Times Square - a New York City Landmark

Times Square is a famous intersection inadvertisement appeared on the side of a bank at
Manhattan, New York City, where Broadway cutsthe corner of 46th Street and Broadway.
across Seventh Avenue. The Times Square areaAlthough the New York Times moved to more
consists of the blocks between Sixth and Eighthspacious offices across Broadway in 1913, the
Avenues from east to west, and West 40th andname lived on. The old Times Building was later
West 53rd Streets from south to north. It is onrenamed the Allied Chemical Building. Now it is
the western part of the commercial area ofknown simply as One Times Square.
Midtown Manhattan. Times Square has achievedWith the onset of the Great Depression during
iconic world landmark status, on par with the Redthe 1930s, the atmosphere in Times Square
Square in Moscow, the Puerta del Sol in Madrid,changed as well. With the economy downturn,
Trafalgar Square in London, and TiananmenTimes Square became a dangerous neighborhood.
Square in Beijing. Times Square is defined by itsAdult businesses became the infamous symbol of
animated, digital advertisements.New York City's decline and corruption from the
Times Square was named after the Times1960s until the early 1990s. In the mid-1990s,
Building (now One Time Square), the formerMayor Rudolph Giuliani (1994-2002) led an intense
offices of The New York Times. During the timeeffort to "clean up" Times Square, increasing
of the American Revolution, the area wheresecurity, and driving out pornographic theaters
Times Square is now located belonged to Johnand drug dealers and opening more tourist-friendly
Morin Scott, a general of the New York militiaattractions and upscale establishments. Advocates
where he served under George Washington.of the remodeling claim that the neighborhood is
Scott's manor house was at what is now 43rdinfinitely safer and cleaner. Critics however argued
Street. In the first half of the nineteenth centurythat the changes have diluted or "Disneyfied" the
it was one of the prize possessions of John Jacobcharacter of Times Square and have unfairly
Astor, one of the wealthiest person in America.targeted lower income New Yorkers from nearby
The newspaper business that made Timesneighborhoods such as Hell's Kitchen.
Square famous moved there in the early 1900s,In 1990, the State of New York took possession
when New York Times publisher Adolph S. Ochsof six of the nine historic theaters on 42nd
moved the newspaper's operations to a newStreet. The New 42nd Street nonprofit
skyscraper on 42nd Street in Longacre Square.organization was appointed to oversee their
Ochs persuaded Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr. torestoration and care. The theaters were variously
construct a subway station there, and the arearenovated for Broadway shows, converted for
was renamed "Times Square" on April 8, 1904.commercial purposes, or demolished.
Just three weeks later, the first electrified