2. Times Square Police Station
The Times Square Police Station has inhabited multiple buildings over the decades and each has had a storied past. Before the police moved in here in 1993 the short building served as a Times Square Information Center. The Information Center opened in 1957 and featured an artistic mosaic map of New York City on either side. These mosaics, designed by artist Edward Meshekoff, still adorn the station today.
But the police’s first Times Square location has a seedier backstory. Prior to 1993, the station was located at 1465 Broadway and 42nd Street, the former location of Crossroads Bookstore, once one of the largest pornography stores and peep shows in the city. The store was open 24-hours and featured picture books and 72 movie machines which continuously played adult films. The smut-shop was eventually acquired by the 42nd Street Redevelopment Corporation in 1976 and today is home to a bevy of retail shops.
