1970's New York City

[Taz]

Any idea what the building rising on the corner in the Google Maps image is/is going to be? I avoid Times Square like it's the plague , so I had no idea something was even being built on the corner of 8th and 42nd.

Also, if you look at the Google Street View image and go south along 42nd from 8th ave to 40th and look west towards the river, what are those towers rising along 40th?

With the AMC Empire 25 moved a couple of hundred feet to the west, right about where the Blimpie used to sit.

[lofter1]

This is what is going up there:

Times Square Plaza - 11 Times Square - 42nd St @ 8th Ave - by FX Fowle Architects

[londonlawyer]

NY was a real POS in the 1970s.

[bigscore]

I know all about work trains and the subway system, my dad is a retired train conductor :-). I doubt that's an out of service station that far down the east side, and most of the stations further north have 2 platforms separated by 4 tracks and nothing else. This is definitely a station on the west side, most likely around Chelsea.

Edit - The homeless still use the tunnels to access stations. Nothing's changed in 40 years

You might be right about Chelsea...

Although there are these type of stations downtown on the "J" line which stops at Canal and connects to the "R" and the "IRT" line after a long walk and many mazes.

[lofter1]

But a fantastically exciting POS

NY was a real POS in the 1970s.

[londonlawyer]

I agree with you, Lofter. However, that excitement was due to the fact that the nation -- and the world -- were in the midst of "revolution". Opposition to Viet Nam was raging, the civil rights movement was reaching new heights, etc. Events like that spur creativity. As that ebbed and world-wide stability emerged in the late 80's, the excitement and creativity that pervaded NY and other world cities was bound to recede, and it did. The physical look of the city did not contribute to or deter from creativity and excitement; indeed, whether the city looked like a dump or not was independent from the cultural events that fostered creativity. That being said, I much prefer the look of today's NY.

[bigscore]

With the AMC Empire 25 moved a couple of hundred feet to the west, right about where the Blimpie used to sit.

Do you guys remember that giant "Nathans"? I think it used to be on 43rd & Bway...

[lofter1]

Oh, yeah -- right where the NASDAQ fun house is now.

Here's a shot from the '80s looking towards the SE (with the white stripes of the former Verizon Building at Sixth / 42nd barely visible beyond):



LINK

Same corner about 100 years ago (with the Knickerbocker Hotel building visible at top right):



LINK

[brianac]

Do you guys remember that giant "Nathans"? I think it used to be on 43rd & Bway...

[Taz]

You're right about the J line, which terminates at Broad and Wall. It's essentially a local Z train. I've never been on either, so I'm not sure what the stations look like. I'll have to hop on the J one day and see for myself.

I actually had the J confused with the V for a minute as being the 2nd Ave/LES line, which I've also never seen south of W 4th. I'm still fairly certain the picture in question is in Chelsea, but hopefully somebody else can clarify.

You might be right about Chelsea...

Although there are these type of stations downtown on the "J" line which stops at Canal and connects to the "R" and the "IRT" line after a long walk and many mazes.

[stache]

If it's Chelsea it looks like the F, imo.

[cinerama]

Has anyone got any photos inside our outside the magic shop/arcade that used to be on 52 (or 53rd?) and Broadway?

[stache]

Was it on the east side of Broadway?

[GordonGecko]

Same corner about 100 years ago (with the Knickerbocker Hotel building visible at top right):



LINK

I've been looking for a good corset store, this is the clue I've been looking for!

[ZippyTheChimp]

No wonder women couldn't vote.