I saw it at its worst, and have no nostalgia for the seedy days. On the other hand, it was always a little seedy. Naughty. Crowded and loud, garish and refined, cheap and dear.

And, as the picture on the left shows: lonely.

Above: an old movie view from the 20s. To the left: late at night, when the city that never sleeps had agreed on a short nap. What follows are images from Times Square from its first days to the 70s, which a few stops at a restaurant and a look through a 1960s hotel brochure. This site was originally put up in the early Oughts, and has been resized, rewritten, and improved for your entertainment. Enjoy!

That’s what you do at Times Square, you know.

Lileks
2014

PS: Clicking on the main picture will advance you to the next page.