Times Square
Times Square happens where Seventh Avenue meets Broadway.
Impressions of the Site
A brief timeline
1872: Intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue designated as Longacre Square.
1894: Enactment of the Rapid Transit Act, plans for a station on Longacre Square.
1895: Olympia Theater opens, sparking development of Theater District.
1900: Construction of the Interborough Rapid Transit system (IRT) begins.
1904: Times Building opens.
April: Intersaction renamed Times Square by resolution of Mayor George B. McClellan.
September: Hotel Astor opens.
1905: IRT starts operating. Times Square station serves 5 million passengers.
1920: Prohibition starts.
1927: Paramount Building opens at 1501 Broadway, housing the Paramount Theater.
1928: Debut of the electronic electric news sign belt.
1929: Great Depression changes economic fortunes of Times Square, descent begins.
1933: End of Prohibition.
1966: Introduction of the 25 cent peep show.
1970s-80s: It's dark times in Times Square.
External Reads
A splendid account on Times Square‘s changing fortunes is by Carmen Nigro of the New York Public Library.
↳ Available online at the Library's website.