Say someone was to provide you with a brief history of New York City. At the very least, there would be some mention of a kind of change: changes in architecture, in transportation, or most importantly, in people. What was once merely an open space surrounded by small apartments, for instance, now serves as one of the most frequently visited areas in New York: Times Square. Once known as Long Acre, Times Square wasn’t anywhere near the attraction it is today, up until the establishment of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and the increased usage of electricity (Nevius and Nevius 183). Electricity provided the means for public sources of entertainment, primarily theater, therefore adding to the numbers of people seeking to explore the area. These factors combined allowed for the increase in mobility as well as the introduction of different people, among which included businessmen and spectators. Adolph Achs, owner and publisher of the New York Times, looked upon Long Acre as an opportunity for the building of the Times Tower, hence the new name: Times Square (Nevius and Nevius 201-203).
As much growth as Long Acre had shown thus far in the late nineteenth century, the Great Depression affected its development greatly. The main attraction of Times Square at the time, theater, struggled to maintain its audiences and therefore, its profit. Many theaters gradually transformed into “grinder houses,” which showcased explicit displays of sexual films or acts (“History of Times Square”). Other forms of entertainment followed, most of which were regarded as cheap by normative standards, such as penny arcades or dance clubs. While this change in environment drove many people away from Times Square, it began to invite people involved in prostitution or drug trade. Crime rates became increasingly high, especially in coherence with laws that required the limitation of electricity being used in Times Square as a result of World War II. Despite the sex market and drug abuse that had become a main part of the area’s new reputation, eventually change was sparked again. Many had not forgotten the entertainment Times Square once provided, and newer forms of entertainment were introduced as part of its redevelopment into a more inviting or family-friendly environment (Chronopoulos, 4). A number of changes occurred regarding the types of stores and the entertainment provided, but one of the professions still associated with Times Square today is street performing.
Often referred to as the Times Square characters, many performers populate the area in costumes varying from Disney characters to Marvel superheroes. These performers offer a picture taken with them alongside Times Square’s skyscrapers, adorned with flashy signs, in the background. Many regard this as an important part of the tourist experience, but even New York residents take part in this in exchange for a picture with characters like Elmo or Spider-Man. The first of these performers began to appear in the 1980’s, when Times Square was in the midst of its redevelopment (Fitzsimmons). These performers were considered one of the “new sources of entertainment”, adding to the more family friendly image of Times Square that redevelopers were aiming for. They continue to elicit excitement from children and adults alike, as people of all ages may recall the characters from various childhood television series or movies.
As the profession becomes more and more popular however, an increase in performers directly correlates with an increase in competition for the existing characters. Not to mention recent cases of aggression from some of the new costumed characters, as well as the nature of the costumes themselves, have led to legal intervention and a worsening reputation. Not to mention cases in which the performers have faced discriminatory behavior on the basis that many of them are known to be immigrants. These occurrences threaten those who consider this job a main source of income, many of which are immigrants who have been involved in the profession for years. What the future holds for these Times Square icons remains unclear. We plan to explore the lives of those inside the costumes in order to understand how times have changed, for better or for worse, in the lives of Times Square characters today.
Resources:
- Admin. “History of Times Square.” History of Times Square | Times Square NYC, 17 May 2017.
- Nevius, Michelle, and James Nevius. Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City. Simon and Schuster, 2009.
- Chronopoulos, Themis. “MORALITY, SOCIAL DISORDER, AND THE WORKING CLASS IN TIMES SQUARE, 1892-1954.” Australasian Journal of American Studies 30.1 (2011).
- Fitzsimmons, Emma G. “New York Moves on Restricting Costumed Characters in Times Square.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Apr. 2016
