A Vanishing New York retrospective is the real estate equivalent of being read the last rites, so it was only a matter of time before the Reaper came calling for Show World, or what's left of it. You see, Show World used to be the porn anchor of the Times Square of old?its neon lights serving as a siren call to sketchy guys streaming from the Port Authority who needed to get their circus-themed jollies. Show World survived Giuliani's anti-nudie zoning ordinances, but pieces were slowly stripped away, and now the Laugh Factory and a huge Duane Reade occupy old Show World space, with a sliver surviving a couple doors down. Today, Steve Cuozzo reports that 303 East 42nd Street, which includes a 12-story office/apartment building, some small theaters and Show World, is for sale. Owned by a trust that is controlled by Show World's boss, the property could go a variety of ways, including a ground lease or partnership. But it may just get sold outright, and the clock could be ticking on the old perv. With 11 Times Square on the rise nearby and a potential Port Authority skyscraper on the way, this formerly seedy corner of Eighth Avenue is suddenly a burgeoning office district?which is amazing news to some, and a travesty to others.
· Stripped Of His Crown [NYP]
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