Quick Orientation
Times Square is the wedge-shaped intersection where Broadway crosses 7th Avenue, roughly between 42nd and 47th Streets in Midtown Manhattan. The five-block stretch is pedestrian-only, lit by 250+ digital billboards and surrounded by Broadway theatres, chain restaurants and souvenir shops.
🧮
USA Trip Cost Calculator
Planning your NYC trip? Get a personalised budget with our free calculator — hotels near Times Square run $280-500/night.
It is loud, bright, crowded, overpriced and unavoidable. Embrace it for an hour or two, then go explore the real New York.
Best Things to Do
- See a Broadway show — the single best reason to be here. 41 theatres within a 5-minute walk.
- Sit on the red steps above the TKTS booth for the classic view down Broadway.
- Visit the NFL Experience, Madame Tussauds or Ripley's — all within one block if you are travelling with kids.
- Hard Rock Cafe, M&M World, Hershey's — free to wander, expensive to buy.
- Catch a TV show taping — Good Morning America films live on 44th & Broadway weekday mornings (free, arrive 6:30am).
- The Edge or Summit One Vanderbilt — not in Times Square but 10 minutes walk for far better views.
Best Views & Photo Spots
| Spot | Best time | Why |
|---|
| Red TKTS steps | After dark | Classic Times Square postcard shot |
| Duffy Square (47th & Broadway) | Night | Full billboard panorama |
| R Lounge, Renaissance Hotel | 7-10pm | Floor-to-ceiling windows over the square, $25 cocktails |
| Marriott Marquis 8th floor lobby | Anytime | Free indoor view with seating |
| Top of the Rock | Sunset | Looks down at Times Square plus skyline |
For photos without crowds, visit 6-8am on a Sunday. Billboards are still lit, streets are near-empty and the light is better.
TKTS Discount Booth
The TKTS booth sells same-day Broadway and off-Broadway tickets at 20-50% off face value. It is under the famous red staircase at 47th & Broadway.
- Opens 3pm for evening shows (2pm on Tuesdays), 10am for matinees
- Lines are 15-60 minutes — longer on Saturdays
- Cash, card and Apple Pay accepted
- App version (TKTS app) avoids the queue but shows fewer options
- Best discounts on shows that are not sold out — avoid Hamilton, expect good deals on long-running shows like Chicago or MJ
Alternative: the TodayTix app runs digital lotteries for $30-50 front-row seats to 20+ shows. Enter by 9am, draw at 11am.
New Year's Eve Ball Drop
The ball drop on December 31 draws around 1 million people. It is genuinely iconic and genuinely miserable to attend in person.
- Arrive: 10am-2pm for any street access. After 6pm streets are closed and pens are full.
- Bathrooms: essentially none — this is the defining constraint. No re-entry to pens.
- Bags: banned. Alcohol: banned. Umbrellas: banned.
- Weather: expect freezing temperatures and 5-8 hours standing still.
- Hotel window views: Marriott Marquis, Crowne Plaza and Doubletree Suites offer New Year packages starting $1,500-3,000/night with 3-4 night minimums.
- Rooftop parties: Sky Room, Stone Rose, R Lounge run ticketed parties from $500-1,200/person with food and open bar.
If you are not committed to the pens, watch from a hotel bar on a side street or from home. The TV view is objectively better.
Restaurants to Avoid
The rule: if the restaurant has a photo menu outside or a host waving you in, skip it. Quality is low, prices are high and tips are often added automatically.
- Bubba Gump, Olive Garden, Applebee's, TGI Fridays — chain food at 40% markups
- Times Square Diner, Ellen's Stardust Diner — tourist-priced but Ellen's has singing waiters, arguably worth it once
- Any "authentic Italian" with a tout outside — almost always terrible
Actually good and close: Los Tacos No. 1 (W 43rd), Joe Allen (46th off Broadway), The Smith (Lincoln Center), Xi'an Famous Foods (45th).
Where to Stay
Sleeping in Times Square itself is loud and expensive. A better strategy: stay 5-15 minutes walk away in Hell's Kitchen, Midtown East or NoMad.
| Area | Nightly rate 2026 | Walk to TS |
|---|
| Times Square core | $350-600 | 0 min |
| Hell's Kitchen (W 40s-50s) | $250-400 | 5-10 min |
| Midtown East | $220-380 | 10 min |
| NoMad / Chelsea | $240-400 | 15 min |
| Long Island City (Queens) | $160-260 | 20 min by subway |
Scams to Dodge
- Costumed characters (Elmo, Spider-Man, Minnie) — demand $10-20+ per photo, often aggressively
- Topless "desnudas" — same scam, painted body instead of costume
- CD rappers — hand you a "free" CD then demand payment
- Fake monks in orange robes asking for donations — not real
- Bus tour touts selling "$49 all-day hop-on-hop-off" — buy online from Big Bus or City Sightseeing for the real rate
- Pickpockets work the crowded corners — front pockets only, crossbody bag zipped
Real NYPD officers will always be in uniform with badges. Anyone in costume, robes or plain clothes asking for money is not official.
Quick Orientation
Times Square is the wedge-shaped intersection where Broadway crosses 7th Avenue, roughly between 42nd and 47th Streets in Midtown Manhattan. The five-block stretch is pedestrian-only, lit by 250+ digital billboards and surrounded by Broadway theatres, chain restaurants and souvenir shops.
🧮
USA Trip Cost Calculator
Planning your NYC trip? Get a personalised budget with our free calculator — hotels near Times Square run $280-500/night.
It is loud, bright, crowded, overpriced and unavoidable. Embrace it for an hour or two, then go explore the real New York.
Best Things to Do
- See a Broadway show — the single best reason to be here. 41 theatres within a 5-minute walk.
- Sit on the red steps above the TKTS booth for the classic view down Broadway.
- Visit the NFL Experience, Madame Tussauds or Ripley's — all within one block if you are travelling with kids.
- Hard Rock Cafe, M&M World, Hershey's — free to wander, expensive to buy.
- Catch a TV show taping — Good Morning America films live on 44th & Broadway weekday mornings (free, arrive 6:30am).
- The Edge or Summit One Vanderbilt — not in Times Square but 10 minutes walk for far better views.
Best Views & Photo Spots
| Spot | Best time | Why |
|---|
| Red TKTS steps | After dark | Classic Times Square postcard shot |
| Duffy Square (47th & Broadway) | Night | Full billboard panorama |
| R Lounge, Renaissance Hotel | 7-10pm | Floor-to-ceiling windows over the square, $25 cocktails |
| Marriott Marquis 8th floor lobby | Anytime | Free indoor view with seating |
| Top of the Rock | Sunset | Looks down at Times Square plus skyline |
For photos without crowds, visit 6-8am on a Sunday. Billboards are still lit, streets are near-empty and the light is better.
TKTS Discount Booth
The TKTS booth sells same-day Broadway and off-Broadway tickets at 20-50% off face value. It is under the famous red staircase at 47th & Broadway.
- Opens 3pm for evening shows (2pm on Tuesdays), 10am for matinees
- Lines are 15-60 minutes — longer on Saturdays
- Cash, card and Apple Pay accepted
- App version (TKTS app) avoids the queue but shows fewer options
- Best discounts on shows that are not sold out — avoid Hamilton, expect good deals on long-running shows like Chicago or MJ
Alternative: the TodayTix app runs digital lotteries for $30-50 front-row seats to 20+ shows. Enter by 9am, draw at 11am.
New Year's Eve Ball Drop
The ball drop on December 31 draws around 1 million people. It is genuinely iconic and genuinely miserable to attend in person.
- Arrive: 10am-2pm for any street access. After 6pm streets are closed and pens are full.
- Bathrooms: essentially none — this is the defining constraint. No re-entry to pens.
- Bags: banned. Alcohol: banned. Umbrellas: banned.
- Weather: expect freezing temperatures and 5-8 hours standing still.
- Hotel window views: Marriott Marquis, Crowne Plaza and Doubletree Suites offer New Year packages starting $1,500-3,000/night with 3-4 night minimums.
- Rooftop parties: Sky Room, Stone Rose, R Lounge run ticketed parties from $500-1,200/person with food and open bar.
If you are not committed to the pens, watch from a hotel bar on a side street or from home. The TV view is objectively better.
Restaurants to Avoid
The rule: if the restaurant has a photo menu outside or a host waving you in, skip it. Quality is low, prices are high and tips are often added automatically.
- Bubba Gump, Olive Garden, Applebee's, TGI Fridays — chain food at 40% markups
- Times Square Diner, Ellen's Stardust Diner — tourist-priced but Ellen's has singing waiters, arguably worth it once
- Any "authentic Italian" with a tout outside — almost always terrible
Actually good and close: Los Tacos No. 1 (W 43rd), Joe Allen (46th off Broadway), The Smith (Lincoln Center), Xi'an Famous Foods (45th).
Where to Stay
Sleeping in Times Square itself is loud and expensive. A better strategy: stay 5-15 minutes walk away in Hell's Kitchen, Midtown East or NoMad.
| Area | Nightly rate 2026 | Walk to TS |
|---|
| Times Square core | $350-600 | 0 min |
| Hell's Kitchen (W 40s-50s) | $250-400 | 5-10 min |
| Midtown East | $220-380 | 10 min |
| NoMad / Chelsea | $240-400 | 15 min |
| Long Island City (Queens) | $160-260 | 20 min by subway |
Scams to Dodge
- Costumed characters (Elmo, Spider-Man, Minnie) — demand $10-20+ per photo, often aggressively
- Topless "desnudas" — same scam, painted body instead of costume
- CD rappers — hand you a "free" CD then demand payment
- Fake monks in orange robes asking for donations — not real
- Bus tour touts selling "$49 all-day hop-on-hop-off" — buy online from Big Bus or City Sightseeing for the real rate
- Pickpockets work the crowded corners — front pockets only, crossbody bag zipped
Real NYPD officers will always be in uniform with badges. Anyone in costume, robes or plain clothes asking for money is not official.