Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Video: This Early '90s News Segment Declares "Times Square Has Changed"
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 12, 2015
Modified Apr 6, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 12, 2015
Modified Apr 6, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The current battle over painted ladies and aggressive Elmos in Times Square is part of a long history of turbulence in the crossroads of the world. While the Daily News and NY Post have been hyperventilating about the topless Times Square of 2015, this ABC report from 1992 reminds us how dramatically the area has transformed. The segment is part profile on the "Mayor of 42nd Street" Richard Falk, and part snapshot of a changing Times Square, in which reporter Judd Rose declares: "Times, and Times Square, have changed."
At the time, Dick Falk was moving out of his longtime office in the area, after being the only holdout left in the entire 12 story building where he ran his PR business. The developers eventually won, and tore the building down.
In the segment, Rose tells Falk, "The glamorous 42nd Street that you promoted for all these years... look around, I see runaways, I see hookers, I see the homeless." But Falk has a well-spun retort ready: "Why do they come here? It must be comfortable, they don't come here because it's bad, they come here because they like it."
Alas, Rose declares that "the sad and simple truth is that this fabled avenue faded long ago." At the time, the state of New York was determined to fix that, and had a $2.5 billion redevelopment plan in the works (new mayor Rudy Giuliani would subsequently take credit for the revitalization of Times Square). For more on all that, head over here for a much longer discussion on what the NY Times called "the largest urban renewal effort ever undertaken in this country." [h/t Reddit]
Tagged
1990s
1992
flashback
news segment
Times Square
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .