From sleazy establishments to historic landmarks, Times Square has had it all.
New Year’s Eve always presents us with two options for the evening: go to a party, or stay in and watch the ball drop in Times Square on TV.
If you, like many of us, are in the latter category, you’re likely prepared to see a whole bunch of freezing, yet excited, tourists vying for camera time while wearing plastic glasses that advertise the coming year (ain’t no party like a Gregorian calendar party, cuz a Gregorian calendar party don’t stop!).
The Times Square you’ll see on TV, however, is one that is vastly different than the Times Square of yesteryear, and even the Times Square of just a decade ago. The block has changed identities numerous times, and while there are plenty of bright lights there today, the illumination can blind a person to what the area once was.
The following are 8 things you won’t see in Times Square when the ball drops on 2017.
The Sex Industry
Although it might be hard to imagine when you look at the current Times Square, the block was once replete with prostitutes, pimps and porn theaters. In fact, a 1981 article in Rolling Stone referred to West 42nd Street as the “sleaziest block in America.”
A 2001 law banning “adult enterprises” from being less than 500 feet apart played a large role in changing the area.
