Times Square stakeholders have begun to raise the specter of "too much of a good thing," as the crowds flocking to Times Square threaten to squeeze the life out of the place.
"The Crossroads of the World has never been more popular. And that is becoming a problem," reports Charles V. Bagli. There is a lot of evidence that Times Square is more popular and, economically at least, more successful than ever. Retail rents are second only to Fifth Avenue, and Broadway shows set a record for attendance last year.
But according to Bagli, "[the] same reason that retailers and advertisers lust after a Times Square location is the same reason that others now find it unbearable: the crowds." In fact, "[few] landlords are willing to talk about the issue [of crowding] publicly for fear of turning their concerns into reality. But companies are dealing with the problem in small and large ways." Such measures include adding amenities in the building so employees don't have to leave and generally never setting foot in Times Square.
Bagli notes that since 1996, the number of tourists visiting Times Square has doubled to an estimated 40 million. Figuring prominently in the surge, according to Bagli, was the pedestrian friendly makeover Times Square received in 2009. After the city closed a stretch of Broadway between 42nd and 47th Streets, "the number of pedestrians in Times Square has jumped to as high as 480,000 a day, from about 350,000 before 2009."
FULL STORY: Times Square’s Crushing Success Raises Questions About Its Future
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