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New Car-Free Zones Make Times Square 36% Less Disgusting

May 30, 2009 at 4:12 PM | by Victor Ozols | 2 Comments

Most tourists don't realize this, but real New Yorkers don't hang out in Times Square. In fact, they avoid it whenever possible, giving a wide berth to the crowds packing Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. and the ESPN Zone in favor of more authentic hangouts downtown. But Times Square suddenly got a whole lot more palatable to natives this week with the introduction of several new pedestrian-only zones, where you can hang out and gawk at all the neon and plasma without worrying about being mowed down by a taxi. It was a move I never thought I'd see in a city that has seemingly favored drivers over walkers in recent years, so I had to check it out. Armed with a camera and a copy of The New Yorker, I explored the new car-free oasis of Times Square during my lunch hour on Thursday, and I've got to tell you: it's great.

Sitting on a lawn chair in the middle of Broadway in the middle of Times Square, I felt like I was pulling some kind of a prank, like those guys that carried a couch around town and hung out on the sidewalk in various locations. But no, this was the real deal, five blocks of Broadway are blocked to traffic and filled with lawn chairs, perfect for catching some sun, reading a book, or just people-watching. I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to distinguish the different sounds I heard: snippets of conversation, the bell from a nut vendor, a hawker trying to get people to see a comedy show. I opened them to see a young couple kissing. So sweet!

It's unlikely that Times Square will become my new favorite neighborhood, but I like it a lot more now that I don't have to navigate the packed sidewalks to a nonstop chorus of car horns. Who knows, maybe the trend will catch on and pedestrian-only zones will start cropping up around the country. As in New York, drivers will hate it at first, but they'll adjust and pretty soon we'll all appreciate a renaissance in public squares.

[Photo: Victor Ozols]

Related Stories:
· Pedestrians are a Big Part of Broadway's New Outdoor Show [USA Today]
· Pedestrians Only on Broadway, Please! [Jaunted]

2 Comments

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Return to » New Car-Free Zones Make Times Square 36% Less Disgusting

  1. juliana

    Jaunted Contributing Editor

    It's great

    I cruised through Times Square by foot the other day and the car-free zone got me to my destination a lot faster. However, it was funny to watch the people who didn't quite believe that it was a car-free zone. They would stick to the sidewalks but all the while watching the people walking in the street or parking it in the lawn chairs.
    May 31, 2009 at 10:03 PM
    #Permalink

  1. JetSetCD

    Jaunted Member

    nap time

    I totally kicked it on one of the green chaises during the bright noon sun yesterday. Twas nice, but Times Square is still a slightly smelly area.
    June 1, 2009 at 11:58 AM
    Parent #Permalink

Return to » New Car-Free Zones Make Times Square 36% Less Disgusting

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