For most first-time visitors to New York, their first stop is Times Square. It was no different for me when I landed there for the first time in 2009. Since then it’s stopped being just a place to pass through, to either head uptown or further downtown. It’s a convenient place to hook up with friends, and then progress elsewhere (if you’ll ignore the mass of tourists and locals). In fact, I’ve more reasons to avoid it now, since Toys “R” Us decided to close their flagship store a few years ago, and eventually file for bankruptcy. But that’s another story. One of the things that caught my eyes then,…