Anyone remember Times Square and 42nd St in the 80s?- Page 2

[bunnie3]

Posted: 5/14/16 at 11:39pm

Yeah, I almost miss all those 3 card monte guys and their shills and lookouts, unfortunately, the tourists are mostly as vacant/distracted/dumb as ever.  Who let's their cute blonde children be hugged by some stranger in Times Sq??  Oh, and opening your wallet to some random dude. Oh, I just shudder when I see this!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/14/16 at 11:42pm

They are accidents waiting to happen. They are also a HUGE security risk as we have no idea who is in Mickey and Elmo.

[bunnie3]

Posted: 5/14/16 at 11:52pm

Never thought of that, but I have spoken to some of the security, and they pretty much know ALL the costume people.  There s also tons of undercover cops all the time in TS.  (I live 2 blocks away).

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/14/16 at 11:56pm

If someone is in one of those costumes, who is to know who is inside and what is in there with them.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 1:27am

Oh, yes, that hot potato salad at Zum Zum; also miss that tacky Howard Johnson's and the big Nathan's at 42nd St.; and attending the Merv Griffin show at the Little Theatre (OK, that might have been the '70s). I remember when Bond's was a clothing store, not an overpriced eatery that figured in a couple of "Smash" episodes.

Updated On: 5/15/16 at 01:27 AM

[ArtMan]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 8:10am

PThespian said: "I saw them arresting Elmo the other day. My friend who was with me actually knew one of the arresting officers. 

Seems Elmo had been caught selling molly. 

Only in NYC would a drug dealer be moonlighting as Elmo or vice versa. 

 

"

Now that's funny.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 8:10am

Double post

Updated On: 5/15/16 at 08:10 AM

[ArtMan]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 8:10am

Not that funny for a triple post.

Updated On: 5/15/16 at 08:10 AM

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 8:36am

The free hug guy they arrested on Thursday for punching the tourist after she didn't tip him had prior arrests. Some for assault. Seems he should be identified by security and banned from Times Square.

[AnnieBlack]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 8:41am

While nostalgia is lovely, I remember walking from seeing a show, to the parking lot where my parents parked their car for the drive back to the suburbs being terrifying- You would walk as quickly as possible, and then the drive back, hitting the lincoln tunnel and trying to avoid the squeegee guys was just as terrifying. 

While the Olive Garden is annoying, I would take that over walking in fear down a street. 

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 10:09am

I get that we want a Times Square that is a little rough around the edges and unique and crazy, but to long for the days of high crime just so we don't have a Disney store? If people truly meant that, they would run out and start stabbing tourists in Times Square saying "this is how it should be! This is how it was in the 70's!"  But obviously, people are just romanticizing crime, prostitution, drug dealing, and murder. 

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 10:21am

I think New Yorkers long for the old days not for crime and murder, but for the grittiness. Perhaps you have to be from NY to understand our point of view." Disney-fying" takes some of NYC out of NYC.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 10:23am

Sadly this is becoming the new norm. I remember NY in the 60's. It had enough of the really great Times Square left before they started demolishing and/or closing everything that made it famous. Now , while safe but this is now even fleeting, it has turned into one giant Mall Of America. I could not recommend it to a tourist as it is really not worth it unless you have a show to go to or are staying there. Many things outside of the midtown areas are being eaten up by development so little by little there is getting to be less of a reason to come. Never thought I would say that. look at Boston. They still have a few of their larger theaters and they have Fenway Park. We tore than the original Yankee Stadium to help pay for the inflated salaries of ball players and lining the pockets of greedy owners. What a sad state of affairs. Oh well, nothing lasts forever.

Updated On: 5/15/16 at 10:23 AM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 10:26am

'80s Times Square was my playground when I played hookie from school. I went to school on 49th between 9th and 10th Avenues back when Hell's Kitchen was HELL'S KITCHEN. I walked past hookers, hustlers and porn theaters on my way to class, lol.

Ah, the good old days....

[Dave13]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 3:17pm

Would people camp out overnight for Hamilton tickets if this was the 80s? I often think the people camping out for Hamilton are prime targets to be robbed as many are carrying cash 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 3:21pm

Question # 1 - No

Question # 2 - Most definitely yes

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 3:40pm

And I posted in the wrong thread :P

Updated On: 5/15/16 at 03:40 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 3:50pm

No way there would ever be a revival as I doubt Sondheim or the other respective estates would allow it. When your creators constantly bad mouth it, it will not happen . I am surprised this actually made it to Encores.i

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 7:17pm

If you truly honestly wish that the 1970's era Times Square would return, then you should do something about it. Go find a garbage can and dump it out. Proposition someone for sex. Rob a tourist. Break the windows of the Disney store. If you are not willing to do these things, then I don't see how you can seriously be saying that that era was better, unless, once again, you are ROMANTICIZING it.  I am sure the woman who were pimped out, and the victims of crime of that era will not agree with your romanticizing. 

And for the record, you can have grit and rough-around-the-edges, New York City toughness WITHOUT pimps, drug dealers, and crime. 

[AnnieBlack]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 7:24pm

Very well said! I think the powers behind transforming 42nd street and times square should be lauded. 

and the reality behind yankee stadium was that it was a poorly designed aging stadium that needed to be replaced- 

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 7:28pm

My daughter and and son used to take the old 104 bus that went up 42nd street and turned down 8th avenue on the way to school. In the old days, my daughter used to cover her eyes when going down certain blocks to avoid all the x-rated pictures, films and certain people walking down the street. We laugh about it now but then it was difficult for a young teen to handle. My son handled it better but it was still a weird school bus ride. That part is definitely better now. 

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 7:49pm

If you New Yorkers are getting nostalgic, I'll gladly exchange the Latin Kings, Satan Disciples, Spanish Cobras, and Insane Dragons in the neighborhoods surrounding my house for your creepy street performers any day.  Or you're all welcome to come down to oak street beach off the mag mile on a nice hot day and experience the flash mob muggings and gang fights that seem to sprout up as soon as the weather gets above 90. 

 

I can see in some ways why New Yorkers are nostalgic for the grit, but be glad you don't lay in bed and play the "gunshot or fireworks" game all summer. I feel WAY safer walking around by myself in New York at night than most any other city, including my own yuppie neighborhood. Overall I don't think most people would really complain about the trade off when you're really talking a much safer New York (or at least a safer mid-town and most of Manhattan. I'm sure there are still plenty of rough parts of New York.) 

 

but what do I know?  I never lived there. All I know is when we stayed at the good old "mildew" plaza my mom wouldn't let me go out the 8th avenue exit. 

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 7:53pm

"If you truly honestly wish that the 1970's era Times Square would return, then you should do something about it. Go find a garbage can and dump it out. Proposition someone for sex. Rob a tourist"

I can do that anywhere in NYC, or anywhere not in NYC. 

"And for the record, you can have grit and rough-around-the-edges, New York City toughness WITHOUT pimps, drug dealers, and crime.

Really? Where is that to be found amongst all those movie theaters, live theaters, food (fast and fine), tourists,

native NYers, and those NEON SIGNS!

do  you live in NYC, Phantom?

 

Updated On: 5/15/16 at 07:53 PM

[AuntSuzzy]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 8:09pm

The influx of big money and private/public partnerships has made it worth it for theater owners to restore the beautiful Broadwsy theaters we have left. I can't think of one Broadway theater that hasn't been restored in the past 10-15 years. They're something for New Yorkers to be really proud of. So maybe there's some good from the Disney-fying?

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 5/15/16 at 8:52pm

Sorry Jane I had trouble following what you were saying. You can rob a Disney store anywhere.  That's what I got from your post.