It’s easy to feel overstimulated in Times Square, a section of New York City that is always “on” day and night.
Bright lights, the smell of roasted nuts (and other not so pleasant things), costumed characters and congestion. Basically, if Las Vegas and Hollywood Boulevard had a child, it would be Times Square.
Now there’s talk of opening a casino in the area. If that comes to fruition, would you go?
Why A Casino In Times Square?
The New York Times reports that “SL Green Realty Corporation, and the gambling giant Caesars Entertainment” are spearheading the idea.
The Times added, “the proposal has enormous implications for Times Square, the symbolical and economic heart of the American theater industry, and a key part of the city’s office-driven economy.”
There Are Potential Roadblocks
Wynn Resorts and Related Companies, a real estate development company, are already pushing for a casino the Hudson Yards area.
There are bids pending in Queens and Brooklyn as well.
The Times said, “there is no assurance that the New York State Gaming Commission will place a casino in Manhattan, let alone Times Square, one of the world’s more complex logistical and economic regions.”
There Might Be Pushback From The Public And Others
Not too long ago, there were no pedestrian plazas in Times Square. Pedestrians were restricted to the sidewalks.
When they were finally installed, some of the public as well as “late-night talk show hosts” complained that they would change the character of the area.
With time, the plazas “were embraced as an innovative foray in urban design.”
Some Worry A Casino Would Cause Times Square To Backslide
Times Square used to be quite seedy, and there’s concern that adding a casino would cause the area to “backslide.”
The former mayor, Rudy Giuliani, took credit for the “cleaning up” of Times Square. The area used to be littered with crime, drug use and peep shows.
However, as reported by CBS News in 2007, “state agencies had plans in place to develop 42nd Street well before Giuliani.”
