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Originally Posted by austlar1
The Times Square/42nd St. turnaround was a slow going proposition.
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Yeah, Times Square was maximum sleaze in the 1970's. Eighth Ave. was the Minnesota Mile, center of the American sex-for-hire industry, full of runaways from Middle America arriving via the Port Authority Terminal. 42nd Street was full of gay hustlers. There were something crazy like 200 legit sex related businesses. The hotels were basically prostitution fronts. By the 1980's, adult video and more discreet prostitution, alongside early redevelopment, including a number of fancy new hotels and legit theaters, made for a somewhat tamer scene.
Quote:
Originally Posted by austlar1
I am most certainly not a fan of Rudy G., but I thought he was a pretty good mayor.
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Keep in mind that Mayor Rudy and present-day Rudy are basically different people, but residing in the same body. Mayor Rudy endorsed ultra-liberal Mario Cuomo over Rockefeller Republican George Pataki. He did a drag show. He generally embraced left-leaning social issues. He was tough on crime, hostile to corruption and seemed to be a straight-shooter.