Times Square and the Theatre District

Where: New York, NY

When: Several times

With: Several people

If New York City were an actual living being (which it can sometimes feel like it is), I truly feel Times Square would be the heart pumping blood and energy into the rest of the concrete jungle. It sits almost exactly in the middle of the island, has nearly every subway and train line pass by or through it, and by the several intersecting roads, it feels like it will take you to any other part of the city. As cheesy as it is, it is truly magical to visit at night, and I feel like no first time visit to New York would be complete without a trip. 

Almost every subway line, literally. 

One of the most famous streets in Manhattan goes right through the center. 

Despite all the roads and avenues that lead into this intersection, it is surprisingly car-free in the dead center. Therefore, aside from the bustle of foot traffic, it is easy to stand in the middle, look up and take in all the lights and tall buildings that reach up to the sky. Wall Street tickers, commercials, Broadway billboards and massive storefronts light up all around and can be hypnotizing to watch.  

At the southern end stands the New York Times building, for which the square was named after in 1904. This building is also where the famous New Year's ball will drop over the one million onlookers in the plaza below to ring in the new year. 

The New Year's ball, up close and on display. 

From this center spot down below is where the iconic photo is usually demanded by locals and tourists alike to show that they are indeed in New York City. 

 

In the center of it all sits a flight of stairs that invites visitors to sit and take it all in. 

Looking north from Times Square. 

This flight of stairs doubles as the roof to the TKTS office, where reduced price Broadway tickets are sold for day-of shows. This brings us to the other reason Times Square is so famous: Broadway! Every iconic show of all time has played within a few blocks of this location. 

In the center of Times Square stands a memorial to one of Broadway's most iconic composers, George M. Cohan. He coined the phrase "Give My Regards to Broadway" and was famous for writing "Yankee Doodle Dandy" in addition to several other Broadway staples. 

However, Times Square hasn't always been singing and dancing. From the 1960s-1980s, it was the epitome of New York seediness, with tons of movie theaters showing porn, peep shows, and drug dealers. Crime was high, and not just petty theft, but rape and murder. In the 1990s, the area was cleaned up, praised by some and criticized by others (for allowing it to become too "Disney-fied"). But either way, the police presence is very visible and it definitely does not feel unsafe anymore. 

On one of my last days in New York, I decided to take my camera to Times Square to just photograph a random day there, hence this large swath of black and white photos. The other fun thing about Times Square is that there's always something going on, from the Naked Cowboy singing his tunes to the filming of a TV show to someone giving away free tickets to something. When I was there, there was an art installation of buckets and mops.

I have so many countless memories of Times Square over the several years I lived in New York that I can't even begin to list. But having lived down the street from it, I can say it is one of my favorite places in New York, despite the fact it is incredibly touristy. There's just something special about this crossroads of Manhattan streets.