The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Times Square
in New York City. Formed by the intersection of Broadway, Seventh Ave., and 42d St., this famous square was named (1904) for the building there that formerly belonged to the New York Times. The building, located in the center of the square, is still famous for the outdoor news “zipper” that displays up-to-the-minute news. Times Square and the adjacent area form one of the most concentrated entertainment districts in the nation, featuring legitimate theaters, motion picture houses, shops, newsstands, bars, and restaurants. During the 1970s and 80s, the area became notorious for pornographic theaters and general tawdriness, but it was cleaned up and revived in the 1990s. Broadway at Times Square, jammed with traffic and illuminated by a profusion of enormous electrical signs, is known as the “Great White Way.” On New Year’s Eve, close to a million people congregate there to celebrate.
