Times Square officially entered the Pop-Tarts World erathis week, as the breakfast pastry theme store debuted under the sort of towering, garish billboard that has long been an area staple.

But it made us wonder: Let's say you wanted to truly stand out in the colorful corporate orgy of Times Square. Could you choose an understated, unadorned façade?

The answer is no. The city, it turns out, has a law against tasteful restraint in Times Square.

The area is part of the "Special Midtown District" that has its own distinct zoning code. Part of the mission of these regulations is to preserve and protect the "unique combination of building scale, large illuminated signs and entertainment and entertainment-related uses" that are central to Times Square's history.

The idea was to ensure that Times Square never became another drab steel canyon of conservative office towers.