A great comment from mefi:
Oh yeah. Native NYers (and by “native” I mean anyone who has lived here more than ten years) love to complain about the Disneyfication of Times Square, and it’s patently ridiculous. I mean, no NYers actually GO to Times Square anyway. Before, they didn’t go because it was just porn, drugs, and crime. Now, they don’t go because it’s touristy crap and megachains. What’s the big deal? I mean, nowadays, you get your porn online, your drugs delivered, and anyone who is lamenting the lack of crime can just go to Jersey.