Anyone remember Times Square and 42nd St in the 80s?

[Dave13]

Interesting article on what 42nd and Times Square was during the 80s compared to now. Probably another reason for the soaring ticket prices along Broadway.  

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/18/us/80s-times-square-then-and-now/index.html

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Bring those days back, please. 

[smidge]

I remember it. Kind of scary. But I would rather walk past nympho sluts  than Minions and Elmos.

[mailhandler777]

^^No thank you. I'd rather deal with a crowd of people over getting murdered and seeing XXX porn stuff all over the place.

[bunnie3]

Nathan's,  Orange Julius, 3 HoJo s,  porno, heroin, pimps,  hookers, Times Sq. low tech arcades, gangs, the Colony Record store. Yea yea!  Bring back the slime!  I miss you, old Times Sq. $ 1.00 standing room.  I saw every show back then.

[Jordan Catalano]

Bring back the days when tourists were scared to even go to 8th Ave. 

[pc1145N2]

It was a little scary....but very exciting!

[backwoodsbarbie]

Blame Disney....and Giuliani

[Jordan Catalano]

I blame Hamilton.

[Jane2]

"^^No thank you. I'd rather deal with a crowd of people over getting murdered and seeing XXX porn stuff all over the place."

You can get murdered in every part of the city.

[StageStruckLad]

Bring back the Gaeity! But maybe not the punch bowl in the refreshments room. 

[uncageg]

Does anybody remember the Brew Burger restaurants? Ate at those in the late 70's. Have no clue when they closed them but always ate there when I came up from PA.

[bunnie3]

 Brew Burger and Steak n Brew, and Zum Zum.

[Mr Roxy]

Bring back the deuce. Miss Playland ,HoJo's ,and definitely the arcades.

 

Those were the good old days - almost.

[bunnie3]

And the Roxy, and the Astor

[pmensky]

It was amazing.  I remember the pimps and prostitutes, the elaborate graffiti in the subway cars, the bathrooms in the subway stations, the bitchy waiters at Barrymore's restaurant, the tourists clambering to get into Mamma Leone's, the bacon burgers at McHale's, and the roaches at Beefsteak Charlie's,

[Jordan Catalano]

But now we have The Olive Garden, TGI Fridays and Shake Shack! 

[Mr Roxy]

Roxy was torn down in 1960.

[bunnie3]

Yes, Roxy, the Roxy half demolished, the pix of Gloria Swanson, the inspiration for Follies!

[givesmevoice]

I wish there was something in between maybe getting murdered and maybe getting assaulted by an off-brand Elmo. Like just a normal pedestrian plaza.

[GavestonPS]

I didn't mind 8th Avenue or 42nd Street myself (though my husband was mugged in the middle of a crowd in Times Square). But it was a bit dicey with two children under the age of 12. To this day, I instinctively drop to the back of any walking group in order to watch out for stragglers.

[Mr Roxy]

Once the Roxy went, the rest of the palaces were picked off one by one until there were none

[bunnie3]

And let's not forget the Morosco and the Helen Hayes, and the Bijou.  The day the wrecking ball came was a day I will never forget.  And all those hundreds of famous and not famous actors out there, crying their eyes out.  Too little, too late....the petitions lost out.

[Mr Roxy]

One of the bad things about Times Square now are the street performers. Good thing they are allegedly restricted to certain areas. One Canadian tourist will not be singing NY praises back home . One approached her and without provocation belted her right in the mouth. He has had previous run ins with the law but naturally he went thru the NYC revolving door of justice and was repeatedly let out. Does wonders for NY image.

 

[bunnie3]

Yeah, I almost miss all those 3 card monte guys and their shills and lookouts, unfortunately, the tourists are mostly as vacant/distracted/dumb as ever.  Who let's their cute blonde children be hugged by some stranger in Times Sq??  Oh, and opening your wallet to some random dude. Oh, I just shudder when I see this!