Sign of the Times: The Lure of 42nd Street

As the new Times Square takes shape, this is a good time to think about what’s special about it, the ways in which we love it and hate it and love to hate it. Since the completion and convergence of several elevated and subway lines around the turn of the century, the square—even before it became Times Square (which it did with the opening of the New York Times Building at 1 Times Square in 1905)—has been a special kind of space. It became famous first for its hotels, restaurants...