New York, New York, It's a Helluva Town!

Last night my sister read me a poem her 10 yr old daughter Ashley wrote. It was beautiful, all about New York, quite the little writer, she's also super smart and not only book smart, she just has a wild imagination, an incredible vocabulary and the skills of an attorney when arguing her side of a disagreement or what she thinks are unreasonable rules her parents enforce on her. Though born and raised in New England, she's been to New York many times as most our family lives in this area. She's been to Manhattan more times than I was at the age of ten, went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and I've lived here my whole life and have only seen it on TV! I think she's even going to see Mary Poppins on Broadway when they all come down for Thanksgiving. She and brother Shane love New York Italian ices, Italian bread and bagels! My sister too misses her Brooklyn pizza and Chinese food, it's just not the same in New England. And her husband after tasting his first real bagel had me bringing smelly onion bagels on the plane, I always felt like everyone thought I never bathed!

I think Ashley's poem was about her love of New York, and the excitement of the city now. It's lit up like a Christmas tree all year round in Times Square, I'm even amazed at it. I also think along with her visits to our great city, she is with family, especially her cousins, they are a little gang and for the most part are best friends, I love how they love each other!

Then this morning I was watching the news and they were talking about how they are going to be changing Times Square even more than it already has. It's going to be a big open plaza, no curbs, with benches and lots of walking room. I think it's a great idea, much safer for all, it's way too crowded now. Not at all like it was when I starting working in Times Square in 1978.

I worked at RKO on 40th and Broadway until 1986, not the safest area. As you can see from the pictures there were X-rated shows everywhere. It was on the tip on the fashion district and below 40th it was much nicer, safer. Herald Square, Macy's and Gimbels too.



A Horn and Hardart Automat restaurant! They had food behind small glass windows and you put coins in and then the door would open and you would take your soup, or pie, whatever. That chain probably went out of business not long after I stopped working in Times Square.


The next time I worked in Times Square was in 2002 and 2003. Way different! Times Square was amazing! I even gawked at the lights and the stores just like all the tourists! But I worked on 45th and Broadway, right in the center of the madness!

My office was above Planet Hollywood (pictured here to the left) and the huge Virgin Records store, also a block away from the Toys R Us with the ferris wheel. It was packed at all hours of the day and night.


And I can't forget "The Naked Cowboy"! His regular spot was right in the middle of Broadway down the block from my office. He would stand on a little island in the middle of busy traffic. He's one of the many crazy, interesting street entertainers you'll find all over the city, on streets, in the subways, on the Staten Island Ferry, parks, everywhere. People would stop in the middle of the street with him to take their picture.

Me? Well I never stopped for a picture, but I certainly did walk slower than I normally did!

I can't wait to see what the new Times Square will look like. I never would have imagined all those years ago that it would look like it does now. I know people of my parents generation are amazed, they remember how great Times Square was when they were growing up and then watched it go downhill. They used to go to movies in Times Square, even theaters where you saw a movie followed by live entertainment. I think Frank Sinatra even got his start singing at the Paramount Theatre in Times Square after a movie? Maybe one of you know? Tell me! Dance Halls. Then it got seedy.

But it's come back, like so many places in New York have!

New York, New York!
It's a helluva town!