This seems like two separate questions:

    why are there so many front page articles
    that link to NYtimes

Probably because the New York Times produces a staggering amount of well written, thoughtful, informative, and insightful content every day. At least some of which hopefully would be of interest to people like us.

    that most people can't access?

I subscribe to the Sunday Times. Even though I almost never read it (outside of the magazine), it's well worth the cost to me to know that I'm doing my part in keeping the institution afloat.

I subscribe to the online edition of the NY Times. For a modest $15/month, I get unlimited access to the site, including their huge archive of past articles.

Interested in finding out what you're missing? Add your email address to your HN profile, and I'll ask them to give you a free 12-week trial subscription.

Hey. Thanks Craig.