42nd St Between 7th Ave and 8th Ave

Just as no brand is safe from the glitz and glow of Times Square, it seems the same can be said for all the surrounding side streets. In the few years I've lived here, I've watched as more and more neon has spread out from the center of Times Square onto every street in all directions.

In many ways this particular block is less about advertising (like the center of Times Square) and more about actual storefronts and brand presence. In a weird way, it's far more pracitcal and useful - there are actually places to go, and stores to enter. The area between Broadway and 7th Avenue on the other hand only has a handful of places to enter. In a strange way, this makes it a far more practical area. This is also where many street artists set up shop to sell you caricatures, signs, photos and anything else they can make in under 15 minutes. With all that, it wouldn't surprise me if tourists coming from Grand Central continued walking towards 8th Avenue rather than north on Broadway/7th Ave to enter Times Square, it can certainly be hard to get ones bearings here if you're unfamiliar with the area.

With the new building going up on the corner of 8th and 42nd, I wonder just how far Times Square can spread from it's center.  The seemingly official end is the Port Authority Bus Terminal with it's hoplessly pathetic digital screen - which just never seems to work anymore.  I remember a time when that screen lit up all of the intersection, now the Duane Reade across the street seems brighter.