"Their breath fogging the glass, the young men and women pressed their faces against the windows of Bombay Bicycle Club. Somebody outside was checking a thermometer, counting down the numbers as the temperature dropped: 30, then 29, then 28. "What's taking them so long?" a man demanded. Inside the crowded club, a woman finally shouted, "Here it comes!" and everyone glimpsed the first snowflakes — first a few, but within minutes, a veritable blizzard. People dashed outside, catching the flakes in their hands, laughing and cheering, and even throwing snowballs. Soon a white blanket covered the streets and sidewalks of Overton Square.
But what a strange snowstorm. Anyone who glanced up could see a bright blue sky overhead, and — even more remarkable — just two blocks away in either direction, Madison Avenue had no snow at all.
It didn't require a weatherman to explain the snow storm that fell on Overton Square that December afternoon in 1976. The blizzard was fake — snow blown by powerful machines mounted on the roofs of buildings. It was a highlight of the Charles Dickens Christmas that year, just one of many unique events that helped make Overton Square the city's premier entertainment district. That was more than 30 years ago, and the intersection of Madison and Cooper has seen many changes since then, some good, some bad. Here's a look back at the early days, when it was hip to be Square."
