Times Square

Broadway and West 45th Street by day and night, with billboards, taxi traffic, street vendors, and NYPD officers across two visits in 2005 and 2019

Times Square — New York City, NY

Times Square occupies the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, where the Broadway theater district, large-format commercial advertising, and some of the city's heaviest pedestrian traffic converge in a concentrated corridor stretching roughly from 42nd to 47th Street.

The area takes its name from the New York Times, whose headquarters moved to the district in 1904, prompting the city to rename the then-Longacre Square in the newspaper's honor. Through much of the mid-twentieth century the district fell into significant decline, becoming associated with crime, street-level vice, and disinvestment. A sustained public and private effort beginning in the 1980s and accelerating through the 1990s brought large retail chains, entertainment companies, and corporate advertisers back to the corridor, transforming it into one of the most commercially dense blocks of real estate in the United States.

That transformation reshaped the tenant mix visibly over time. Entertainment retailers such as Virgin Megastore and chains that anchored the district in the early 2000s have since closed or relocated as digital commerce displaced physical retail. The signage itself shifted from static and neon formats toward large electronic displays capable of streaming live media, and the pedestrian plazas on Broadway were redesigned between 2009 and 2017 to reduce vehicle traffic and accommodate the millions of visitors the district receives each year.

One Times Square, the tower at the district's southern apex, is best known today for its New Year's Eve ball drop and remains almost entirely given over to exterior advertising rather than conventional office or retail tenancy.

Times Square billboards and nighttime traffic along Broadway in Midtown Manhattan. — *September 1, 2019* — Times Square, Manhattan, appears from Broadway at night with heavy traffic, illuminated advertising displays, and theater district signage including The Book of Mormon. Street signs for a bike path and left-turn lane mark this section of Midtown's traffic network. The area is one of New York City's principal commercial and entertainment districts, where Broadway theaters, retail advertising, and through traffic converge.

Prometheus statue and Lower Plaza at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan, with international flags above. — *September 1, 2019* — Prometheus and the Lower Plaza at Rockefeller Center are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The gilded statue overlooks the sunken plaza, which functions as a seasonal public gathering and dining area and becomes the Rockefeller Center ice rink in winter. International flags line the upper concourse above the plaza within the commercial and office complex.

Times Square billboards and commercial towers at Broadway and West 45th Street in Midtown Manhattan. — *September 1, 2019* — Times Square at Broadway and West 45th Street in Midtown Manhattan is lined with large-format digital advertising displays and commercial towers. Visible signage includes American Eagle, Samsung, Coca-Cola, Levi Strauss & Co., and the Times Square vertical sign on One Times Square. The district is a concentrated entertainment and advertising corridor centered on the Broadway theater area and one of New York City's most heavily visited commercial intersections.

NYPD traffic officer directing pedestrians at a Times Square crosswalk in Manhattan. — *September 1, 2019* — NYPD traffic officer at a Times Square crosswalk in Manhattan. The officer manages pedestrian movement at a busy Midtown intersection amid heavy foot traffic and temporary construction barriers. Times Square is one of New York City's highest-volume pedestrian districts, requiring regular traffic control by the New York Police Department.

Spray-paint artist making a sidewalk painting in Times Square, Manhattan, with yellow taxis passing behind. — *May 17, 2005* — Spray-paint artist at work in Times Square, Manhattan, in May 2005. The vendor is producing an aerosol painting for sale on the sidewalk, a type of quick street art commonly offered to pedestrians in the district. Times Square supported a mix of commercial entertainment, street performers, and informal vendors during this period.

Ernst & Young Building and illuminated billboards in Times Square, Manhattan, with yellow taxis and the recruiting station. — *May 17, 2005* — The Ernst & Young Building and surrounding billboards line Times Square in Manhattan, New York City. The corridor is a concentrated center of large-format electronic advertising within the Broadway theater and retail district. The U.S. Armed Forces Recruiting Station and heavy taxi traffic identify the plaza area at one of Times Square's busiest intersections in May 2005.

Virgin Megastore and Loews Theatres on Broadway in Times Square with music billboards and yellow taxis. — *May 16, 2005* — Virgin Megastore and Loews Theatres at Times Square in Manhattan occupied a prominent entertainment retail frontage on Broadway in 2005. Billboard advertising for Stevie Wonder and System of a Down dates the site to the mid-2000s, when record labels, theater chains, and national brands dominated the district's large-format signage. The Virgin Megastore was one of the chain's major New York locations before the brand withdrew from the U.S. market later in the decade.

Good Morning America billboard on a curved Sony sign in Times Square, Manhattan. — *May 16, 2005* — The Good Morning America billboard in Times Square, Manhattan, occupies a curved Sony electronic sign above the street. The display promotes ABC's morning program with the show's logo and on-air talent. Large commercial screens like this are a defining feature of Times Square's media and advertising district.

Times Square, Manhattan, with yellow taxi cabs, pedestrians, and large commercial billboards in May 2005. — *May 16, 2005* — Times Square, Manhattan, with yellow taxi cabs moving through the theater district beneath large commercial billboards. Visible advertising includes LG, Sony, GMC, Wrigley, and The Lion King, identifying the area as a major entertainment and retail corridor in Midtown. The image dates to May 2005.

Times Square

Minneapolis Photographer