10. Times Square Isn’t Square!
This one is pretty obvious once you think about it. Once called Longacre Plaza, it has its triangular form thanks to the angle of Broadway. Even way back in 1836, the shape of Times Square today was already well-formed even if a lot of the land around it wasn’t developed (or flattened out) yet. Check out this cool interactive Smithsonian map which shows Manhattan in 1836 and today.
Gritty Old Times Square Tour
This article was written collectively by Benjamin Waldman, Ben Helmer, Alexander McQuilkin, Aby Sam Thomas, Michelle Young, Laura Itzkowitz, Kelli Trapnell, andrea marpillero-colomin and Lindsey Devers.