Times Square at a glance
Located in the Manhattan borough of New York, Times Square is the most high-energy spot in the Big Apple. It draws over 350,000 visitors daily. Bisected by Broadway and its Theater District, it serves as a hub for retail and live performance. This massive pedestrian zone feels like a pulse of activity within the urban landscape, operating around the clock. With its towering skyscrapers and giant digital billboards, Times Square is the definitive symbol of the city that never sleeps and a standard stop for any first-time visitor to New York.
Often called the Crossroads of the World, the square takes its name from the New York Times, which moved its headquarters here in 1904. Once known for a grittier nightlife, it has evolved into a permanent entertainment zone filled with massive video screens, street performers, and portrait artists. This sensory experience is backed by the presence of major flagship stores like M&M's World, Nintendo NY, Disney Store, Midtown Comics, and others. As a primary tourist destination, you will find a concentration of American apparel brands here alongside a dense array of bars and restaurants.
When evening hits, the theaters run year-round productions of popular shows like The Lion King or Mamma Mia! The New Amsterdam Theater (214 West 42nd Street), identifiable by its Art Deco facade, dates back to the early 20th century, as do the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street) and the pyramid-shaped Paramount Building (1501 Broadway).
Times Square is extravagant, exhausting, and overwhelming. You will certainly have an opinion on it. The New Year's Eve ball drop, featuring a sphere over 3 meters (about 10 feet) in diameter, is arguably the most famous celebration of its kind globally. During the turn of the millennium, the event drew over 2 million people, marking the largest gathering on United States soil since the end of World War II.
I was lucky enough to stay right next to Times Square, the must-see neighborhood in New York, which is lively day and night. Position yourself on the steps in the center of Times Square to let yourself be immersed by the giant advertisements on the bright screens all around you. You have to see it when it is already dark outside, of course.
After the screens, go browse the huge concept stores (M&M'S for example) and grab a bite to eat in the restaurants with crazy decor (Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Restaurant).