7 Ave, Midtown

7th Avenue's run through midtown is so expansive that the neighborhood changes quite a lot as it goes. Because it does, I'm breaking my review up into two different pieces for two chunks that are so different, they don't really seem like the same street.
The southern chunk of 7th Avenue in midtown starts at 40th with the Parson's School of Design. It's a major design school with alum such as Tom Ford. My friend just got accepted here and I can't wait til I can start making her make all of my clothes. Parsons is a pretty big name with a pretty small campus. Most of it is in just this one building.
Once you cross 41st, you get into the thick of the Times Square area which is an absolute madhouse. There are people everywhere 24 hours a day. It's mostly tourists with a smaller mix of professionals who can't avoid this area because they work around here. And, all of the businesses here are catered to tourists so there isn't much in the way of the local haunt. You'll find things like a massive Red Lobster and a Disney Store that is equal in size to the restaurant. The Times Square subway stop is right here and it's always a mad house because nearly every single train line comes together at this stop.
The block at 42nd houses One Times Square which used to be the New York Times Headquarters. They started the New Year's Eve Ball drop which continues from this spot though the the newspaper has moved a couple blocks over. It's one of the busiest blocks in the city at any given moment during the day and I try to avoid it at all costs. There are a couple of shops on this block, like Quicksilver, but even if I loved Quicksilver, I still wouldn't go here unless I couldn't get around it.
The block at 43rd houses a really pretty building that was built for Paramount Film Studios. The studio is no longer there but the logo still remains. It's a gorgeous building if you can get around the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. The opposite side of the street features the headquarters for shows such as Good Morning America. There are so many lights on this corner it's nearly seizure inducing. It's pretty crazy and very kitschy. The block at 44th is more of the same. It houses MTV studios and an awful lot of lights as well as a massive Toys R Us. This block used to be all theatres and now it's pretty much just all ads. It's an eyesore in my opinion, but people come from all over to see it so it must have some appeal.
The block at 46th holds Duffy Square which is a huge traffic island in the middle of Times Square. There are some chairs here for people who just really want to sit down in the middle of all this noise and traffic. But, it's mostly filled with solicitors and weirdos. This used to be part of the massive Astor Farm and every time I'm around here, I imagine a simpler time when it was just cattle. The Doubletree Hotel is also on this block . . . presumably for all the tourists to stay after they're done having a good sit in the traffic island.
The block leading up to 48th houses more souvenir shops than you can possibly imagine and zero things to do outside of that (aside from the Ramada where you can sleep for relatively cheap). It's overwhelming how many kitschy things you can buy or eat if you're into chain to go places on this block. It's a nightmare right here and I don't know how any of these things stay in business.
Once you cross 48th, you get into another realm of 7th that isn't nearly as catered to tourists. It's still very commercial, but it's, at least, not overrun with trash and noise.