Thanksgiving Day Parade To Really Skip Times Square This Time

Those looking to find fault with the DOT's pedestrian plazas in Times Square have another reason to be angry. The city has decided that this year the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is going to skip Times Square entirely because of "construction in Times Square,” according to the the Mayor's spokesman Jason Post (for the last two years it has skimmed the Square going from Seventh to Sixth Avenues at 42nd Street). What construction? Those pesky pedestrian plazas are to be reconstructed to “improve the curb lines and other features of the plazas.”

In the new route, the parade will march down Sixth Avenue from Central Park South to 34th Street. Another argument for the move is that Sixth Avenue is wider than Broadway, where the parade used to go down.

The decision was made despite the pleas of Times Square businesses to bring it back to the center of the universe. “This is a huge issue for businesses in Times Square that cuts across every category—hotels, sign companies, theater folks, restaurants and shops,” Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, told Crain's.

Interestingly, one of the major concerns comes from the Times Square Advertising Coalition which thinks of the parade as "an important factor" in what advertisers will pay for a spot (the parade brings a lot of media exposure). At least they still have New Year's Eve.

"We are baffled," Tompkins, told DNAinfo, which broke the news. "After two successful years on Seventh Avenue, we have yet to hear a sound reason from Macy’s on why a world famous parade should go through a corridor of empty office buildings on Sixth Avenue rather than Times Square, a globally recognized symbol of New York’s dynamism and energy, where thousands more people can enjoy it both on the ground and from their hotel rooms."

In our mind, the Thanksgiving Day Parade is all about Central Park West, though. And anyway, we wouldn't want another M&M incident.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Garth Johnston in News on March 8, 2011 9:57 AM

Comments [rss]

HowDoYouDo.com

This is tough, but it's kind of cool that it will pass Radio City. Love going to the Parade - it's the best part of the holiday season for me - no matter which street it goes down. If you're looking for tips on experiencing the parade in person, here's a great resource to check out: www.howdoyoudo.com/#!thankspar...

spiv

stupid stupid stupid - first they ruined times square by eliminating the bowtie, then came the street closures, next they should just pack us into meat tubes and roll us from place to place.

midget mayor and his puppet commish are still taking suggestions on more ways to destroy this city.

KevinJWalsh

"...a world famous parade should go through a corridor of empty office buildings on Sixth Avenue rather than Times Square, a globally recognized symbol of New York’s dynamism and energy, where thousands more people can enjoy it both on the ground and from their hotel rooms."

The parade will go past Radio City and Rock Center, that's pretty dynamic.

www.forgotten-ny.com

JMH

Who cares? Only tourists go to the parade anyway.

Ph

Fuck you, going to this parade was a tradition (driven by my late father) for decades. I went to every one from like 1979 until we moved in 91 and even then we STILL came back for thanksgiving during the 90's, and then in the zeroes up until the year after he died.

Born and bred New Yorker here.

Seriously, fuck you.

Steve Flack

Left New York in 1991? Sounds like a tourist to me...

ereene

According to the Times, the parade route will change in 2012, not this year. In any case, the parade happens 1 day a year. It will be fine- it's not like people won't come to see it because it's now on 6th Ave instead of 7th. The pedestrian plazas benefit a lot of people (and no, not just tourists) 365 days a year.

whitecastlerock

OH NO!!! THIS USELESS PARADE IS MOVING OVER ONE BLOCK! WE WILL GO BANKRUPT IF THIS HAPPENS!

Steve Flack

This makes sense, and I'm surprised they didn't do this two years when the parade move off Broadway in the first place, since they still ended up on 6th Ave from 42nd to 34th St. I this gets rid of the two crazy 90 degree turns they have to make around Times Square. Though, this does mean I'll need a new spot. Radio City would make a nice backdrop for photos, but I', sure it would be crowded.

The pedestrian plazas would get in the way of the parade. Take a look next time you're in Times Square, it's filled with curbs and sidewalks in the middle of the street at the certain sections of Broadway. Floats won't be able to go over it.

Guest

it seems obvious that they should have taken iconic events like this into account while designing the plazas. times square really is perfect for this touristy hubbub. nice work DOT...

jibbly

It's physically impossible to go through Times Sq with the balloons because of the pedestrian plazas? Really?

Newhce

This is a legitimate gripe. Too bad Gothamist editors are so entrenched in the party line they can't see it.

I for one hate the pedestrian plazas. Urbanism is NOT turning everything into a pedestrian mall.