The Center of the City that Never Sleeps
My favorite place to visit is Times Square in Manhattan. Times Square is without a doubt the most iconic touristic landmark in all of New York City. You’ll find advertisements of the best brands from around the world on one of over 238 billboards.
If New York City is the center of the world, Times Square is the nucleus. Clothes, food, entertainment; everything’s here in Times Square, you name it! If you go to Times Square at midnight it will feel as if it’s daylight. You might even need to put on sunglasses because the lights are so bright and never turn off.
Times Square at 7:30 AM.
History of Times Square
Times Square has always been a central hub since the beginning. The original name, Longacre Square, was a common pitstop for carriages and horses. During the 1880s, newspapers announced that the newly built underground railroad will pass through the intersection. Businesses began moving closer to the soon-to-be-built railroad and eventually, all rail lines would meet in Times Square.
The New York Times purchased land directly in the center, between 47th and broadway, and built Times Tower. To celebrate its new headquarters with a bang, the NY Times created the Time Ball that drops at midnight. The Time Ball has become a staple of New York and a tradition.
Thousands of people watch the ball drop in Times Square to celebrate the New Year on the 31st of December. All my New York friends say no New Yorker goes to see the ball drop.
Revitalizing After Tough Times
Soon came the Great Depression and both World Wars, resulting in a lot of businesses having to close down or change their strategy. Burlesques provided cheap adult entertainment for those seeking to have fun. Crime and drugs began to rise to the point where you would see someone get shot in broad daylight.
After the war was over, the city pushed to revitalize Times Square into a safer place for people to reunite once again. Theatres would improve the facade of the building, renovating the paint and adding billboards with lights to attract customers. The business started to flock to the area once again until it became what it is today.
V-J Day in Times Square is a photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt that portrays a U.S. Navy sailor embracing and kissing a total stranger after the war in New York City’s Times Square on August 14, 1945.
The Fantastic Streets of Times Square
Times Square isn’t even a square. It’s more like two obtuse triangles intersecting with each other. The main street intersecting is called Broadway. Broadway starts from downtown Manhattan and goes all the way north uptown towards the Bronx.
Broadway is famous for its large amount of theaters with award-winning plays and musicals that run all year long. Tickets to see shows like Wicked, The Lion King, Kinky Boots, Phantom of the Opera, Four Seasons, Book of Mormon, and many more can be purchased here.
What also makes Times Square unique was the invention of the zipper, a continuous electric news sign that portrayed the latest news and events. People stop to read before continuing on with their day.
New Yorkers in the 1950s read the news through the Zipper.
If you visit Times Square you’ll see a large number of street performers; artists selling paintings, musicians, rappers, dancers, food cart vendors, people dressed in costumes, street photographers, and more. It always makes me smile to be next to complete strangers who come from every corner of the world. It’s a gathering of diversity; I think that’s what I love most about New York.
Times Square always looks amazing at any time of the day to me.
“Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.”
Closing Thoughts
Amongst the dense and populated concrete jungle, you’ll discover all sorts of amazing things. Right in Times Square, you will find every type of person from all walks of life. This is where cultures intertwine; you’ll find diversity in every corner.
The Red Stairs is a popular area where people take pictures. It’s a place to sit down and watch as life goes by. New York is a city that never sleeps. The billboards of Times Square light up the night sky as if the sun were to be right in your face at night. Whatever it is you’re searching for in life, I hope you come to see the big city lights. You never know, they might inspire you.
My New York friend and I enjoying the lights from Times Square.
More Treasures to Discover
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