Times Square, New York City

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With our hotel being a 5 minute walk from Times Square, this is where I came every morning to read the news with a Starbucks in hand!

There is so much to see in Times Square! There are souvnir shops, resturants such as Bubba Gump Shrimp and TGI Fridays, the Hershey's shop, Toys 'R' Us, Sephora and much more!
Of course, there is also the 'naked cowboy'! He is a man wearing a cowboy hat, stood in the middle of Times Square, playing a guitar and singing! There is always a crowd around him and he hasn't got a bad voice either!!
The building where the 'ball drops' on New Years Eve is situated here and also MTV headquarters where it's not unusual to see crowds stood outside waiting for their idols to enter the building! The New York Police Department is also in Times Square which is lit up so there is no chance of missing it!

Go at night and see the neon lights of Times Square - brilliant.

Times Square is also a pick-up/drop-off point for all bus tours of the city.

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Late on evening, I wanted to stretch my legs, so I wandered around the city for a little bit, and landed in Times Square. The area is certainly an assault on the senses - the bright lights and city sounds hit you from the moment you walk into it. There are tons of shopping options (many large stores of places you know - M&M Store, Hershey, etc.) and also places to eat. Perhaps most fun is to just stand to the side and watch the world go by. While I was also there in the morning, it doesn't feel nearly as alive as it does at night.

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Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan,at the junction of Broadway and 7th Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th streets.The extended Square also called the 'Theartre District',consists of the blocks between Sixth and Eighth Avenues from east to west,making up the western part of the commercial area of Midtown.
Formerley named 'Longacre Square'it was renamed in April1904 when the New York Times Newspaper moved it Headquarters to the newly erected Times Building,which is now called one Times Square and is the site of the annual Ball Drop on New Years Eve.The square is famous for its 24 hr neon light advertising and constant news bulletins from around the world including the national deficit clock.Its a popular meeting point for locals and you will find it busy almost all day every day,a real New York City expierience.

If you really have to walk around Times Square, just be aware that this is a haven for street hustlers. Stay around 42nd and 7th thru 52nd and 7th. 8th Ave is sleazy with gangs, peep shows, topless bars, and people trying to get money from you. Port Authority (42nd and 8th Ave) is the worst to walk by. Always some piece of garbage guy standing around observing targets to molest or rub or hustle. My best advice for anyone not from New York City who wants to walk around Times Square is to be aware, don't stare, don't act afraid, be cool and try to act like you've been there and done that. Ignore everyone who approaches you in the street for something. I mean that. Sometimes it's just a trap. Ignore them. You don't have to be nice and smile and say no or yes to whatever it is that they are asking you. Just keep walking and wipe the dirt off your shoulders. Move on. You didn't come here for some lame unfunny comedy club tickets, to donate something for some irresistable cause, to give some bum a dollar or nickel, discuss for an hour of your time about becoming a Jehovah's Witness, buy fake gold, help some bum pretending he needs $3.50 to get home, or fall prey to some BS scheme . Only take a yellow cab. Don't get ripped off (overcharged) by the crooks who drive the town cars. The moment they tell you how incredible and difficult it is to get anywhere without them, give them the ol'Bronx cheer (figuratively speaking). Walk away from them. say "that's okay. no thanks. " They don't need to know your business. Many of these cabbies (even the ones in yellow cabs) ask you questions because they want to feel you out. "Oh so you here on vacation?"- this means if you are, I will take you an extra 12 blocks the wrong way to jack up the price on the meter. "I know a good place, you can go" means -I will drive you all over and around New York not 'cause I'm nice but because I think you are a sucker and I can make a fortune off of you. "oh is this all I get as a tip?" means can I suck up more money out of you even though you've tipped me generously already.

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Times Square just screams New York! Having been a temporary resident of Manhattan, I didn't really trek out there much, but when my out-of-state friends came for a visit, Times Square was just one of those touristy sites I had to take them to. It’s so alive and so full of energy and the epitome of the NYC nightlife, but oh man, the foot traffic is simply awful and irritating. Consequently, the only time I ventured out there, aside from showing my friends around was to catch the musicals on Broadway, which you definitely must do if in the city. If you're interested in attending one yourself, find a TKTS booth to purchase discounted tickets for same-day performances.

Standing on Times Square for the first time (during the day) I wasn't too impressed. But this place really comes to live at night. I don't know how to describe it. There's this special atmosphere in the evening / night. Is it the bright neon lights?. Whenever I'm in NY my evening walk always includes a visit to Times Square :)

Times Square is tourist hell. But you have to see it once if you have never been to NYC before. The lights are bright and distracting, there are overpriced places to eat, and plenty of souvenir shops and street vendors selling cheap NYC memorabilia. Did I mention it was overcrowded with camera-wielding tourists?

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Times Square, the heart of the Theatre District and named after the headquarters of the New York Times newspaper, has seen mostly middle- and low-brow entertainment for the last century.
It's one of those places you "must" see because it's, well, sort of unique and visually exciting, but not so much because of what you can actually see, do or experience there - other than gazing at the light show and snapping some colorful pictures.
It's terribly crowded - tourists flock in herds and it actually feels very "un-New York" once you've seen (and familiarized with) other parts of the city. Other than the theaters in the area, Times Square feels kind of junky with all of its fast food places, cafés, shops that sell tourist kitsch and branches of stores like Disney Store and Virgin Megastore. Most of it is bloody expensive, too.
Neon billboards have been here since the 20's. After a long period of decline starting during the Depression, during which Times Square was a scene of sex shops, drug dealers and prostitution, "rejuvenation" (read : "Disney-fication") of the district began in the 1990's, with many themed stores and -restaurants, and, on the plus side, improved safety. You'll see plenty of police on patrol here so it's much safer than before - crime stats continue to drop considerably. Still, be aware of your surroundings when you take a stroll here, and mind your personal belongings.

More :
-feel free to check my "tourist trap" entry for Times Square, "prepare to be disNYfied - resistance is futile" which has links to live webcams on Times Square, as well.