The Copacabana Times Square

When I first started coming to Manhattan in the early 2000s going to Copacabana was a breathtaking experience. Multiple salsa orchestras of 10 or more played authentic Afro-Cuban music throughout the night, every night (or so it seemed). However, following its relocation to Midtown, Copacabana has become a pale shadow of its former glory. Live performances occur no more than 1 or 2 days per month often, for unfathomable reasons, on "Industrial Tuesdays". I apparently am not alone in believing that canned music is just not the same, as is evidenced by the fact that that despite its much more accessible location, crowds seem a quarter of their old size, and the energy and enthusiasm that made going to Copacabana feel like a trip to Latin American is just no longer there. Shame on the owners of Copacabana for turning a great New York landmark into just another pricey disco.