If you have a friend who has been to the Big Apple, chances are you have seen multiple pictures of them at the New York Times Square. It is inevitable but completely understandable. The New York Times Square is one of the most visited tourist destinations of the world with a footfall of 39 million every year. And now, you can experience it all in the city of Bengaluru. The metropolitan is soon to build its very own lookalike of the New York Times Square at the intersection between Brigade Road and Residency Road. The announcement of the project was made by Mayor R. Sampath Raj on 30th May, 2019.
Known for its concentration of IT companies and often even lauded as the Silicon Valley of India, the city of Bengaluru may soon be known for this upcoming attraction with the proposed 25 acres of land dedicated to this endeavour. Bengaluru Times Square is set to be a hub for entertainment and will celebrate the growth of tourism in the country.
While the new development sounds exciting, it is not devoid of opposition. To the residents of the city, a new attraction- especially one as grand as this- is an addition to their infamous traffic jams and cramped-up spaces in the city. City-dwellers have expressed concern about the worrisome state of their draining and transport systems and believe that the government should be working towards improving these systems first. Gowri Omanakuttan, marketing and communications manager of popular outdoor website Campmonk, voices his opinion that there must be wholesome progress as opposed to such targeted focus on the heart of the city.
