Times Square hits you like a wall of light and sound before you even know what’s happening. The billboards, the Broadway marquees, the crowds flowing in every direction — it’s the most photographed, most filmed, and most visited commercial intersection in the world. Love it or hate it, you can’t deny it’s the pulse of New York.
History
Times Square was originally Longacre Square, a carriage-making district named after London’s carriage district. The New York Times moved its headquarters to the newly built Times Building at One Times Square in 1904, and the city renamed the intersection in the newspaper’s honor. The first New Year’s Eve ball drop happened that same year — a 700-pound ball of iron and wood adorned with 100 light bulbs. The subway station opened the same year, and theaters began moving uptown from the Tenderloin district. Times Square’s neon signage era began in the 1920s, with the famous Camel Cigarette sign blowing smoke rings into the square. By the 1960s and 70s, the area declined into a seedy adult entertainment district. The cleanup began in the 1990s with Disney’s renovation of the New Amsterdam Theatre, followed by city-led redevelopment that transformed Times Square into the family-friendly, corporate-sponsored entertainment hub it is today.
Features and Highlights
- The electronic billboards — over 50 digital signs including the iconic NASDAQ tower at 4 Times Square
- The TKTS booth at Father Duffy Square — same-day discount theater tickets with the famous red steps above
- One Times Square — the building where the New Year’s Eve ball drops, now covered entirely in advertising
- The Broadway theater district radiating from Times Square — over 40 professional theaters within walking distance
- The M&M’s World and Disney Store flagship locations, drawing families all year round
- The pedestrian plazas between 42nd and 47th Streets, with seating areas and street performers
- The annual New Year’s Eve celebration watched by over a billion people worldwide
Visitor Tips
Times Square at midnight is a completely different experience from Times Square at noon — the crowds thin out and the lights reflect off the wet streets. Avoid the costumed characters who will aggressively pose for photos and then demand payment. The TKTS booth at Father Duffy Square offers the best Broadway deals but expect long lines. The Hard Rock Cafe and Bubba Gump Shrimp are tourist magnets — instead eat a few blocks away in Hell’s Kitchen for better food and prices. The best photo spot is from the top of the red TKTS steps looking south. The N/Q/R/W, 1/2/3, B/D/F/M, and 7 trains all stop at Times Square-42nd Street.
Cultural Impact
Times Square is the most famous intersection in the world. It’s appeared in more establishing shots than any other New York location — think Vanilla Sky, Spider-Man, King Kong, and every movie that needs to say “we’re in New York.” The New Year’s Eve ball drop is the world’s most-watched annual event. Times Square’s transformation from a dangerous red-light district to a global tourism destination has been studied as both a success story and a cautionary tale about corporate influence on public space. For travelers who have explored Central Park in New York and the American Museum of Natural History, Times Square offers the polar opposite — pure commercial energy, unfiltered and overwhelming. A walk from here to The Metropolitan Museum of Art via Fifth Avenue shows how New York transitions from spectacle to culture in just a few blocks.
Location and Contact
- Address: Manhattan, NY 10036 (between 42nd and 47th Streets, Broadway and 7th Avenue)
- Coordinates: 40.7580° N, 73.9855° W
- Area: Open 24/7 — the lights and energy never stop
- Official Site: Visit Times Square
- Wikipedia: Times Square on Wikipedia
CONTACT US
For more information or to visit us, here are our branch addresses:
- Branch 1: Naungayan Building, Aala Road, Barangay Mankilam, Tagum City, Davao Del Norte
- Branch 2: Sobrecary Street (In front of Velox Gas Station), Tagum City, Davao Del Norte
- Email: gracezelguerra22@gmail.com
- Phone: 09460480491
- Business Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (PH Time)
- Facebook Page: Visit our Facebook Page