“They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway”

“They say there's always magic in the air”
- On Broadway, George Benson

All That Jazz was nominated for nine Academy Awards in 1980; it won four. The late, wonderful Roy Scheider was among the nominated. George Benson's brilliant performance of On Broadway opened the 1979 movie as the dancers auditioned, leaping across stage.

Broadway.

Time Square in 1979 was the home of hookers and addicts. Some of the best live peep shows in New York City were between 7th and 8th Ave on W 42nd St. On the south side of the street, to be specific, not that I'd know. Certainly not in 1979 when I was still in the Army. I didn't move to New York till 1984.

Times Square. The peep shows are gone; the tourists are safe. The last time I was in New York -- it's been years -- I had to walk all the way over to 57th and Madison to find a hooker working the streets. In the mid-80s, you couldn't walk down 42nd St without being propositioned three, four times in a block. I liked it better then. (Not the hookers; the mood.)

Change.

Speaking of, what's behind those neon lights on One Times Square?

For starters, they're no longer neon. They're LCD's. Millions of 'em.

One Times Square is empty. No tenements. Why bother, when a single sign pulls in $300,000 a month? A veritable fortuna.

h/t Make and Gothamist.