Where was this picture taken?

November 8, 2005 11:34 AM

New Yorkers: where in Times Square is this?

I'm not sure who took the shot, but the subject is my grandfather visiting New York City for the first time during WWII. I'd like to know if that view still exists and if it would be possible to reenact the picture today.

posted by RakDaddy to Travel & Transportation around New York, NY (14 answers total)

It's right where Broadway and 7th meet. That building behind him is the one with the NBC jumbotron on it now, I think.
posted by briank at 11:39 AM on November 8, 2005

The view as such is completely modified -- that building may not actually be there anymore (is it the old Times building?). You could take a shot from the same angle, as that pedestrian triangle is still there, but a lot of the buildings would be completely different.
posted by logovisual at 11:48 AM on November 8, 2005

Best answer: I think it's here, right across from the MTV studios.
posted by mathowie at 11:49 AM on November 8, 2005

Nice self-link, mathowie. :-p

(But he is right. That's the exact spot.)
posted by briank at 11:52 AM on November 8, 2005

Response by poster: Sweet! Thanks, everyone!
posted by RakDaddy at 11:55 AM on November 8, 2005

Today that spot is the domain of the Naked Cowboy.
posted by Pollomacho at 11:58 AM on November 8, 2005

Also, be prepared to have a lot of tourists waiting for half price tickets at the TKTS booth in your shot.
posted by spicynuts at 12:02 PM on November 8, 2005

I think this is the same view today.
posted by CunningLinguist at 12:26 PM on November 8, 2005

That building had a Warner Brothers store in the retail space at ground level for a little while, but it has been vacant for some time now.
posted by o2b at 12:34 PM on November 8, 2005

The building in the background is indeed the old New York Times Tower, aka 1 Times Sq.
posted by deadfather at 12:43 PM on November 8, 2005

Best answer: Just to clarify, I'm speaking of the skinny building in the far left background, which is the same as this building.

If you take the picture CunningLinguist linked to and take ten steps back and five steps to the left, I think you'd have it. You'd probably need to be standing on or near the curb. The TKTS line should be forming on the opposite curb (to your right), and shouldn't interfere with your shot. Go on a cold day and the Naked Cowboy shouldn't be a problem either.
posted by deadfather at 12:49 PM on November 8, 2005

The skinny building to the right looks like the Paramount building, which would fit with Matt's picture.
posted by bshort at 1:31 PM on November 8, 2005

Best answer: For precise positioning, look for the subway grate, which is in the right foreground of the original photo.
posted by dhartung at 6:08 PM on November 8, 2005

I also think that if you can go very early on a weekend morning you might have a better shot at the 'low foot traffic' look of the original. We were basically on that spot at 6am on a Sunday morning not too long ago, and the sidewalks were virtually empty.

This might also seem obvious, but be sure to bring the original photo with you for reference.
posted by anastasiav at 7:28 PM on November 8, 2005