Spotlight on Times Square Manhattan
Times Square is the world’s most iconic commercial intersection, located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The area extends from West 42nd to West 47th Streets, and is a mecca of business, shopping, and entertainment, recognizable by its iconic billboards, advertisements, and bright lights. Aptly nicknamed “The Center of the Universe,” Times Square is one of the world’s most visited tourist destinations, attracting over fifty million visitors annually, with anywhere from 330,000 to 460,000 people passing through the square on any given day.
Originally known as Longacre Square, after London’s Long Acre stables, the area became the center of New York’s carriage industry in the late 1870s. However, Oscar Hammerstein I opened the first theater there in 1895, and soon the area exploded with restaurants, cafes, hotels, and entertainment. Soon after, skyscrapers were developed in the area, the New York Times moved their operations there, a subway station was opened, and the quintessential New Year’s Eve ball drop began. In 1904, the name was officially changed to Times Square. By the end of World War I, Times Square has solidified itself as the cultural epicenter of the city, bursting with theatres, music halls, restaurants, and upscale hotels.
The area was given a much needed face lift during the 1990s, with the restoration of many of the Broadway theater houses, and a formation of the Times Square Alliance, a coalition dedicated to improving the quality of the district. Times Square is now filled with businesses, television networks, restaurants, and Broadway theaters. In recent years, new developments have aimed at making the area even more enjoyable for tourists and residents alike. A pedestrian plaza has opened along Broadway from 42nd Street to 47th Street, with the hope that it will reduce pollution and traffic, and cut down on accidents involving pedestrians.
Though Times Square is most known for businesses and tourism, over the past decade households in the area have increased by 15% percent. Newly built luxury condominiums entice buyers to the central hub of New York, by promising proximity to the bright lights of Broadway, while still offering beautiful and serene apartments. Growing numbers of young professionals and international buyers have been cashing in on the rise of Times Square’s residential buildings.
For information on the Times Square neighborhood and other exciting homes for sale in Manhattan, contact Robert DeFalco Realty at 718-748-7000 (NYC Service Office, member of Manhattan MLS) or stop by our conveniently located one-stop center at 8823 3rd Ave. in Brooklyn. 1678 Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island, 718-987-7900 for our Staten Island Office or in New Jersey at 315 Rte 34 in Colts Neck, 732-845-3200. Bi-lingual agents are available.
Robert DeFalco Realty is a member of the Manhattan Multiple Listing Service(MLS), Serving NYC, Brooklyn , Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island and New Jersey.
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