Thing to do
Top of the Rock
Three tiers of observation decks atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza give unobstructed views of Central Park and a front-on look at the Empire State Building.
Times Square
The neon-lit junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue is the heart of the Theater District, home to the TKTS booth and the New Year's Eve ball drop.
At a glance
- Type
- Neighbourhood and Theater District
- Area
- Midtown / Theater District, New York, United States
- Official site
- timessquarenyc.org
Good to know
- Free
- TKTS discount ticket booth
- Pedestrian plazas
- New Year's Eve ball drop
Why we recommend it
Times Square is the stretch of Midtown where Broadway and Seventh Avenue cross between 42nd and 47th Streets, and its walls of digital billboards make it the brightest and most crowded few blocks in New York. It took its name from The New York Times, which moved its headquarters here in the early twentieth century, and it has been the city's theatre and entertainment hub ever since. The Times Square Alliance, founded in 1992, manages and promotes the district.
Most first-time visitors come simply to stand in the middle of it, ideally after dark when the screens are at their most dramatic. Several blocks of Broadway have been turned into pedestrian plazas, so there is room to stop and look up without stepping into traffic. The surrounding streets form the Theater District, home to most of the Broadway theatres, so it is also the natural place to start a night at a show. On 31 December, the New Year's Eve ball drop draws huge crowds and a worldwide television audience.
The TKTS booth at Broadway and 47th Street, beneath a set of red glass steps where people sit to watch the square, sells discounted same-day tickets for Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. Arrive early in the afternoon for the best choice, and check what is available before you queue. The steps themselves are free to climb and give a good elevated view of the square.
Times Square is busy at all hours and attracts pickpockets, so keep bags closed and phones secure. Costumed characters and performers will often approach for photographs and then expect a tip; politely declining is fine. Restaurants directly on the square are mostly chains, so for dinner it is worth walking a few blocks west into Hell's Kitchen, where Ninth Avenue is lined with independent places.
The Times Sq–42nd Street station is one of the largest in the network, served by the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W and S lines, with connections to the A, C and E at Port Authority. Bryant Park and the New York Public Library are a few blocks east, Rockefeller Center is a short walk north-east, and Hell's Kitchen is just to the west.
Times Square FAQs
Where can you buy discounted Broadway tickets?
At the TKTS booth at Broadway and 47th Street in Times Square, which sells same-day discounted tickets.
When is Times Square best?
After dark, when the billboards are lit, although it is busy at all hours.
Who manages Times Square?
The Times Square Alliance, founded in 1992, works to improve and promote the district.
When is the ball drop?
On New Year's Eve, 31 December, at midnight.
Do you have to pay the costumed characters?
No, but they usually expect a tip if you take a photograph with them, so decline politely if you are not interested.
Which subway station serves Times Square?
Times Sq–42nd Street, on the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W and S lines.
Where should you eat nearby?
Hell's Kitchen, a few blocks west, has many independent restaurants, especially along Ninth Avenue.