th ▁Street ▁and ▁south west ▁corner ▁of ▁Broadway ▁and ▁West ▁ 3 5 th ▁Street ; ▁it ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁department ▁stores ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁One ▁famous ▁stretch ▁near ▁Times ▁Square , ▁where ▁Broadway ▁cross es ▁Se vent h ▁Avenue ▁in ▁mid town ▁Manh attan , ▁is ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁many ▁Broadway ▁the at res , ▁housing ▁an ▁ever - ch anging ▁array ▁of ▁commercial , ▁large - scale ▁plays , ▁particularly ▁musical s . ▁This ▁area ▁of ▁Manh attan ▁is ▁often ▁called ▁the ▁Theater ▁District ▁or ▁the ▁Great ▁White ▁Way , ▁a ▁nick name ▁origin ating ▁in ▁the ▁head line ▁" Found ▁on ▁the ▁Great ▁White ▁Way " ▁in ▁the ▁edition ▁of ▁February ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Even ing ▁Tele gram . ▁The ▁journal istic ▁nick name ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁millions ▁of ▁lights ▁on ▁the ater ▁marque es ▁and ▁bill board ▁advert is ements ▁that ▁ill uminate ▁the ▁area . ▁After ▁becoming ▁the ▁city ' s ▁de ▁fact o ▁red - light ▁district ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁( as ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁in ▁the ▁films ▁Tax i ▁Driver ▁and ▁Mid night ▁Cow boy ), ▁since ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁Times ▁Square ▁has ▁emer ged ▁as ▁a ▁family ▁tour ist ▁center , ▁in ▁effect ▁being ▁Disney f ied ▁following ▁the ▁company ' s ▁purchase ▁and ▁renov ation ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Amsterdam ▁Theatre ▁on ▁ 4