Times Square

The brightest crossroads in the world

⏱ 30-60 minutes👤 All agesFree

Know what you are getting. Times Square is not a place to eat well, shop for bargains or find quiet; it is a spectacle best enjoyed as a short stop. The screens run advertising, public service messages and sometimes live broadcast events, and the energy changes with the hour. Early morning is the quietest time, with delivery trucks and workers, while evenings and weekends are busiest. Costumed characters and street performers work for tips and may ask for payment for photos, so decide ahead how to respond. Keep valuables secure and be alert to pickpockets and street hustlers offering tickets or tours; buy theater tickets from the box offices or the TKTS booth.

The area is the center of Broadway, and the theaters lining the side streets are the main reason to be here at night. The TKTS booth sells same-day discounted tickets for many shows, and the red steps above it are a good place to take in the scene. Shubert Alley, the Museum of Broadway and Restaurant Row on West 46th Street are within a couple of blocks, and several visitor attractions, including Madame Tussauds, are nearby. For holiday visitors, the New Year's Eve celebration draws huge crowds, and access is tightly controlled, with a long wait and few facilities, so plan carefully or watch from a screen.

Practicalities are simple: every subway line that stops at Times Square-42nd Street connects to it, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal is a short walk west. Walking from Grand Central or Bryant Park takes about ten minutes, and the stretch of Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center is a pleasant walk to the northeast. Budget thirty minutes to an hour to take in the lights and snap photographs, and combine it with a show, a museum visit or dinner nearby. It makes sense to go once, absorb the energy, and then spend your remaining time in the quieter neighborhoods where the city's character is more varied.

To enjoy it without stress, keep your bag zipped in front of you, agree on a meeting point in case your group is separated and resist the pressure to buy from costumed characters or street ticket sellers. For the best photographs, stand near the red steps and use the reflection of the screens in wet pavement after rain. If you plan to attend a Broadway show, arrive early for dinner on Restaurant Row, and take a short walk to Bryant Park if you need a quiet break.