[streetscaper]

Originally Posted by antinimby

You are basically saying that keeping some of the better buildings around and intact would somehow kept LED's out. That couldn't be further from the truth. You can have older buildings, newer buildings and LED's. It's not a choice of one or the other.

I'm saying that keeping the older buildings around and having them on display for their architectural significance would mean adding minimal or no signage (à la Paramount building) and doing this for multiple sites within TS would create too many gaps for my liking and would be a much less impressive Times Square (like in the 90s).

I guess I need to repeat this a third time because you don't get it. Wiping out all the older buildings, and replacing them with glass boxes with LED screens will make TS more generic. If you keep some of the better older buildings around, they complement the new buildings, not detract from them. It's what makes NY more special than say a Shenzhen or a Tokyo.

And maybe I need to repeat this a third time because you don't get it. We have a difference of opinion. It's really ok to have one. I'm not seeking to impose mine on yours or make mine appear as fact. Some people think TS is indeed generic, some people think it's awe-inspiring and like no (or almost no) place on earth.

And no, even if you put a large LED screen on say, the Astor hotel, you'd still not completely cover it up. And these older buildings shine on the ground level as well because as a pedestrian you can see the ornate artistry on the windows and entrances. Glass is everywhere. Even poor third world countries have shiny glass stores and buildings. They are not really that special anymore.

In general, I agree. But, I frankly don't care about the buildings in Times Square because I don't go there to see the architecture per se. Like most tourists, I go there to see the head-spinning, larger than life LEDs and ads and tens-of-thoudands of people moving through and idling in the square (because of all the signage). If we could have all the signage we currently have over all the old buildings. Great!