For all its history, today, Times Square is disregarded as a site only visited by tourists as Vesey writes, “somehow, over time, being a “real” New Yorker” cam to mean ignoring Times Square.” (Vesey 2016) Vesey, in her article entitled Urban Legend: Why Times Square (Still) Matters argues for the importance of Times Square despite its loss of grittiness and tranquility found in locations such as Brooklyn as Vesey puts it, “Manhattan is corporate and conformist, Brooklyn is real and, if not exactly gritty, then at least charming..”  (Vesey 2016)

 

I found it interesting to see the different perspectives of Times Square’s importance to each time period as Kim Vesey argues that Times Square is a hub of culture, entertainment, and unity in New York City. Whereas in the excerpt of his novel entitled Times Square Red, Times Square Blue Samuel R. Delany argues for Times Square’s importance in preserving and promoting unity and stabilizing the communities of “a highly diversified neighborhood with working-class residences and small human services.” (Delany 1999) As Vesey argues that the alleged Disneyfied Times Square is still a crucial symbol of New York, Delany argues that the same developing Times Square would ruin not only the aesthetic grittiness that Vesey claims “real New Yorkers” seek but go as far as “…the violent suppression of urban social structures, economic, social…” (Delany 1999)

 

In my opinion, Kim Vesey offers a bit of a romantic perspective of Times Square describing it in terms of New York’s dreams manifested and “… of less interest to those already living in its reality.” (Vesey 2016) Although I understand that Times Square truly does embody a history of New York, but that history is lost in the transformed bright and flashing lights of corporate and capitalistic America. If at least a single authentic part of Times Square had been preserved perhaps New Yorkers would have been able to accept Times Square as a crucial part of our history but it is a site easy to forget, yet so frustratingly inescapable, due to its function as one of the city’s transport hubs. Perhaps if we had a part of Delany’s Times Square we would be reminded of the transformative nature of the area, however, many are even unaware of Times Square’s risqué past despite having grown up in New York City their entire lives.

 

Delany Samuel R. (1999) …Three, Two, One: Times Square Red. Times Square Red, Times Square Blue. (pp 145- 169) New York University Press

Vesey Kim. (2016) Urban Legend: Why Times Square (Still) Matters http://observer.com/2016/02/times-square-at-a-crossroads/ (last accessed 16 March 2018)