Revealing the Dark Side of NYC’s Iconic Times Square!

Times Square is often hailed as 'The Crossroads of the World', but like any place worth its salt, it has a darker side rarely seen by the millions of tourists it welcomes each year.

The Notorious 42nd Street

Once known for its grand theaters, the stretch of 42nd Street abutting Times Square became infamous in the 1960s through the 1980s for its decline into a haven for crime, drugs, and sex work.

Hubert's Museum and Live Flea Circus

This peculiar attraction was a notable part of the more unconventional side of Times Square, hosting live 'flea circuses' and sideshow performers. It thrived on the fringes of legality and respectability.

Peep Shows and Adult Bookstores

Another aspect of Times Square's seedier past includes the proliferation of adult-oriented establishments, from peep shows to adult bookstores, which dominated the landscape during its darker times.

The 'Disneyfication' of Times Square

In the mid-1990s, Times Square began a dramatic transformation, with a concerted effort by city officials and corporations like Disney to clean up the area and make it more family-friendly, a move that has been both lauded and criticized.

Times Square is a testament to New York's ability to continuously reinvent itself. Despite its sanitized modern image, the echoes of its grittier past continue to add depth to this iconic place.