Lynne B. Sagalyn with Charles Bagli: Times Square Remade

Scholar and author Lynne B. Sagalyn will discuss her book Times Square Remade with journalist Charles Bagli.

This event will take place in person at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on the 7th Floor.

What is it about Times Square that has inspired such attention for well over a century? And how is it that, despite its many changes of character, the place has maintained a unique hold on our collective imagination? In this book, which comes twenty years after her widely acclaimed Times Square Roulette, Lynne B. Sagalyn masterfully tells the story of profound urban change over decades in the symbolic space that is New York City's Times Square. Drawing on the history, sociology, and political economy of the place, Times Square Remade examines how the public-private transformation of 42nd Street at Times Square impacted the entertainment district and adjacent neighborhoods, particularly Hell's Kitchen.

Sagalyn chronicles the earliest halcyon days of 42nd Street and Times Square as the nexus of speculation and competitive theater building as well as its darkest days as vice central, and on to the years of aggressive government intervention to cleanse West 42nd Street of pornography and crime. Thematically, the author analyzes the three main forces that have shaped and reshaped Times Square—theater, real estate, and pornography—and explains the politics and economics of what got built and what has been restored or preserved.

At this event, Lynne B. Sagalyn will discuss her new book and more with journalist Charles Bagli. 

To join the event in person | Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Lynne B. Sagalyn is Earle W. Kazis and Benjamin Schore Professor Emerita of Real Estate at Columbia Business School, as well as a real estate professional. She is the author of Power at Ground Zero: Politics, Money, and the Remaking of Lower Manhattan, Times Square Roulette: Remaking the City Icon (MIT Press), and Downtown, Inc.: How America Rebuilds Cities (coauthor, MIT Press).

Charlie Bagli has written about the very busy intersection of politics and real estate in New York City for more than 30 years, at The New York Times and at the New York Observer. One by one he met the developers, lawyers, politicians, neighborhood activists and union leaders who shaped the city’s skyline. He has also reported for NJ Monthly, Town & Country, LA Magazine, Air Mail and recorded a podcast for crimestory.com. Bagli is the author of Other People’s Money; Inside the Housing Crisis and the Demise of the Great Real Estate Deal Ever Made. He ran the New York City Marathon twice, coached a girls softball team for 12 years and raised two daughters with his wife Ellie.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTES

In-Person

• Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue.


• You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.


• This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

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All programs are subject to change or cancellation. 

The 7 Stories Up Series at SNFL is made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).