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Originally Posted by carenkh  I'm really glad we saw Times Square when we visited. I *was* a tourist - I didn't want to pretend otherwise. So, there I was, with all the other tourists, looking up, going "Wow! That's really big!" at the big screens.  And I bought a couple of reasonably priced souvenirs. It was fun! |
I have to admit that I probably got carried away bashing Times Square.
It sure is impressive the first couple of times. But I've been living close by for the last 4 years and to me modern Times Square is symbolic for what's going wrong in the city's development, i.e. to give the city over to corporate interests nearly exclusively, and in the process losing what's made New York great in the first place: its small family-owned businesses, diversity of people (in background and income), diverse neighborhoods and a sense of community.
When you're in Manhattan, just try to find a single new building that is not a box-shaped luxury condominium; Starbucks and bank branches are on every block in midtown, sprinkled with the ubiquitous Duane Reade drugstore chain.
--- got carried away again; rant stops here ---