Known as the “Crossroads of the World,” Times Square
is New York’s most famous intersection and the symbol of the lively
surrounding theater district that includes Broadway. It was called
Longacre Square until 1904, when the New York Times
built a 25-story tower on the site. Its occupancy on New Year’s Eve was
marked with fireworks, a celebration that continues today. Currently, a
giant crystal ball descends the building at midnight to herald the new
year, cheered by the millions packed into the square. The reputation of
Times Square was sullied when the adjacent 42nd Street grew seedy in the
1970s. The 1990s saw the peep shows and X-rated movie houses closed,
and with a massive government and private effort, the street and
neighborhood have again been transformed.
Madame Tussaud’s New York
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It was the move by the
Metropolitan Opera House to Broadway in 1883 that first drew lavish
theaters and restaurants to this area. In the 1920s, movie palaces added
the glamour of neon to Broadway. After World War II, the popularity of
movies waned and sleaze replaced glitter. Now a redevelopment program
has brought the public and bright lights back to this area.
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Go to the TKTS booth in for half-price tickets to all kinds of Broadway shows.
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Discount coupons for shows are often available at the Times Square Information Center, 1560 Broadway between 46th and 47th streets .
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Try to see Broadway at night, when the lights are on.
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Top 10 ExhibitsBroadway Lights The
city’s longest street is known best for the section north of 42nd
Street dubbed the “Great White Way” for its dazzle of neon. Times Square News Ticker In 1928, the New York Times erected the world’s first moving electronic sign to post news, a fixture that remains although the Times has moved to 8th Avenue.
News Ticker, Times Square
Nasdaq Headquarters The
headquarters of this over-the-counter stock market dominates its corner
with a screen that regularly broadcasts financial news.
MTV Headquarters The
occasional crowd of teenagers gathered beneath the second-floor studios
of this music TV network hope to spot an idol on the way in, or a
camera crew descending to tape crowds in the street.
Brill Building Everyone
from Cole Porter to Phil Spector has produced hits in this legendary
music industry building, a long-time home to famous music publishers and
arrangers. Condé Nast Building The 48-story skyscraper opened in 2000 to house this magazine empire is a sign of the resurgence of Times Square.
New 42nd Street The
renovation of the new Amsterdam Theater in the 1990s uplifted 42nd
Street. Today, the New 42nd Street Studios and several theaters line the
block. Madame Tussaud’s, New York Barack
Obama, Brangelina and Madonna are among the wax inhabitants of this
42nd Street’s tenant. The museum has exterior glass elevators and a huge
hand holding the illuminated sign.
Duffy Square The
block has been revitalized with the unveiling of the new TKTS area, a
dramatic wedge of red overlaid with a set of stairs to nowhere. Off-Broadway Before
the rest of 42nd Street was rejuvenated, this block between 9th and
10th Avenues was resurrected by Off-Broadway companies needing
inexpensive homes. New plays are premiered at Playwrights Horizons, one
of the better known tenants.
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