Times Square- New York City, NY - VirtualTourist.com

Despite its name this is not actually a square, but rather two triangles, the upper one inverted so that they meet point to point. This odd shape is formed by errant Broadway, which here crosses Seventh Avenue at a diagonal. In fact, the northern triangle is more properly called Duffy Square, but everyone appears to refer to the whole of this space as Times Square.

Whether you come by day, as we did, or by night, Times Square is ablaze with neon and to me seems a little incongruous and out of keeping with the rest of the city. It’s cleaned up its act in recent years and is no longer considered unsafe, although as in any crowded area you should keep an eye open for pickpockets. Despite this clean up however, it’s still a bit scruffy and somewhat tacky. Nevertheless, somehow you have to see it!

A quick look at the history of Times Square will tell you that it has often something of a dubious reputation. At the end of the 19th century it was still known by its original name of Longacre Square, and was the haunt of prostitutes and petty thieves. The arrival of several theatres in the district and the renaming of the square (prompted by the New York Times, which had opened a new headquarters here) stimulated a revival and for a while this became the entertainment centre of the city. It was at this time that the New Year’s Eve tradition of the famous ball drop ceremony, which sees thousands of people congregate here and millions watching on TV, started. But with the Great Depression the theatres began to close. Many became cinemas, but this didn’t prevent the area declining again into a crime and vice hotspot. By the 1960s this was almost a no-go area, unless you were interested in frequenting the live nude shows, erotic bookstores, and X-rated movie houses that surrounded the square. Crime rocketed, and by the time of our previous visit in 1982 we were being warned to be very careful around here and not to linger – I remember standing briefly on a street corner to take a couple of photos before hurriedly tucking the cameras out of sight and heading back to “safety”.

It was in the 1980s however that Times Square began again to clean up its act, and today as I said it is considered as safe as anywhere else in midtown Manhattan. Part of the change is what has been called the “Disneyfication” of Times Square. Today you can shop in a Toys R Us or at the giant M & Ms store before taking in a matinee of Disney's The Lion King. Opinion is split as to whether or not this is a good thing, but what is certain is that the area is now a popular draw for tourists and out-of-towners, as well as New Yorkers heading for a show, and as such can again consider itself as the heart of New York’s Theatre District.