grievances with city, state, or national government agencies—you’ll likely wind up at Duffy Square (a triangular city block in Times Square).
Observing the faces of spectators as they watch balloons from the Thanksgiving Day Parade float by. The parade hasn’t marched through Times Square since a large section of Broadway (below 59th street) was converted to pedestrian traffic only.
Note the building in the background with Nathan’s? It’s been home to Good Morning America’s broadcast studio since the “Disney-fication” of Times Square. ABC being part of Disney of course!
There much more, but will leave that for another time.
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Til next time…
Kenneth
Love shooting and exploring Times Square! Great work Kenneth.