As New York City grew, Time Square also became a cultural hub with theaters and music halls and became known as the theater district.
In its beginnings Time Square was a place to be seen. It was a place to see celebrities and the wealthy. During the 1910’s and 20’s Time Square was considered one of the most desirable locations in Manhattan. During this period the area became corrupted and crime ridden due to the gambling and prostitution that was moving into the area.
From the Great Depression of the 1930s until the early 1990s the neighborhood surrounding Time Square became exceedingly dangerous. From the 1960s till the 90’s the area became filled with smut and adult entertainment. Drug addicts lined the street.
In the 1980s Mayor Ed Koch saw the decline of Time Square as a huge problem. If Time Square wasn’t safe, then the entire city was not safe. In order to attract tourists, Times Square needed to be cleaned up.
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani continued the cleanup efforts starting in the mid 1990s until the early 2000s creating the Time Square we know today. This was achieved by increasing security, closing adult theaters and forcing drug dealers out of the area. Many of the old theaters have been restored and are used to house Broadway shows today. This transformation was done with the help of Disney which invested heavily to turn Time Square into a family friendly environment.
In 2009 Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that Time Square would be turned into a pedestrian plaza to ease traffic around midtown. It started by closing off multiple lanes and turning Broadway and seventh Ave. into one south running street. This was first done on a temporary basis of a year to measure its success.
In 2011, Times Square became smoke free.
In 2011, Times Square became smoke free.
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