Tourists Should Avoid Tourism at Filthy 42nd Street / Times Square NYC

     You will never hear a NYer welcome you to Times Square!  I advise my friends and visitors to avoid it.  Despite its globally advertised presence, it doesn't make sense to spend your time there.
     Some places are inflicted by bad energy throughout history.  Centuries ago, the area of Times Square was swampland.  It seems like things haven't changed much.  Let me show you...

From the turn-of-the-century, the area developed into a more posh district.  Broadway theatre and cinema brought a well-heeled crowd.

It was, perhaps, its most orderly and clean in the 1930/40s.

Compare the signage above--an indication of social decency--with the deteriorated signage of the 1970s and 1980s, below

Forty-second street was allowed to become an alley of peep shows, street prostitutes, and drugs.

In fact, the city's return to a Boss Tweed-style era of corruption/squandering/theft (sadly right after the hey-day Mayor LaGuardia rejuvenation) brought scorn.

City government allowed that grime and slovenly behavior to continue unmitigated until Disney came along and wanted to "clean up Times Square", so it could produce new Broadway shows.

Its costly renovation of the New Amsterdam Theatre (above) literally paved the way for a restored interest in Broadway--which brings lots of tourists/visitors.

Sadly, Broadway's "theatre district" is amidst the disgust of Times Square / 42nd Street.

     It is the most congested part of the city.  Underneath, it has the most subway lines, underground train tunnels, pipes, and passageways.  Therefore,  you'd think the city would treat it as a priority... like orderly city centers in other countries.  But it doesn't.  Instead, it lets unknowing tourists fend for themselves amidst of sea of humanity and unkept filth.

Lets see the area from above.

See how all those Times Square lights are merely facades that cover grimy buildings?  They are wrapped over unkept buildings like shiny paper that covers crappy food.

In reality, there's not much attractive about the area.

So, why do folks want to go?  I have no idea!  It can't be the food...

     Who would want to pay money for "street meat" that's been prepared amidst automobile exhaust, street dust, and construction debris?

Nobody with intelligence should shun the locally-sourced eateries to instead eat at American corporate chain-restaurants.

What's the point of traveling to Manhattan (a food capital of the world) and only wasting your time at CHAIN RESTAURANTS?!  Don't you want to try some REAL local food?  If you do, get out of Times Square

because the "local eateries" there (below) serve food that is marginally better than the flash-frozen food at the chain restaurants.

(There are a few exceptions on Restaurant Row, 46th Street). It's often mind boggling as to why people want to EAT in Times Square.  Of all the beautiful places in the city, they choose to eat there!

The scenery of Times Square isn't very attractive.  It's not full of "real New Yorkers"; it's full of "carnival animals".

All of these people "throwing their money away" attracts more hawkers, street salesmen, beggars, and con artists.

If it weren't for the tourists, only the unknowing suburbanites (wearing the statistical Ugg boots) would go there.

Or the folks unwittingly attending New Years in Times Sq.

     Of the people I know who've spent New Year's in Times Square, they ALL greatly disliked it.  Still, waves of more people come to take their place... like moths to a flame.

How do they arrive in Times Square?  Whichever way, it shows them the disgusting attributes of the area IMMEDIATELY

Many folks arrive at Times Square via the Port Authority (another famously corrupt group) Bus Terminal...

A blight on the neighborhood, it resembles the drab buildings

     Lots of other people arrive via all the subways under 42nd Street.  

...equally full of squalor...

For such an important station, it's amazing that the modern-day Metropolitan Transit Authority allows it to get so run-down, overheated, and dirty.

Anyone driving to Times Square must fight the traffic jams and endures overpriced parking.

     Once people have endured their arrival to Times Square--and after they see the pretty lights for a moment--what else is there to see?  Why come all that way to see THIS surrounding area?

     Hotels--that look like Communist-era "block" style buildings--sprouted up on streets that are truly "back alleys" of Manhattan.

Thanks to my friends who are costume designers, dancers, actors, choreographers, and musical theatre producers, people are still attracted to the talent of Broadway shows.

But it also brings tons of aimless tourists who clog the area

     I hope that fans of Broadway spend their money supporting local organizations (instead of charlatans and national chains), and maybe even lobby for the improvement of the district that their tour guides and travel agencies sent them to.

Too bad so many moths arrive at a flame that is inconvenient, dirty, grungy, congested, and distasteful.  They often squander a whole day to inspect the area, instead of discovering "jewels" like re-invented Hell's Kitchen & revamped Lincoln Center (to the north), restored Bryant Park & the Library (to the east), or the rejuvenated Village(s) (to the south).

Go back and look at the pictures again to see if this is a place you'd want to visit.