Times Square in the 1970s

[El Hombre Nuclear]

Yeah, many parts of NYC in the '70s and '80s were pretty insane. Both of my parents lived in Manhattan in the very early '70s, just before I was born, and have plenty of good photos and stories. I was there frequently myself from the late '70s and throughout the '80s (my hometown being just a few miles away), and I often joke that "Escape From New York" was actually a documentary.

[palitoy]

Not that Toronto was ever anywhere near what 70's-80's Times Square or 42nd Street was like, but I miss the sleazy businesses that used to line Yonge Street downtown. It was an eye opening experience for a visiting small town young lad like myself.

Oh yeah, it was a much smaller scale but i was a moth to that light bulb andwas down there twice a month as a teen. Miss the head shops, record stores, scuzzy theatres (that played a lot of exploitation) and the arcades. I spent the night downtown this summer with a view of that strip, it's so....corporate now.

I also miss the seedy Queen Street of the mid 1980s, clothing stores in old school buses and new comic shops would pop up every ten minutes.

[Godzilla]

Those pictures give me a Basket Case feel.

[Mikey]

Seeing those pictures made me think of the first time I seen the movie Hardcore with George C Scott.

Nasty movie that scared the poop out of me - especially the snuff part.

Never knew what a snuff film even was before that movie.

Before that the dirtiest movie I seen was Beverly D'Angelo's boobies in Hair

[Allie Fox]

For those of us that remember and experienced Times Square in those days, it is hard to describe to folks today who only know it as the place with Good Morning America, Mtv, Toys R Us and the Hershey's store. As a kid we would walk a few blocks out of the way just to avoid the area.

I once went on a field trip with my Cub Scout pack to the Empire State Building. As we walked through Times Square, the Den Moms kept telling us to keep our heads down and look at the back of the shoes of the boy in front of you.

[El Hombre Nuclear]

For those of us that remember and experienced Times Square in those days, it is hard to describe to folks today who only know it as the place with Good Morning America, Mtv, Toys R Us and the Hershey's store. As a kid we would walk a few blocks out of the way just to avoid the area.

I once went on a field trip with my Cub Scout pack to the Empire State Building. As we walked through Times Square, the Den Moms kept telling us to keep our heads down and look at the back of the shoes of the boy in front of you.

This makes me think of the innumerable, infernal school field trips we took to the Statue of Liberty back then. Every single time, we would be herded inside and forced into a grim death march to the top, in near darkness and sweltering heat, on that seemingly endless winding spiral staircase of doom. Then after about one minute of looking at the view from the top, it was all the way back down again, plunging into the black abyss... It was like a real-life version of "Short Walk to Daylight".

[HardyGirl]

I remember doing that once in day camp. Thankfully, we got to take a break and eat lunch when we finished climbing the base, in the outdoor area. Then up those blasted stairs. And no we couldn't take the crowded elevator. *sigh*

Back to Times Square, there were 3 good things I remember about it. One was this cool billboard that was a cigarette ad, and had real smoke coming out of the lady's mouth. That kept me entertained while I waited for the crosstown bus w/ my mom. Another is the real movie theatres (not the X rated ones) were open all night. Whenever there was a power failure in our building, or it was just too hot to sleep. My dad would take us to an all night movie theatre. That's where I saw "Roller Coaster" in "Surround Sound". Which brings me to the third thing. There was a place near the theatre where you could get real fruit leather, (before they started sellings those dumb "Fruit Roll-Ups" ) and milkshakes in cool flavors like papaya. We would stop in there before we went in the theatre.

This makes me think of the innumerable, infernal school field trips we took to the Statue of Liberty back then. Every single time, we would be herded inside and forced into a grim death march to the top, in near darkness and sweltering heat, on that seemingly endless winding spiral staircase of doom. Then after about one minute of looking at the view from the top, it was all the way back down again, plunging into the black abyss... It was like a real-life version of "Short Walk to Daylight".

[samurainoir]

I definitely mourn Queen St. W between University and Spadina the most. It doesn't feel like there is anything on that stretch that is of any interest to me anymore. The Rex and The Horseshoe still remain, but I rarely go out for live music anymore. There is no longer ANY booksellers on the strip, and even Chapters has fled the neighbourhood after putting them all out of business. Although the WannabeMego clan and I did have some Korean BBQ there a few weeks back.

World's Biggest Bookstore went away, but there is still BMV, HMV, Hairy Tarantula, and now Silver Snail in the Yonge Street Dundas Square area.

Oh yeah, it was a much smaller scale but i was a moth to that light bulb andwas down there twice a month as a teen. Miss the head shops, record stores, scuzzy theatres (that played a lot of exploitation) and the arcades. I spent the night downtown this summer with a view of that strip, it's so....corporate now.

I also miss the seedy Queen Street of the mid 1980s, clothing stores in old school buses and new comic shops would pop up every ten minutes.

[samurainoir]

Having just returned from NYC, Times Square is definitely a pumped up spectacle. The big Toys R Us is worth popping into, but to me the costumed characters vying for photos and your spare change on Broadway is seedier than anything from the 70's or 80's. I feel like i'd need a vat of purell to bathe in if that Olaff that trailed me down broadway actually got his mitts on me.

I do applaud them making stretches of Broadway much more pedestrian friendly by closing blocks or lanes to traffic.