Tag: Times square

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Introduction

New York City

If you ask a New Yorker or even a tourist what’s the first thing they think about when they hear New York, don’t be surprised to hear Times Square. Arguably the most iconic of locations in New York, Times Square is referred to as “The Crossroads of the World” and the “heart of the world”.  Times Square is just one of the commercial zones that make up Midtown Manhattan, a must-see location for any tourist and the New York City hub. But what makes Midtown Manhattan so appealing? What makes thousands of tourists and New Yorkers still visit it outside of work purposes? The answer may lie in Midtown’s inherent commercialism reflected all around. With a mere step into Midtown Manhattan, especially in Times Square, you are bombarded with advertisements for various products, services, and all sorts of experiences. Look up and you see screens half the size of the buildings calling you to watch the newest episode of a show or to see the latest movie. Look right in front of you and you might bump into someone handing out flyers to get on tour buses to get a closer look at all this commercialism. Simply standing where you are is enough, as commercialism will eventually grab and direct your attention to something. Whether commercialism is good or bad is a completely different matter, but one can’t deny that it is an integral part of Times Square and Midtown Manhattan.

The aim of this project is to explore commercialism in Midtown Manhattan, with certain locations being obvious hotspots, such as Times Square. This will be done through a historical investigation as well a collection of photos reflecting commercialism in Midtown and interviews with certain individuals concerning such commercialism.

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Commercialism in Pictures

A taxi cab advertising a popular Broadway show on Times Square.
A series of advertisements, ranging from Broadway shows to stores to sports events (a Yankees-Red Sox game in this particular image).
Dual advertisements for the Hamilton Broadway musical and the religion of Scientology.
Advertisements for more Broadway plays, as well as advertisements for a shrimp restaurant and a phone company.
Taken seconds after the previous image, this photo shows the advertisements that rotate based on an allotted time frame.
An advertisement for a magic show directly next to another advertisement for the new Diet Coke drink.
A massive advertisement for The Avengers: Infinity War. This photo was taken a week after the release of Infinity War.
A series of advertisements for a museum, the Disney store, and several Broadway plays.
A wall on Broadway dedicated to current productions.
The main advertisement for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which hangs above the entrance to the theatre.
A massive advertisement for the movie Rampage that hangs above a popular Subway stop.
The current display above the Disney store that is guaranteed to catch your attention.
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History of Times Square

Times Square today

Times Square is one of the most famous location in Midtown, Manhattan, if not the entirety of Manhattan. It is located at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue. It is most well-known for the yearly ball-drop ceremony, wherein a ball is lowered from the top of a building on New Year’s Eve, in order to mark the change of the year.

The name “Times Square” was developed by Albert Ochs in 1904. Ochs, the renowned publisher of The New York Times, elected to move his paper to the then-Long Acre Square. After the move, the square was changed to reflect the new ownership.

Before The New York Times moved, Long Acre Square was merely a set of brownstone buildings, developed by a man who saw potential in the location. New Yorkers raced to the new square, desperate to make a home for themselves in this new place. Before long, a new district began to grow around them. Crime became commonplace, and prostitution and theft began to thrive.

Things began to change in the 1880s. With the spread of electricity, Long Acre Square suddenly seemed much safer for residents. Street lights and advertisements began to dominate the area. In 1895, a new resident, Oscar Hammerstein I, made the decision to create an entertainment industry in the square. He called his new locations Olympia, a structure that featured three theaters. Before long, more theaters began to sprout from seemingly everywhere. By the time The New York Times arrived, the area was an established entertainment haven.

Some of the original commercial advertisements in Times Square

In the same year the New York Times moved to Long Acre’s Square, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company developed the first transit system that would eventually serve as the precursor to the current MTA system. This new railway allowed New Yorkers to travel easily across the city, so that they could reach areas like Long Acre’s Square, without any issue.

The Times held the first Times Square New Years Eve show to celebrate their move. At the time, the New York Times building was one of the largest in Manhattan, and that along drove people to come watch. Though The New York Times eventually outgrew the location and moved, the tradition continued without them, and the square’s new name remained. Ever since, people have come to celebrate the passing of the year in Times Square, and Times Square, itself, has become the most iconic location in New York City.

New Yorkers celebrate VE Day in Times Square

 

 

 

Bibliography:

“History of Times Square.” Times Square NYC, New York City, 2017, www.timessquarenyc.org/history-of-times-square.

“Times Square History.” New York City, NYC Tourist, www.nyctourist.com/times-square-history.php.

Wallenfeldt, Jeff. “Times Square.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 18 Oct. 2017, www.britannica.com/topic/Times-Square.

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A Map of Iconic Locations in Times Square

 
The Yahoo Building
A major hub for Yahoo workers, the Yahoo building is a key piece of the company's empire.
Directions
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
A museum of the magnificent, Ripley's is a great place to see extraordinary sights that the mind can barely comprehend.
Directions
Guy's American Kitchen & Bar
A permanently closed restaurant owned by the famous chef, Guy Fieri. Although closed for months, it still represents the commercialism of Times Square.
Directions
57th Street Station
A prominent train station that gives New Yorkers access to several different trains that all allow access to Times Square and Carnegie Hall.
Directions
The NFL Experience
An exhibit that any football fan can enjoy, the NFL Experience offers a 4D look into the life on an NFL player.
Directions
Palace Theatre
Currently the home to Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical, Palace Theatre has hosted a large amount of successful musicals throughout its 104 years of existance.
Directions
The Disney Store
If you are a parent, a guardian, or if you simply have kids that you love to spoil, take them by the Time Square Disney Store, and they will have the time of their lives.
Directions
M&M's World
Inside this iconic M&M's store, a giant wall of chocolate stretches nearly two stories high. The smell of this place can strike half a block away at times.
Directions
Richard Rodgers Theatre
The current theatre that houses the hit Broadway musical: Hamilton. While it has housed other productions in the past, Hamilton is the most significant play to ever originate from this theatre.
Directions
The Hershey's Store
The Hershey's Store is home to a large collection of chocolate delicacies that people of any age can enjoy.
Directions
The Iconic Times Square
The iconic location that has been seen by anyone with any modicum of internet access, or access to any travel booklet.
Directions
Applebees
This Applebees restaurant features prominently in the hit middle-grade novel, Better Nate Than Ever.
Directions
Lyric Theatre
This theatre is the current host of the New York City production of the hit Harry Potter play: A Cursed Child.
Directions

The locations on this map were chosen, because they are either iconic locations or great destinations for any native New Yorkers or tourist. We visited each of these locations and decided that they would be interesting and valuable experiences for visitors. One of us also asked New Yorkers which locations they would most like to visit in Times Square, and elected to visit and mark those areas.